Suburban Headliner Vinyl Conversion
 

Finally got around to installing the “Conversion Headliner Kit” for my 1988 Suburban from “Automotive Interiors” that was purchased over three years ago. Understand, I’ve never installed a headliner in my life, so this is/was a learning process. Not saying I’m doing it right, but I was unable to find any threads from others which had done it in the past for how to tips. So, for now it’s the correct way ;-)

Since it’s a “conversion kit” to change your old board/cloth headliner to vinyl/bow, you are sent the standard 60” bows and mounting hardware though the headliner is sewn specifically for the Suburban. The install did require cutting a few inches off the bows and mounting clips.

I decided to have the side mounting clips rest on the lip area where the old board system sat behind the trim which will allow enough area behind the headliner interior trim for me to pull the vinyl tight and glue it in place.
Most vinyl/bow systems use some type of “bow clip” on the roof to hold the bows in place and to keep them from sagging. The kit did not come with those clips, so I had a choice, find a clip that would work or figure out another way. The decision was made to place the bows into the channel which is part of the roof support system then wrap a wire-tire around the two making it impossible for the bows to move or sag.

I’m at the point now where I need to let the vinyl relax for a few days before stretching it out and gluing it into place on the sides/front/back and putting back in place the headliner trim pieces.

Before installing the new headliner, I used Noico 80 mil 36 sqft car Sound deadening mat, Butyl Automotive Sound Deadener along with 3M Thinsulate (TM) SM600L Acoustic Thermal Automotive Insulation to help deaden sound and insulate the roof.

Re: Suburban Headliner Vinyl Conversion
 

how are the sides suppose to tuck? just wondered? On vw i have always had to take the windows out and the headliner goes under the rubber.

Re: Suburban Headliner Vinyl Conversion
 

smokehouse,

On this conversion, the sides/front/back, will be pulled tight and glued into place, then the headliner trim will be put back up, then screwed in place over top of the vinyl to it help to hold it.