Installing Flip-Down on ’97 Dodge Caravan

Hi.

    First time poster, long time reader.  I'm an enthusiast that does labor for my friends on the side at the cost of beer and entertainment.  I've done several installs of A/V components but never a flip-down LCD.  One of my friends wants one in her Dodge Caravan.  After doing a little homework I've found that there is no support beam to bolt the LCD into behind the headliner in the middle.  I've thrown around a lot of ideas but I really need something to secure the LCD to behind the head-liner.  I've heard of people just securing the LCD to the headliner itself.  I'm a little skeptical of this idea because flip-downs generally require more force than expected to actually flip-down and I'm afraid her son would pull hard and either make the headliner sag or, god forbid, rip the whole unit off the headliner. 

     Any ideas on how I could secure the flip-down without having to just screw it into the headliner since the van is missing cross-beams?  I've thought about removing the headliner and JB Welding some sort of custom bracket to the roof.  Or perhaps gluing a piece of wood to the roof behind the headliner that I could screw the LCD into once the headliner is replaced, affectively making my own cross-beam.  Any ideas guys?

Thanks in advance!  This is a great forum.

-Sigi Deba

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-Sigi Deba

Just as you said.... Use 1/2 inch wood above/under the headliner. use the wood to sandwich the headliner inbetween the flip and the 1/2 inch wood. Just Be Very Careful Not To Go Through The Roof Of The Vehicle.   Check your screw lenght and if need be go to the hardware store and buy the right size, rember to take your time and check three times before going to the next step. for the wood rember to cut it twice the size of the base and that will give you ample support.

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Thanks for the advice.  Do you know of any quick setting adhesives that would bond the wood to metal in less than 5 minutes?  I can't sit there and hold the wood in place for 4 hours while I wait for the adhesive to set. 

-SigiDeba

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-Sigi Deba

Use an Epoxi or use JB Weld ....

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You can also use some silicone.... Also for holding it up, I made a piece of wood long enough to reach from floor to ceiling so you dont have to hold it up.  If you use this meathod and not the standard sandwich style which you dont need to attach the wood to metal. But the sandwich style willl hold up to 10" screens with ease... E-mail me pics When you ae done .

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Wow, thanks.  The reason I want to glue the wood to the roof is because a 12 yr. old boy will be pulling down the flip and the flip takes more force to pull down than most flips I've seen.  JB Weld wood to metal?  I didn't know JB would bond the two, is that right?.  Thanks for the advice about the board  to brace, I already have one in my garage I can measure and cut.  If I do bond the wood to the roof I'm going to be real careful about how long my screws are, like you mentioned.  Just dealing with in-dash and audio I've never really had to worry about things like that.

I don't have the van until Sunday so I just want to get my plan straight so I can get it in and out.

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-Sigi Deba

Another thing to consider is the HEAT factor.  It gets very hot in between the car roof and the headlinder.  Some adhesives don't last...  But as long as something stays screwed into the wood, I guess it wont go anywhere...

Anytime we need to secure a piece of wood directly to the roof we use Liquid Nails. Only problem is it needs time to dry but once it dries that's it..

Thanks NowYouKnow,

Liquid Nails has about 45 different products after looking at some of the metal bonds I couldn't find one that would service above 140 degrees.  I'm sure it gets to be about 180 degress in between the headliner and roof of her Maroon Van in Texas.  Do you know have any that can service and hold in that kind of heat?

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-Sigi Deba