Liftgate adjustment by dropping the headliner down - Need some DIY help

[kingofthesea]

Hi
The driver side of my liftgate on my LX is a little out of wack and it doesn't sit quite flush. It looks like it was yanked down too hard and needs to be adjusted about 1/8 of inch or so. Anyone performed these steps can advise on how to remove the headliner and get it back to looking like it never happened? I cannot seem to find any DIY on these on either the LX or LC.

My concern is I'm going to pull the headliner down and not be able to get it back up as I'm not sure what's keeping it in place. I'm sure I can break somethings by doing it... just trying to avoid disaster and follow only the necessary steps.

Any guidance is appreciated.

 

[Sandroad]

Here's some headliner removed pics on an LC. The headliner work from this and other threads sounds like quite a chore and may be really hard to get back up without creasing it. This guy hired a pro to do the headliner.

2016 LX Prinsu Roof Rack Install

I had some requests to post some pics of the Prinsu RR install I recently completed. As stated by a few others, this project wasn't easy. Matter of fact, it was quite the pain in the ass. As suggested, I hired an auto upholstery guy to take down my head liner. He started in the front and...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[grinchy]

There is some death sticky black goo adhering the headliner at the back. Be prepared for a mess in your hands, consider masking the visible part you’ll be touching ahead of time, if you get the black goo on it you’ll never get it off.

map you want to adjust the hinge? You can do the door part from behind the window trail, headliner removal not required.

 

[Markuson]

Hi
The driver side of my liftgate on my LX is a little out of wack and it doesn't sit quite flush. It looks like it was yanked down too hard and needs to be adjusted about 1/8 of inch or so. Anyone performed these steps can advise on how to remove the headliner and get it back to looking like it never happened? I cannot seem to find any DIY on these on either the LX or LC.

My concern is I'm going to pull the headliner down and not be able to get it back up as I'm not sure what's keeping it in place. I'm sure I can break somethings by doing it... just trying to avoid disaster and follow only the necessary steps.

Any guidance is appreciated.

What are you intending to do under there that you believe will remedy this? Where are you seeing the misalignment? When open? When closed?

You might want to post photos of the issue before digging too deep in there. Could be something far more simple.

 

[bloc]

I was also thinking photos would be a great idea. Also consulting the FSM for body panel adjustments.

 

[KLF]

You might be surprised what a body shop might be able to do, with little or no fuss. Just don't watch, they can get pretty brutal.

 

[Markuson]

You might be surprised what a body shop might be able to do, with little or no fuss. Just don't watch, they can get pretty brutal.

Similar experience.
I stopped by one a few years ago to just ask their opinion on a misalignment on my hatch...and they quickly adjusted both the latch on eaither side that can get bent outward from weight on the open tailgate...and then tweaked the hatch straight by literally opening it and torquing the whole thing by hand. Boom. Ugly to watch...but... All better.

 

[CharlieS]

I haven't had a headliner out on a 200, but I have popped open the rear part for wiring and to access the rear upper seatbelt mounts. Like said above, there was a nasty goopy mastic on the rubber seal. There are also several plastic body clips (having the right tools is important), and the plastic trim around the overhead seatbelt has to come out a specific way to avoid headliner damage (both plastic clips and molded tabs hold it in). The headliner itself is stiff but not super rigid, and you need to take care to not crease it.