Sagging headliner around sunroof

[IRSmart]

Has ANYONE figured out a solution to this? I work in a dealership and every 4th gen Ram I’ve ever seen with a sunroof sags at the headliner. It’s a problem caused by the Velcro patches not sticking to the frame around the sunroof properly. I tried taking out all the little patches a few months ago and putting 3M tape between them and the frame, but the 3M won’t adhere to the Velcro patches and the sagging persists. My next thought was to buy Velcro strips at Home Depot and just line the frame with them to give the headliner a lot to grab onto, but if someone has come up with something else that works I’m all ears. I spent a lot of money on a brand new truck only to have the headliner sag from day 1. And the Power Wagon has a black headliner, so the silver aluminum frame poking its head through the sagging headliner is very noticeable.

 

[SitKneelBend]

I don't know of a specific product but I will say any velcro tape you use must be able to withstand higher temperatures or it will fall off...

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[IRSmart]

I don't know of a specific product but I will say any velcro tape you use must be able to withstand higher temperatures or it will fall off...

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Which very well may be the problem with the factory Valero pads.

 

[Fitzreefer]

Maybe get some of that stuff they give you with the EZ Pass. Not sure where to get it, but it is not your typical hook and loop. And it stays put on a hot windshield.

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[Team Horner]

I had the same problem in my 2018 Power Wagon. I also had the same problem in my 2009 Trailblazer SS when it was new and never had an issue with it after and it was still rock solid when I sold it in 2015. I tried the same solution on my PW that I used on my SS.

First I pulled the Velcro off the sunroof frame. I throughly cleaned the frame and then scuffed it with some 80 grit by hand. Then I stripped any remaining adhesive from the back of the Velcro that I removed from the sunroof frame.

I then buttered the back of the Velcro strip with JB Weld and stuck it back on the sunroof frame. I let it cure for 2 days and then pushed the headliner back up so the Velcro would grab. It’s been like that since Sept 2019 - hasn’t budged since.

 

[SitKneelBend]

Which very well may be the problem with the factory Valero pads.

I'd ask whoever your dealership uses for aftermarket sunroofs what they use. They are the same sunroof manufacturer most likely (Webasto/Hollandia)

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[48PowerWagon]

The problem (at least for me) the Hard Velcro Loop slide in position on a plastic ring that is adhered to the head liner this to accommodate the sun block slider - there isn't enough adhesive on the ring or a bad application during the factory assembly, I removed the headliner, cleaned the back of the plastic ring's old adhesive, and the headliners mount surface, and masked of the area and used 3m spray adhesive liberally on both, let the adhesive set for about 15 mins put the ring in place, taped key locations to pressure set and let cure over night, returned the headliner to service positioned the Velcro Clips back in position and pressed/pushed them to the roof - better than OEM

 

[IRSmart]

I just ordered some Velcro strips off Amazon in the hopes that a longer contact patch will allow it to stick to the roof better. After that fails, I’ll try some more industrial focused glue on the Velcro to see if that works next.

 

[chri5k]

Consult a local auto upholstery shop. I have seen a couple of solutions from them that worked well. The first was the use of something like JB Weld or urethane adhesive. The second was they stitched the liner to area around the frame that snapped into the bottom of the sunroof. They had a heavy duty machine that actually stitched right through the thin plastic frame. It all depends on the construction of the sunroof but a good shop can get very creative and spend the time to do it right.

 

[IRSmart]

Consult a local auto upholstery shop. I have seen a couple of solutions from them that worked well. The first was the use of something like JB Weld or urethane adhesive. The second was they stitched the liner to area around the frame that snapped into the bottom of the sunroof. They had a heavy duty machine that actually stitched right through the thin plastic frame. It all depends on the construction of the sunroof but a good shop can get very creative and spend the time to do it right.

That’s a good idea, I might reach out to some of my venders we use for interior work too and see what they recommend.

 

[Guitarrox]

That’s a good idea, I might reach out to some of my venders we use for interior work too and see what they recommend.

what solutions did the vendors you talked to suggest? I called to some of our cities local upholstery stores and they all want to take out my windshield. Im going to keep reading the threads as I would prefer to do some sort of DIY fix. The benefit if I do go with one of the shops is I can change the colour of my headliner and visors for no extra charge when its off.

 

[chri5k]

It is not uncommon to have to remove either the front or rear windshield to properly install a well made headliner. Trying to squeeze it in through a door usually results in the rigid backer board cracking or creasing which then leads to imperfections and / or sagging of the headliner fabric. Also, if they have put plastic or other reinforcement around the sunroof to prevent sagging in that area the risk of damaging the headliner by squeezing it through the door increases due to the big hole in the middle of the backer board.

You know the old saying, "Right, fast or cheap; pick any two".

 

[IRSmart]

I haven’t reached out to any of them yet, but the headliner does not need to be removed for the repair I’m talking about. The failure points are accessible at the sunroof.

 

[Hanover Fiste]

The same thing happened in my 2005, and it's happening in my 2018. It also occurred in my 2012 Challenger SRT8.

Dodge/Ram/Mopar uses only short pieces of Velcro to hold the headliner in place. The adhesive fails over time, especially for those of us that live in warmer climates.

What I did in my 2005 (and what I need to do in my 2018): Pull the headliner, and replace the cheap factory-applied Velcro with longer strips of industrial strength Velcro.

 

[vhmike73]

I noticed today when I installed my roof marker lights on my 2015 2500 that the plastic frame that surrounds the sunroof cutout on the inside of the headliner was with some form of glue, and that plastic frame piece holds a handful of standoffs with a square of Scotchlok that mates to scotchlok pads glued to the roof sheetmetal. The problem with my headliner is that the plastic frame on the headliner released from the glue and therefore the headliner itself. I TRIED to use some 3M VHB tape on the plastic frame to adhere the frame back to the headliner (note that it was only about 60 degrees, and A) needed to get back to road ready ASAP, and B) don't have my JB Weld yet)...but that didn't work. I need to JB Weld the plastic frame to the headliner and clamp it into place (pulled away from the scotchlok patches on the roof) to HOPEFULLY have it secure that plastic frame that holds the scotchlok patches. I would hope that the JB Weld will work better than the factory glue: the scotchlok pads that sit on the standoffs seem to hold fine for 1/2 the headliner around the sunroof, but the passenger side is my main problem.

I guess pics of the failure would be easier to understand, but if you have a 4th Gen with a sunroof, if your headliner isn't flush to the ceiling, it could be the "frame" that holds all the standoffs with the scotchlok pads has come unglued from the inside of the headliner itself.

 

[atreides]

I noticed today when I installed my roof marker lights on my 2015 2500 that the plastic frame that surrounds the sunroof cutout on the inside of the headliner was with some form of glue, and that plastic frame piece holds a handful of standoffs with a square of Scotchlok that mates to scotchlok pads glued to the roof sheetmetal. The problem with my headliner is that the plastic frame on the headliner released from the glue and therefore the headliner itself. I TRIED to use some 3M VHB tape on the plastic frame to adhere the frame back to the headliner (note that it was only about 60 degrees, and A) needed to get back to road ready ASAP, and B) don't have my JB Weld yet)...but that didn't work. I need to JB Weld the plastic frame to the headliner and clamp it into place (pulled away from the scotchlok patches on the roof) to HOPEFULLY have it secure that plastic frame that holds the scotchlok patches. I would hope that the JB Weld will work better than the factory glue: the scotchlok pads that sit on the standoffs seem to hold fine for 1/2 the headliner around the sunroof, but the passenger side is my main problem.

I guess pics of the failure would be easier to understand, but if you have a 4th Gen with a sunroof, if your headliner isn't flush to the ceiling, it could be the "frame" that holds all the standoffs with the scotchlok pads has come unglued from the inside of the headliner itself.

I JB welded my plastic frame. It holds so well that the factory velcro is now the failure point and the headliner still sags.

Anyone have recommendations in industrial strength velcro?

 

[PaleFlyer]

Maybe get some of that stuff they give you with the EZ Pass. Not sure where to get it, but it is not your typical hook and loop. And it stays put on a hot windshield.

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Market name is "Dual-Loc" I think. Sticky as all get out, also good at ripping your fingers apart when you are going through sheets of the crap. (F.I.R.S.T. Lego League uses it, and I've been a ref for them for 11 years... Went through a lot at each competition... Fingers are usually looking funky by the end of set up, as we use a sheet per table, and usually each volunteer does 2-3 tables, plus adjustment/replacement)

 

[atreides]

Market name is "Dual-Loc" I think. Sticky as all get out, also good at ripping your fingers apart when you are going through sheets of the crap. (F.I.R.S.T. Lego League uses it, and I've been a ref for them for 11 years... Went through a lot at each competition... Fingers are usually looking funky by the end of set up, as we use a sheet per table, and usually each volunteer does 2-3 tables, plus adjustment/replacement)

This stuff? https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/dual-lock-reclosable-fasteners-us/

Looks pretty burly. Seems like the adhesives they use for the backing on each side is fairly resilient as well?

 

[PaleFlyer]

This stuff? https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/dual-lock-reclosable-fasteners-us/

Looks pretty burly. Seems like the adhesives they use for the backing on each side is fairly resilient as well?

We used it on Lego parts (ABS), and painted wood. It would stick for years to the wood, but was removable with minimal/zero paint damage. But I'm not sure which exact "flavor" of Dual-Lock we used. It came in the kits we got from national FIRST. It was the clear version. It wasn't fun to remove, but it was removable. We also could remove it from the "mats" we used if we were VERY careful, which seemed to be some sort of vinyl/paper composite material. (We could rip layers off like paper, but it felt more like a vinyl/tyvex material.)