Hi pete,
NO!
Do not take out the windscreen.

To take the whole roof foam out, you have to do the following:

- take out the luggage compartment rolling cover.
- fold flat the rear seats.
- take out the luggage compartment floor.
- take out the a, b, c and d pillars.
- take out the big floor/lower side plastics (the ones with for example the little lamp in the left side).
- when you have done that, and loosened the whole roof liner (foam complete with cloth), then you detach the lamps and wires. Some are glued in, some stuck in. They have to come off the roof liner.
- now you keep the head rests of the front seats on and lower the front seats to suit, so that the front af the roof liner rests on top of the front seat head rests. You can adjust that along the way, as you work you way to take it all out.
- the rear of the roof liner is wide, and a bit too wide to just slide it out, so you have to manipulate the width of the liner a bit to get the first part (the rear most end) out of the open tailgate.
- then you move one side of the roof liner down towards the floor of the car. I found it easier to move down the left side. This way, the distance is wide than the roof, going from up right to down left.
- then you very slowly, without force, make the roof liner curved, from left to right.
- you do that by pressing slightly on to the middle section of the width of the short rear end length, and then while keeping that curved, you aid it out of the rear end of the car.
It looks impossible, but it is not. And you will not get creases in the liner. Just be careful.
Installation is reverse of that.
AND!!! Remember this:

- DO NOT touch the revamped relined headliner at least for 24 hours, NO MATTER what the glue label says or what anyone else tells you.
- DO NOT press down at any point in time on the cloth. It may compress the foam and look bad.
- DO NOT use spray glue, no matter what other people tell you.
- DO NOT spray vertically or at an angle on to the new cloth. The glue forms a spider web shape sort of look, while it leaves the spray gun nozzle and flies through the air, before it lands SOFTLY on the the underside of the new head liner materials thin soft foam side of the material. Opposite side of what you will see when installed in the car. This will ENSURE that the glue doe NOT bleed through the cloth.
- If you do not follow this exact procedure, there is a high chance that it will bleed through and compress the new liner material, and that you cannot wash out or decompress in any way, shape or form.
- ONLY EVER spray with a proper gun and a proper contact cement from say a 1L can, on to the new headliner cloth material. You will need a bit of glue. A small can is not enough. Buy more and return the unused amount.
-ONLY EVER spray a thin layer on to both materials. But enough to make it glue properly.
- you can use a brush to add glue to the old (thick part) of the headliner foam (the styropor). And make sure you cover ALL edges along the outer edges and along the holes for lamps etc. So the cut outs.
- ONLY EVERY use your WHOLE hand to softly brush along the surface of the new headliner material cloth on to the foam part. You will have to stretch it a bit as you go. But make sure it's not a lot and that it is aligned as you go.
- you can start folding the new cloth on the middle and lay it down on to the foam part, say covering the front part. Then correct so that the new cloth is OVER THE EDGES of the COMPLETE outer circumference.
There have to be at least 1" of cloth material, but better 3 inches outside the big foam part you are gluing it on to. You will trim later.
- then you apply the glue with a brush on to the foam.
- then you spray glue on to the cloth and working from the middle, towards the rear end, use your Whole palm to softly brush the cloth on.
- then you work on the rear in a similar fashion.
- LEAVE IT for at least 24 hours to dry properly. DO NOT touch it, as it can very easily get unrepairable indentations.
- LEAVE the edges untouched until the aforementioned 24 hours have passed.
- then you cut the edges of the cloth to be bent 180 degrees around all edges.
- apply glue with the brush, and stick them on.
- along all curves, you have to cut small triangles out, so the curved parts will not overlap.
- After you let the thing STAY PUT!!!!!! for at LEAST 24 hours, and then reinstall.

That's the way to do it.
I hope that helps.
Kind regards,
Redfox

There are photos in the acoustic insulation thread behind the ceiling & trim panels. Also a list of trim panel clips (red text page 4) as you will break a few. Ceiling clip at rear I broke that (green text page 5 there is a work around repair which works well). The 2 hooks in the boot, turn anti clockwise to remove.

You need to take all the trim panels off starting with the boot sill to get the ceiling out. I done it half a dozen times & can have the ceiling down & everything back in place in an hour.

Once you have done it the first time you then realise how easy it is. I also had the ceiling down again to run cables for front, side & rear dash cams. The rear camera cable I pulled the cable through one of the two rubber tubes to the boot door, so cables are all hidden.

To actually pull the ceiling out of the car I would suggest having a second person. You don't need to bend it, maybe twist it a touch, lower one side, but it is more about supporting the ceiling so you don't bend it. I have only lowered the ceiling as I didn't need to take it out.

https://www.freel2.com/forum/topic33026-32.html

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

I should add, that I suppose that taking out the plastic parts is well described before. Anyway, I should also mention that the reason some roof liners go loose is that the cloth is cut exactly to the edge of the foam piece. And then glued. This means that there is no bent edge along the outer circumference and over time, moisture can sneak in and loosen the material by decomposing of the sponge material layer in between. Hence the reason to always cut extra size and bend the edges around and glue there. This will lower the risk of a repetition of the original problem.

The process sound advanced but it is not. It is more like straight forward and doable for anyone at home.
There is a German company that produces this original cloth material and it is available in the exact color as well as many others. Black springs to mind.

Also, recently the UK based company that sells leather for many cars, like hand brake covers and many more, extended their range by offering a precut roof liner (as well as a, b, c and d pilars) in many colors and materials, with or without small holes and stitchings etc. Not affiliated to them , and their dash board liner is an absolutely dangerous disgrace. I know, because I bought it. Anyway, just saying. This means, that now there are many offerings available, also for the one who wishes to alter the design somewhat. Personally, while I like black for the roof liner, I much prefer the original material and color for a 4 x 4.
Highly recommend to do this job, if yours are sagging.

Cheers,
Redfox

Last edited by Redfox on 29th Aug 2025 10:01 pm. Edited 1 time in total

I should also add, that while some glue, including contact cement is various forms, usually like to have a pre-drying period of say a couple of minutes, before applying the materials together, this is NOT the case with the Danalim of the type I mentioned in the original post, partly because you use a spraygun to let it flow in the air like a spiders web, before it lands on to your new cloth's back side. It accelerated the curing process.

You apply it as I wrote, and then you stick it together. And remember: ONLY with a soft big flat hand. I'd say you only need to "kiss" it. Be gentle. It will stick really well. If you apply pressure, it makes indentations - unrepairable.

Also, another tip: about the rotten foam: when you have taken out the original roof liner, and after softly pulling the cloth layer off, put on a pair of latex gloves and then you lay down the big styropor foam roof section on a table or clean floor, tiles, terrasse, lawn or what ever usable, and use your hands or fingers to "roll" the old rotten very very sticky sponge foam off of the styropor part (the firmer one). This is a very dirty way for your hands to do it, so have more gloves ready, but it will save your foam piece from using any tools or chemicals. So I highly recommend this method. A small "ball of rotten spongy foam, will attract a lot more as you gently roll over more of same crap. And you won't damage the important part.
If you don't have a proper workshop, so not do it in your home. It really really stinks when gluing.

This is the correct way to perform this task, as a real and experienced upholsterer will do it. Don't do what many have described on the www. It is not the way to do this job. Do it properly, do it once and with a good result.

Gluing: I strongly suggest to do it outdoors or indoors with proper strong ventilation and ALWAYS with a proper correct filtered prof. mask. Save your lungs and health. It is super toxic... For you, for your (future) children and for the Planet Earth. Do not take this lightly. Don't believe the persons who claim they did this for 900 years and nothing bad ever happened. It does. So this job is not a "dad and 5 year old son doing stuff together"-moment job.
Kind regards,
Redfox

Redfox wrote:

Personally, while I like black for the roof liner, I much prefer the original material and color for a 4 x 4.

I sewed a new ceiling for my Peugeot 504 in brown velvet. They had stiffening bars across the ceiling in those days. The colour suited the car's Trak Yellow of the 1970s.


These days I prefer lighter colours inside, including the lighter seats & trim. Also you don't burn your backside on black seats from the Australian sun! Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

Acoustic insulation ARB TPMS 3xARB air compressors After cooler Air tank On-board OCD pressure air/water cleaning Additional 50L fuel Carpet in doors ABE 2x1kg Waeco 28L modified fridge Battery 4x26ah Solar 120w Victron MPPT 100/20 DC-DC 18amps 175amp jumper plug Awning 6x255/60R18

Nice. But what's with the thick fluffy seat covers in the Australian sun?
Black roof and pilars are so nice, but sometimes it looks tacked on, which I might suspect it would on my FL2. So I went for the factory look.

Anyway, I live in Scandinavia, so the Sun is off most of the year... We don't have 11 months of Summer like you guys
This year, the Summer was on the 21' of August between noon and 1:45 pm and we reached 24 deg. cel.

Cheers,
Redfox

Smooth leather or fabric seats will burn exposed skin if left in strong sunlight. The fur covered seats mitigate this. Fur dashpads also reflect on the windscreen interior less than the leather/textured plastic that the manufacturers foist upon us.

Redfox wrote:

We don't have 11 months of Summer like you guys.
Cheers,
Redfox

You’ve obviously never been here, that’s a common misconception  (Now Sold). 2008 Freelander 2 (Nazca Sand) SE TD4 Auto. Statutory write off & on WOVR for hail damage but still road legal.
171037Km as of 09/05/22
Superchips Bluefin Flash
Nanocom Evo II (also sold)

The seat covers are wool. Actually thin woven woolen clothes are cool in summer & warm in winter. I have a few woolen t-shirts & they are great in summer & winter. Much better than cotton which I mostly have.

We have had plenty of relatives & friends from Germany visit us, & all they do is complain about the cold!


On the news today, we have a cold blast from the Antarctic. Snow covering a good chunk of Australia. Anyone who lives around Sydney will know of Oberon west of the Great Dividing Range. It's a miserable bitter cold place in winter, even though it doesn't have absolute cold temperatures.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-30/sno.../105711478 Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

Acoustic insulation ARB TPMS 3xARB air compressors After cooler Air tank On-board OCD pressure air/water cleaning Additional 50L fuel Carpet in doors ABE 2x1kg Waeco 28L modified fridge Battery 4x26ah Solar 120w Victron MPPT 100/20 DC-DC 18amps 175amp jumper plug Awning 6x255/60R18

I looked it up and while ai is usually or at least often wrong because it is fed with wrong data, it says this:

"The average temperature during Australia's winter (June-August) varies significantly by region, ranging from 3°C to 15°C overall, with the northern parts being warmer and southern areas cooler. For example, inland and southern regions can experience averages between 3°C and 14°C, while northern regions can have average temperatures around 30°C. ".

3 deg cel is nice and cool in my book, while 14 and above is Summer in my home.
But it is nice to hear that the temperature is changing and also have cool periods. Winter in my book is nicely below 0. Our Winter is also 3 months, although there is not much difference in November, March and often April. We've had snow in April many many years. Springtime around here is 5 to 10 deg. cel.
Summer is 20 deg cel. and it can climb higher, but rarely. Right now it is late Summer with 22 deg, so nice and good for old broken bones. What we do have is cold wind all year round.
No, I haven't been down under, but that would be interesting.

Sure, wool tshirts are much better. Cotton is just bad, which you realise in 5 seconds, the moment it gets wet from rain or sweat. I do find that wool tshirts are easily tearing tough. I use them for climbing mountains, which I am about to do in 8 days from now anyway Rules changed, so that it is not enough to have 1 bearspray for a group between 500 to 2000 meters, but highly recommended for each member to havea chest mounted bearspray ready. Anyway, they are rarely above 2000 meters where I go this time.
Sorry for deviating, so back to roof liners, not bear liners
Cheers,
REdfox.