Removing back panels to remove headliner
#1
02-11-2011
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Removing back panels to remove headliner
Hello All,
Ive been going at this for days now and im completely stuck! I have removed all front interior trim (oh **** handles, visors, dome light ) im having serious problems TRYING to remove the back panels, it just looks almost impossible. If i were to get all the plastic retainers it looks like the seat belt would get stuck. Besides that i have tried removing all the plastic retainers from the back panels and i can only get a few out. I dont want to ruin the trim but does anyone have tips on this? or any insight?
Thanks,
andrew
Ive been going at this for days now and im completely stuck! I have removed all front interior trim (oh **** handles, visors, dome light ) im having serious problems TRYING to remove the back panels, it just looks almost impossible. If i were to get all the plastic retainers it looks like the seat belt would get stuck. Besides that i have tried removing all the plastic retainers from the back panels and i can only get a few out. I dont want to ruin the trim but does anyone have tips on this? or any insight?
Thanks,
andrew
#2
02-11-2011
#3
02-11-2011
if you're talking about the plastic pieces on the rear pillar, the top retainers really just pull out. they are like inside another retaint, kind of like a locking retainer thing. if that makes sense. pull it out and it should loosen the back retainr part.
these are what the ones i'm thinking of look like (but not the part they stick into)
http://www.dallasmustang.com/product...8&cat=0&page=1
these are what the ones i'm thinking of look like (but not the part they stick into)
http://www.dallasmustang.com/product...8&cat=0&page=1
#4
02-11-2011
#5
02-11-2011
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Okay so i removed all the pins, the back interior trim is still hooked up to the seatbelts and i need a "star" driver to remove them. Ill be doing that but for now i can't even get out the dang headliner! Ive been going at it for hours and even invited a buddy over to help me out. It seems like if the steering wheel wasn't there or if i had a adjustable steering wheel i could probably get it out. I really don't want to mess with all the mechanics in the steering wheel like the airbag. Is there anyway possible to get this headliner out. My trucks doors are all open and ill have to park in the garage tonight but i really need to just pull this headliner out. One of my ideas was to cut the headliner in half and since im upholstering it i figured you wouldnt be able to see where i cut, but im not sure if this is a good idea since ill probably have the same problem putting it back on. If anyone has any clues or tips or whatever to help me out that would be utterly amazing!
EDIT: Also the reason why im trying to get my back panels out is because im going to sound deaden the whole entire inside of my truck, so the more pieces i can get out the better, I realize i could of just loosened the panels but like i said i need the pieces out. Im also going to be upholstering the headliner and some other pieces aswell as installing an OHC.
Regards,
Andrew
EDIT: Also the reason why im trying to get my back panels out is because im going to sound deaden the whole entire inside of my truck, so the more pieces i can get out the better, I realize i could of just loosened the panels but like i said i need the pieces out. Im also going to be upholstering the headliner and some other pieces aswell as installing an OHC.
Regards,
Andrew
Last edited by andddrew says; 02-11-2011 at 05:39 PM.
#6
02-11-2011
#7
02-11-2011
You need to take the seat belts off at the top to take the panel out. the link that was posted above are the clips that are in the panels, you pull it out, you can't save all of them, i never can. i couldn't get my headliner out without removing my seats. the headliner WILL flex a bit, but just becareful you don't put a line in it. casue sometimes they don't come out.
#8
02-11-2011
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the board should flex a little. you need to get it under the steering wheel. i recover headliners weekly and have never had to drop a steering column. whatever you do, do not cut the board in half. you will only cause more problems than you think you are having now.
EDIT: Oh and also, went to sears tonight and bought a T50 T55 and T45 torx bit. You were right it was the T50 :)
You need to take the seat belts off at the top to take the panel out. the link that was posted above are the clips that are in the panels, you pull it out, you can't save all of them, i never can. i couldn't get my headliner out without removing my seats. the headliner WILL flex a bit, but just becareful you don't put a line in it. casue sometimes they don't come out.
Last edited by andddrew says; 02-11-2011 at 09:40 PM.
#9
02-12-2011
#10
02-12-2011
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Just gave it another go and this headliner just wont come out. It seems to big for the truck itself and im not sure if ford installs it with the windsheild off or not but im about to go into rage mode and rip this thing out of my truck. Is there any tips and certain way i have to pull it out, anything that you pros can help me out with!! ?
#11
02-13-2011
take it out the passenger door. i would say all headliners are installed from the factory before the windows go in. it will come out the front door. slide the seats back, lean them back. the driver's front corner will need to go under the wheel, and against the floor.
quoted from ford-trucks.com http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/86...ab-ranger.html
quoted from ford-trucks.com http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/86...ab-ranger.html
So, I finally got around to doing the headliner with the help of an upholsterer who was a lot less uptight than I was. After reading and preparing for countless hours, we did the whole job in less than an hour...
Some notes...
The headliner board on the 94 is made out of laminated sheets of some fiberglass material with each layer being about as thin as cigarette paper. Pulling the old headliner fabric foam substrate off of the headliner board was a non-starter. That fiberglass crap started tearing apart so we stopped. We just laminated the new material on top of the old stuff. The upholsterer said he had to do it this way a few times only on this vintage of Ford truck although it was not his preference. This made the finished headliner a little more puffy than the original but it still looked great. We just had to be careful not to screw things like the dome light on too tight to avoid too much indentation into the foam.
The one upside to this crappy board was that it didn't mind being bent and creases popped back out.
For the removal, the upholsterer had done this so many times that we only had to do about 1/4 of the recommended interior tear down recommended in the Helm shop manual. We removed the A pillar trim and all retainer clips around the top of the interior but did not remove the rear quarter trim panels (which would have been a ton of work with many broken retainer pins). Then, we slid the headliner board about one inch to one side so the other side came out from under the trim panel. Then slid 2" the other way to free the other side. Then it was loose.
To remove it from the truck...
Slide seats back.
Recline seat backs all the way.
Remove cup holder console thingy.
Drop the front of the board below the steering wheel.
Turn 90 degrees.
Tilt front of board (was left side before rotating) towards floor.
Slide it out the passenger door.
If the new fabric starts peeling off, I'll cough up the 200.00 on one of those nice ABS replacement headliner boards. But, for now, it looks really nice and the stench of the glue is finally fading after about a month.
Some notes...
The headliner board on the 94 is made out of laminated sheets of some fiberglass material with each layer being about as thin as cigarette paper. Pulling the old headliner fabric foam substrate off of the headliner board was a non-starter. That fiberglass crap started tearing apart so we stopped. We just laminated the new material on top of the old stuff. The upholsterer said he had to do it this way a few times only on this vintage of Ford truck although it was not his preference. This made the finished headliner a little more puffy than the original but it still looked great. We just had to be careful not to screw things like the dome light on too tight to avoid too much indentation into the foam.
The one upside to this crappy board was that it didn't mind being bent and creases popped back out.
For the removal, the upholsterer had done this so many times that we only had to do about 1/4 of the recommended interior tear down recommended in the Helm shop manual. We removed the A pillar trim and all retainer clips around the top of the interior but did not remove the rear quarter trim panels (which would have been a ton of work with many broken retainer pins). Then, we slid the headliner board about one inch to one side so the other side came out from under the trim panel. Then slid 2" the other way to free the other side. Then it was loose.
To remove it from the truck...
Slide seats back.
Recline seat backs all the way.
Remove cup holder console thingy.
Drop the front of the board below the steering wheel.
Turn 90 degrees.
Tilt front of board (was left side before rotating) towards floor.
Slide it out the passenger door.
If the new fabric starts peeling off, I'll cough up the 200.00 on one of those nice ABS replacement headliner boards. But, for now, it looks really nice and the stench of the glue is finally fading after about a month.
Last edited by drppdyllwrngr; 02-13-2011 at 06:16 AM.
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