Removing the headliner (for PDR access to repair roof dent)

[EJH]

I know folks have removed the headliner for the brake controller install.

My truck has a roof dent. It looks like a ball or other large blunt object hit it. See pictures below. My PDR guy is confident he can repair it, but he suggests I remove the headliner first. I have removed door panels and dash panels in other vehicles (Suabrus, Mazdas) for stereo installs, but never touched a headliner.

• How much of a pain in the @ss is removing the headliner?
• How many other trim pieces need to be removed first?
• What is the risk of breaking something (other than plastic clips that I assume I will want to have extra on hand anyway)?
• What is chance of things not going back together clean and/or having a ceiling rattle after?
• Anyone have instructions for this removal? Does the Brake Controler instructions cover it enough?

The only positive is if I have the headliner off, I'm going to install the Redarc/Ford TBC.

Thanks for the replies. Discovering this dent really ruined my week.

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[Stangman570]

You can use a small plunger to pull that out or you can get several cans of canned air. Hold the cans upside down and spray. Ice will form and get it as cold as possible. Have a heat gun ready and hot. Apply the heat directly after the heavy ice build up and the thermal dynamics in rapid temp change will take over and pull some of that out.

 

[Stangman570]

I've also had recent luck on my Ranger with this dent. I used the harbor freight dent puller you see in this photo. Worked well for me, in this case my dent was a bit much for the canned air trick.

 

[EJH]

I've also had recent luck on my Ranger with this dent. I used the harbor freight dent puller you see in this photo. Worked well for me, in this case my dent was a bit much for the canned air trick.

I would have just gotten a PDR guy to repair this for $100-200. Looks like easy work for them.

 

[Matsterious]

They pull the head liner in this video

Roof rack install video

 

[Stangman570]

I would have just gotten a PDR guy to repair this for $100-200. Looks like easy work for them.

Heck no, what's the fun in that. I'll keep that money in my pocket. This was an easy fix.

 

[EJH]

so...who jumped on your roof???

F*CK if I know ?

 

[TechnicallyReal]

I went through the car wash the other day and they'd put in a new dryer so powerful it pushed in the roof and headliner temporarily.

Anyway you may be able to just push up on the headliner where the dent is, depending how bad the dent is (hard to tell from the images). Just throwing it out there. May be a free fix without any disassembly required.

 

[EJH]

I went through the car wash the other day and they'd put in a new dryer so powerful it pushed in the roof and headliner temporarily.

Anyway you may be able to just push up on the headliner where the dent is, depending how bad the dent is (hard to tell from the images). Just throwing it out there. May be a free fix without any disassembly required.

Funny you suggest that....

I went to a body shop, to get their take on a repair. Their estimator said my removing the headliner and PDR was a good option. He stated they would remove the headliner anyway for their repair, which would also involve removing the read window, roof gutter, etc. Then they would have to paint and blend the roof.

After looking at it, and telling me the above, he said "Have you tried to just whack it from the inside". Well, no. So I opened the rear door and punched upwards directly under the dent. Pop. It snapped back into shape. OK well there are two tiny ripples if you look close where the sheet metal probably stretch a mm or two, but being on the roof, it is unnoticeable.

The body shop estiamter said they do that a lot with hood dents that are similar to my roof dent. He guessed it was a basketball, as they see a lot of that.

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