Bracket replacement issue for upper console

[Sully56]

Hey guys… on my 2004 Aviator, the bracket that holds up the control console on the ceiling broke. I got a replacement bracket, but when I dropped the control console to get to it, the head liner opening is smaller than the bracket, and I can’t remove the old one, let alone install the new one. Sure, I could cut the old one in half and get it out, but that doesn’t solve the problem of getting the new one in. To me, it looks like there are only 2 options – either remove the headliner, or trim the opening larger to make it just large enough to remove and replace the bracket. It looks like if I am very careful, I can trim it back just enough to do this, and the footprint of the control console is just big enough to still cover up the opening. Anyone had any experience doing this job? This is really poor design, I have to tell ya! Just in case it matters, my model has a sun roof, so it does not have the DVD player.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Don't trim anything if it's possible to remove the headliner. Could you post a picture of it?

 

[Sully56]

Don't trim anything if it's possible to remove the headliner. Could you post a picture of it?

I will try to do that in the next few days...

 

[Sully56]

Don't trim anything if it's possible to remove the headliner. Could you post a picture of it?

Do I have to host the images on a website first before I can attach them?
Are they not independently up-loadable, or does that require elite membership?
Or I could email them to you if that works.

And BTW, removing the headliner looks like something WAY beyond my skills.

 

[BrooklynBay]

You should be able to upload a few photos as an attachment to a post. You need an elite membership to upload photos to the photo gallery.

 

[Sully56]

You should be able to upload a few photos as an attachment to a post. You need an elite membership to upload photos to the photo gallery.

Yes, there is an "Insert Image" icon, but when I click on it, a window pops up saying "Please enter the URL of your image", and provides a little address window that is already pre-populated with "http://", expecting me to enter the rest of a URL address - click on that yourself to see what I mean. To me this means it wants grab the image from a hosting web address, and I only have these images on my computer. I don't see any option for just adding a photo as an attachment - if it is possible, then apparently I need explicit instructions. And I don't belong to Facebook or any other social media website where I can host these images. Again, I would be happy to email these few images to you if you don't mind that, or maybe I can attach them in a PM to you? I'm not trying to make this complicated, but there it is.

 

[Sully56]

You should be able to upload a few photos as an attachment to a post. You need an elite membership to upload photos to the photo gallery.

Just had a bright idea... I created a CraigsList ad to host these pictures - so follow this link.
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Hopefully you can see from these pictures that the opening in the headliner is smaller than the bracket, and I can't figure a way to install the new bracket without pulling the headliner OR making he opening slightly bigger, but still small enough to be covered up by the console. In one of the photos, I am holding up the new bracket to show how big it is - bigger than the opening. I bet the bracket was installed at the factory before installing the headliner. I looks like a ridiculously hard project to pull the headliner just to install this bracket, especially with the sunroof right there, so I was really hoping someone here knows a work-around on this.

 

[Sully56]

You should be able to upload a few photos as an attachment to a post. You need an elite membership to upload photos to the photo gallery.

Finally figured out how to post my pics directly...
Stripped the image URL's from the CraigsList ad to use as links.
Read the previous post for the explanation and questions.



Dropping the console, you can see the bracket... you can see the size of the bracket in the next pic.


Here I'm holding up the replacement bracket in front of the opening.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Click the go advanced box on the lower right hand side of the quick reply box. This will take you to another page with a link which says manage attachments. You could upload photos from your computer directly to the quick reply box.

 

[Sully56]

Click the go advanced box on the lower right hand side of the quick reply box. This will take you to another page with a link which says manage attachments. You could upload photos from your computer directly to the quick reply box.

Going advanced doesn't change anything, and I don't see a manage attachments link. Also, at the bottom left corner of the screen, posting attachments is listed as something i am NOT allowed to do - can't tell you why other than i am a free member and this must be a limitation of free membership.

In any event, that's neither here nor there now - I did get the photo's posted in my post above as you requested, so what do you think of my original issue?

Thanks

 

[BrooklynBay]

I could see that some parts of the headliner are covering the bracket, but the bracket is mostly exposed except for the sides. Maybe you could disconnect the bracket, then slide it out at an angle?

 

[Sully56]

I could see that some parts of the headliner are covering the bracket, but the bracket is mostly exposed except for the sides. Maybe you could disconnect the bracket, then slide it out at an angle?

That's a decent suggestion, but the problem with that is the headliner immediately tapers up to come into contact with the roof, and there is no allowance for sliding the bracket over in any direction. The headliner is stiff, and does not allow for trying to pull it down to create such a clearance. The Lincoln dealer parts guy said that this is not an uncommon problem, so I thought that for sure someone here would have had to deal with this before. Maybe I just need to show up at the dealer service center some day, and have a technician that has done this before show me the "trick", if there is one.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Where did you get the replacement bracket? You could ask a worker at a wrecking yard if you got it from there.

 

[Sully56]

Where did you get the replacement bracket? You could ask a worker at a wrecking yard if you got it from there.

I got it from a huge parts distribution warehouse - not an easy part to find. Of course those guys don't know a thing about how to install it.

 

[BrooklynBay]

It might be a good idea to ask somebody in a junkyard, body shop, or a place which specializes in restoring automotive interiors (limo/coach builder). I don't know if a dealership's service department will offer any help other than printing a parts break out view.