headliner removal-roof racks

[bostonDave]

hello all-
in the process of doing a mod to the roof racks, two of the hold down screws at two of the legs got stripped. before i drill them out so that i can actually get the rack off, has anyone ever removed the headliner to see what they are fastened to?

due to the speaker system, this would be a last resort, but if its been done fairly easily, please reply to this thread.

(also, any advice on how to remove those ?|!*@&*_!! bolts wouldn't hurt either!)

thanks in advance!

[Kansas Law Dog]

I suspect that loc-tite or some other similar product is used to secure the bolts during installation. Maybe some penetrating oil (not so much that it runs through the threads and stains the headliner) and then firmly tap each bolt head with a hammer to break the bond before applying torque to loosen the bolts. Remember there is a fiber washer (part of the bolting attachment of the roof rack) to prevent rain moisture from dripping through the roof, so the penetrating oil may need several minutes to permeate thru the washer and work on the loc-tite bond.

[DFrelich]

bostonDave previously said:

hello all-
in the process of doing a mod to the roof racks, two of the hold down screws at two of the legs got stripped. before i drill them out so that i can actually get the rack off, has anyone ever removed the headliner to see what they are fastened to?

due to the speaker system, this would be a last resort, but if its been done fairly easily, please reply to this thread.

(also, any advice on how to remove those ?|!*@&*_!! bolts wouldn't hurt either!)

thanks in advance!

You can grind the head out of the bolt. Then skimmy through the headliner. Brackets that holds bolts are fastened to the roof by metal clips. When removing brackets, you can use vise grip to remove bolts off from the bracket.

Once done, you can fasten bracket back using same clips.

[Trader098]

bostonDave previously said:

hello all-
in the process of doing a mod to the roof racks, two of the hold down screws at two of the legs got stripped. before i drill them out so that i can actually get the rack off, has anyone ever removed the headliner to see what they are fastened to?

due to the speaker system, this would be a last resort, but if its been done fairly easily, please reply to this thread.

(also, any advice on how to remove those ?|!*@&*_!! bolts wouldn't hurt either!)

thanks in advance!

Sent ya headliner removal instructions....good luck!

[Noisycow]

The design is horrible with those retainers in the headliner. They are just clip ons. Add to that fact - the bolts are locktighted so heavily that you can expect a jerk jerk jerk jerk while backing out those bolts. You might try get a couple drops of Liquid Wrench after one turn, but not enough to start a dripfest.

If possible, use a hand torx40 and not a power drill and go slow. Jerk jerk jerk. They are so tight - it is ridiculous. Use a T-type handle or if you don't have one, use a pipe wrench attached to a regular T40 screwdriver.

Here's the key - only press down hard enough to seat the Torx tool into the bolt enough to get a grip without stripping it - but DON'T press down hard!! If you do, it pushes the retainer inside the headliner off and you just bought yourself a project digging into the headliner (it was fun for me!).

[abophx]

Went to buy a rack from a former member, he broke 2 anchors loose. Couldn't remove rack. Be careful and good luck.

[ChrisInSeattle]

bostonDave previously said:

hello all-
in the process of doing a mod to the roof racks, two of the hold down screws at two of the legs got stripped. before i drill them out so that i can actually get the rack off, has anyone ever removed the headliner to see what they are fastened to?

due to the speaker system, this would be a last resort, but if its been done fairly easily, please reply to this thread.

(also, any advice on how to remove those ?|!*@&*_!! bolts wouldn't hurt either!)

thanks in advance!

You can find my post about removing the headliner in the stereo/electronics board.

To give you the quick summary.. remove the back seats, remove the subwoofer, remove the rear cargo flooring and remove 3 screws on each side holding the lower side panels down, remove the rear door trim, pop out the side panels, remove all the stuff holding the upper side panels in place, pull them off, remove the mirror and visor screws, remove the 4 grab bars, remove the lights and all the rest of the stuff holding the liner down, find and unplug the wiring harness leading to the roof (for speakers and lights) - to do that you need to remove the side vent piece and some stuff under the dash and then feed the loom through the top.

And that's about it!

[EARL97850]

ChrisInSeattle previously said:

You can find my post about removing the headliner in the stereo/electronics board.

To give you the quick summary.. remove the back seats, remove the subwoofer, remove the rear cargo flooring and remove 3 screws on each side holding the lower side panels down, remove the rear door trim, pop out the side panels, remove all the stuff holding the upper side panels in place, pull them off, remove the mirror and visor screws, remove the 4 grab bars, remove the lights and all the rest of the stuff holding the liner down, find and unplug the wiring harness leading to the roof (for speakers and lights) - to do that you need to remove the side vent piece and some stuff under the dash and then feed the loom through the top.

And that's about it!

Chris, you make sound like it took you 40-45 min. Just kidding! It probably was a pita.

Cya

[ChrisInSeattle]

EARL97850 previously said:

Chris, you make sound like it took you 40-45 min. Just kidding! It probably was a pita.

Cya

Well, it was a slow process for me. I had the lower panels and stuff off for dynamatting and then just decided to pull the the rest of it down to dynamat the roof. I think a buddy and I put the whole thing back together in maybe 1 1/2 - 2 hours.