FJ40 Headliner Installation

[tls3601]

@overton My headliner is on the way and ordering up supplies, how many cans of the 3M adhesive will I need for the headliner? Thanks

 

[tls3601]

Ordering up three of the 18oz cans, better to have too much than not enough....................

 

[tls3601]

Going to lay my headliner out flat today then will attempt installation tomorrow......................

 

[mstakacs]

Fast Eddy said

Then I'd put led strips around the edges. As much as I like pure stock, I really like this mod.

i did exactly this. costco had led strips on sale. i bought 2 sets. the perfect amount to go from 6" back from the windshield on one side all the way around to 6" back from the other side. wired power in from the interior lamp, grounded it to windshield bolt, and wa la!! i can actually see the inside of my cruiser in the dark. its like a freakin sun in there. bonus is it strobes thru all the colors ion the rainbow with the handy dandy remote. since its led and virtually no draw on the battery, when i park it at night to go in someplace it gets left on strobe. people love it!! overall cost was $60. you could easily do it cheaper, but it was convenient to go this route.

hard to drive with strobes on though. if i could figure out how to wire it so it turned off when i get above 5 mph and back on when below it would be perfect!! mine is a 1978 pure stock, true survivor. but i can now see in it with out my headlamp.

andy

I did the Costco LED strips over two years ago, with White Monstaliner their textured coat, and did the outside top with same Monstaliner but used a small pore foam roller. Still looks fantastic. My son uses our 40 as his DD, and all the high-school kids think the LEDs are the coolest (or whatever is the word nowadays). Instead of hooking up to interior lamp, I added another fuse box under the seat and had a power strip with inverter hooked up. Also powers Alpine amp, heated seats, marine-grade radio, rear after-market heater, and whatever else the kids hook up. Thank goodness for my 3-year-no-questions-asked Costco Interstate battery. It sure takes a beating - 4 Piaas up front, Warn winch, and Piaa headlamps.

 

[tls3601]

Any other tricks for getting out creases before installation?

 

[Paul78FJ40]

Part 3

Once your surface is ready, get the headliner. This one came from Cruiser Corps and I was very happy with it. Lay it out and MAKE SURE you have plenty of material at the back corners. You DON'T what to come up short here. Once it's laid out and you think it's in the right place, fold the front half back and spray the adhesive on the flat portions on the front half. Leave about 6" to 8" of the outer edges clean and free of adhesive. I used a standard Headliner Adhesive that works on foam. 3M makes it as do other companies.

Once you have good coverage fold the front half back over the start smoothing it toward the front of the cap. Just use the palms of your hands and smooth it out. I use scissors to trim it down a little as the front begins to get narrower, you end up with a couple long triangular strips.
View attachment 727251

Do you work short sections, or the whole front, or rear half? I was looking at CCOT's instructions, and they indicated working in short sections, and spraying adhesive on both the hard top and the foam. I have mine off but haven't gotten the old foam, and adhesive off yet. Does all the old adhesive need to come off? I have never done this before, and I really want to do it right. It looks like you have it down to an art.

 

[96 Bronco]

I followed the OP's instructions with good results on my first try. used the SOR headliner and 2 cans (big cans) of 3M adhesive. only thing of help that I can add is that the close up pics of the z angle that rest on top of and in front of the windshield were very helpful, but I failed to trim the corners correctly, so i have a little nub of fabric poking out that can get wet - so I had to trim it with an exacto knife after install. So.....pay attention to that corner also

 

[overton]

Just get the surface clean. Old thin layers of adhesive that is dry do not really present a problem. Let the headliner lay out flat in a warm environment to help get the creases out. A hairdryer to warm it up works too.

I lay it out on the top in position then fold the front 1/2 back and spray the adhesive on the clean fiberglass surface and some on the headliner foam as well. Then I get someone to help me on the other side of the hard top carefully hold the the folded side up by the corners and start working it down from the centerline forward using our hands press it down and smooth it out as we move toward the front. Once the front is down, fold the back forward over the front section and repeat. You can call me if you want. 515 864 1275.

 

[Paul78FJ40]

Thanks.

 

[allan man]

 

[maujkar]

thanks Overton, what is the internal dimension of the fibertop for liner? how many sq.ft of headliner was used? thanks

 

[overton]

I buy the headliner pre-maid from Cruiser Corps. Cool Cruisers and Specter also sell them. It's the correct material and looks great. If you need the dimensions of the fiberglass cap to do something custom, I suggest Google.

 

[bentwigg]

Lots of great info here, this will be super helpful when I install a new headliner (next month?)! I'd like to ask an old question in a new year: is Cruiser Corps still the way to go for aftermarket headliner? That seemed to be the consensus here originally, but since things can change...can anyone vouch for Cruiser Corps quality based on more recent experience? Looks like they're currently $25 cheaper than SOR and $32 cheaper than CCOT, and I'm curious about the differences.

 

[karp68]

A little over a year ago I had headliners from SOR and Cruiser Corp and wrote up the difference between the two.......

Comparing headlliners...color, thickness

In possession of headliners from both SOR and Cruiser Corp and thought I would pass on the difference between the two. SOR advertises as super thick....I measured it as 6.80 mm. The Cruiser Corp measures 4.80mm. To show the difference in color I have them staged with the bezel painted cygnus...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[bentwigg]

Very helpful, @karp68 - thanks! Which one did you end up using, and were/are you happy with it?

 

[74GreenFJ]

Has anyone had luck with fixing a drooping headliner keeping the top installed? Was curious if there is a way to spray (via small nozzle) and adhere the low spots with any success....

 

[airon23]

I'm pretty sure I heard of some doing this. Laying it out hanging over the rollbar then spraying half at a time and pressing it into place, then doing the other side. I suppose it can be done.

 

[TEakins]

Has anyone had luck with fixing a drooping headliner keeping the top installed? Was curious if there is a way to spray (via small nozzle) and adhere the low spots with any success....

I have done this and I have a full roll cage. Open up a passage to the sagging spot with your flat hand and arm. Use a fresh can that has plenty of power and spray from the entrance of your tunnel. The spray will aerosolize into the cavity. Use a soft bulky object like a pillow off the living room couch and pat down the area gently. Remember to put the pillow back.

 

[1911]

Has anyone had luck with fixing a drooping headliner keeping the top installed? Was curious if there is a way to spray (via small nozzle) and adhere the low spots with any success....

Tried that on mine with good 3M spray adhesive; it worked for a couple of days, and then sagged again.

 

[IAFourty]

Overton, thank you for posting this thread in ‘13. I am refreshing my ‘78 and have purchased the CruiserCorps liner plus their Permatex adhesive.

I get the added joy of installing around a sunroof and internal bolts through the cap that are securing a home-built roof rack, both of which the original owner added way back in the day. Your instructions will guide my process.