Headliners are accessories that protect your truck’s interior from heat and noise. With time, a headliner can get damaged, and you may need to replace it. You can choose from several replacement headliners for trucks that are available in the market.
What Is a Truck Headliner?
A headliner sits inside the roof of your truck and makes your interior a more inviting place. A standard headliner has many layers, including foam material, which is commonly polyurethane. The foam softens the headliner and protects the interior. It also conceals hardware, wiring, and electrical components. Typically, a bottom layer of cloth or vinyl covers the foam. This cover is the visible component of the headliner that gives your truck interior a polished appearance.
Why Is a Headliner Important?
Here are the main advantages of a truck headliner:
Visual Appeal
The headliner’s most evident advantage is its visual appeal compared to plain fiberglass or metal roof. You may like your truck with a more comfortable, clean-looking covering over its head than the naked framework. Having a like-new-looking interior with nothing missing increases a vehicle’s worth.
Protection From Heat
Headliners keep trucks from being too hot on a hot summer day. The roof temperature rises as your vehicle’s exterior bakes in the sun. Without a headliner to provide some insulation against the truck’s outer surface temperature, the interior will heat up faster than normal. It also risks heat damage to the seat upholstery or other interior parts.
Protection From Noise
Another advantage of a car headliner is its sound-deadening properties. A well-designed headliner improves the truck’s acoustics, enhancing the riders’ experience when listening to music.
The Best Replacement Headliners for Trucks
Headliners may retain dust and absorb moisture, causing them to become weak and brittle. With time, your truck headliner may become discolored, or begin to break apart. In this situation, finding suitable replacement headliners is a top concern. Here are some examples of replacement headliners that might fit your truck:
- Heads Up Replacement Headliner for Vans, Trucks & SUVs – Doe Skin
- Heads Up HU-803 Dark Blue Standard Headliner Replacement Kit
- X AUTOHAUX Suede Headliner Fabric 98″ Length x 60″ Width Foam Backed for Car Truck RV SUV Interior Trim Protect Aging Broken Faded DIY Repair Replacement Beige
- Halero 36″L x 60″W Black Car Headliner Fabric with Foam Backing Material 1/9″ 3mm Automotive Roof Upholstery Liner Fabric for DIY Home and Car Roof Repair Replacement
- Replacement Bow Style HeadlinerCustom Made to Fit 1972 – 1994 Datsun/Nissan Trucks
How to Tell if Your Truck’s Headliner Is Bad
Here are some signs and symptoms that indicate your truck’s headliner needs replacement:
- A crack or hole: If you see a crack or hole in your headliner, you may consider replacing it soon. Cracks and holes can expand gradually and cause more damage than just one small tear.
- Darkened areas: If you notice dark patches on your headliner’s fabric, this may be due to mold or mildew growth. It is another sign that your headliner needs replacement before further damage occurs.
- Damp: If you feel damp sitting inside your truck, the water has gotten through the padding underneath the headliner and onto the seats. In this situation, the replacement of the headliner is essential to avoid seat damage.
- Dirt: If the headliner gets dirty from dirt, dust, and other debris, you may replace it. It makes your truck up-to-date.
Steps to Replace Truck Headliners
Here are the main steps to replacing a truck headliner:
1. Collect the Required Tools
Here are some tools needed to replace headliners:
- Headliner fabric
- Hobby knife
- Screwdrivers
- Sound-deadening foam/heat-blocker
- Spray glue
- Wire brush
2. Remove the Headliner
After you’ve removed the interior trim pieces and everything else that attaches the headliner board to the roof, check that it’s entirely free and remove it. The upper corners on the driver’s and passenger’s sides can be fragile. You can fully recline your seats to make more room.
3. Check the Foam
While the headliner is out, examine the condition of the foam to see whether it requires replacement. If you live in a hotter region, you may strengthen your soundproofing foam with a heat-blocker. This blocker keeps your truck cooler.
4. Remove Flaky Foam Material
Lay the headliner on a level work area. It will have dry foam left over that you can scrape off with a wire brush or mild sandpaper.
5. Cut the New Cloth to Size It
After cleaning the headliner, you can place the new fabric over it to measure it. Leave a little extra material around the sides while cutting it. You can remove a little more, but you can never add it back.
6. Adhere the Fabric To the Headliner
Place the cut cloth over the headliner where you want it bonded. Fold aside half of the fabric to reveal half of the headliner. Spray the headliner with glue before smoothing the cloth over it, pushing it taut to avoid creases. Repeat with the other half.
8. Make Guide Holes
Naturally, the fabric hides all the holes as you’re fitting it. You may use the hobby knife to make guide holes, but be careful. Cut too much and you may create bigger gaps than necessary for the screws and bolts.
9. Reinstall the Headliner
Install the headliner and accessories back in your truck the same way you removed them. You can then slide the headliner around until it fits correctly. Patience is essential in this situation.
Cost to Replace a Truck Headliner
The replacement cost varies based on the truck type and the fabric used. Larger replacement headliners for trucks are generally more expensive since they require more material and labor. A truck headliner replacement labor cost is between $200 and $300 on average. You can save money by doing it yourself for around $50. While this technique is inexpensive, the end effect may not be as visually appealing. You can leave the task to the specialists for the best results.
Conclusion
A headliner provides a smooth texture to a truck’s roof, absorbs sounds, and maintains a comfortable inside temperature by buffering the outside cold and heat. Gradually, due to extreme weather conditions, your truck’s headliner can become damaged. In this situation, a replacement headliner is essential.
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