[LuckRider]

I have Finished the work, however, this guide is still not perfect. Feel Free to PM me with any questions. I have posted my thoughts after 2 months, and it can be seen HERE.

More News From MagnetMan. The 1gallon kits are done. Speak with him for Special Forum Member Discounts and free shipping (Free shipping is as of this edit 2/7/2010, it may change).

Second edit: I was just contacted by MagnetMan with details, and this really is a deal that should convince many who are on the fence. I can't divulge any of the details, but it will be interesting to see how many orders he gets. This is my chance to say WAIT till he gives the final numbers.

Third Price Edit: Specials are subject to change. Contact MagnetMan for the best price.


I must start by saying that I could not find a better place to post this. Ok... now for the real part.

Warning: This guide provides NO guarantee, EXPRESSED or IMPLIED, for results or damage resulting from use of these instructions. Please read product information thoroughly, and all related material before beginning any work. Please be cautious, especially when working with tools and chemicals. Read all warnings relating to first aid.

So... out of the many threads here on JF, I could not find one that goes through the full process of installing a bed liner in the tub of a Jeep. I decided this was the time to show the process from seats and carpet in, to the final product. I have a total of 192 photos, all of which can be seen on my photobucket account, and they are all commented. I am going to go very slow, if you want, just look for the pics showing the info you need.


To maximize time efficiency, the following schedule will help minimize waste.

Day 1:
Strip Interior
Sand the Tub
Clean with M.E.K.
Tape Stuff Off.

Day 2:
Start day 2 Early
Do First Coat
Allow 3-5 Hours to dry. You should be able to feel that it has set up.
Do Second Coat

Note: You can roll coat 1 and 2 on different days since you have 36 hours to complete the second coat. I recommend doing it all in one day because the pot life of the liner is long enough (up to 10 hours if you remember to close it) to do both coats in one mix. After mixing the first gallon, I had a little more than 1/3 of the gallon left over, this included the tub 2x, rear bumper 2x, and the wooden console 1x.

Day 3:
This is a cure day. Lightly spraying all coated areas with water will help cure the material faster. This must be done No Less that 12 hours after final coat.

After application of final coat, wait 24 hours before light work. I would suggest using this time period to reinstall seat brackets, seat belts, and other light items. Save the seats for the next day to help ensure a strong curing.


Wait at least 7 days before returning to normal abuse inside of the tub. This will help avoid scratches.


About Monstaliner:

Monstaliner has a lot going for it right now. It has undergone many years of development and testing to get to the point it has. While the kit I happened to have used is very expensive, the cost to do a Jeep should drop by quite a bit. According to MagnetMan (from Magnet Paints, the makers of Monstaliner), a kit will soon be availible in the sub $100 range that is more of the size to do a Jeep, with a some rubber crumb to add texture. Monstaliner also has flexibilty. It can be rolled, requiring less work, and no need to an air compressor. It provides a professional finish when rolled. It also has the ability to be sprayed with a common shutz gun, providing more options for the owner.


Note: If spraying Monstaliner, a resperator is REQUIRED. Prep work differs because everything must be taped off to prevent damage from oversray.

From Monstaliner:

MONSTALINER™ from Magnet Paints is not just another truck bed liner but one of the most unique coatings you will ever find. If you've done your bed liner homework, you know that spray-in liners get costly and most paint type liners must be sprayed or they just don't look right.

Monstaliner is the first UV permanent coating ever developed and optimized specifically for installation by roller. Consistent surface texture from start to finish is what makes Monstaliner the #1 choice for do-it-yourself installers.

Now you're probably thinking to yourself that this stuff has got to be just like that cheesy looking Herculiner. WRONG! Monstaliner contains no crumb tire rubber. It's unique texture is created exclusively by the roller in combination with some mad coating science. Monstaliner is 100% UV permanent and guaranteed never to chalk, fade or discolor. You'll never need to apply additional surface protection, dressings or topcoats to maintain or restore its appearance.

About Monstaliner's Competition:

From Monstaliner:

Over the past 8 years, many new bed liner coatings have come to market. With the exception of few, most products are designed for spray application and are not optimized as roll-on products. Listed below, you will find the items considered to be do-it-yourself coatings but they are far from professional and consistent in their appearance. Monstaliner™ is the only D.I.Y. product on the market that is capable of providing professional looking results with roller installation and is UV Permanent as well.
1) Herculiner holds the top spot and admittedly has poor UV stability leaving many truck owners disappointed when the product looks like trash in just a few months. Contains a heavy concentration of crumb rubber and despite its deficiencies, continues to sell well. The company now offers a UV topcoat protectant to keep it "looking new" as their website says. Manufactured in South Africa for Old World Industries who owns Peak brand antifreeze. Herculiner is an aromatic (non UV stable) moisture cure urethane. Kit contains 1 gallon of coating, roller, brush, scuff pad and can opener - Approx $90.00
2) Durabak is manufactured by the same company that makes Herculiner and comes in two versions, one with no UV stability and the second version does claim to be UV stable for 50% to 60% higher price. Both contain crumb rubber and are moisture cure urethanes. 1 gallon includes roller - $80.00 for non-UV product / $130.00 for UV stable product.
http://www.protectakote.co.za/prodinfo.asp, Duram - Smart Paint - Products
3) Rustoleum Road Warrior is a two component epoxy product also claiming to “fade over time due to the suns ultra-violet rays”. Directions say to use a spray protectant to restore the original look. A kit contains ¾ gallon of pigmented epoxy polymer and 1 quart of curing agent, roller, sanding block, drill mix blade, brush - $110.00
4) Duplicolor is by far the lowest cost product on the market and the quality is indicative of its price. Not much more to say other than it is also available in a spray can? Chemical composition is a vinyl chloride polymer. Sold in gallons for $60.00 with roller kit sold separately at $13.00

A note before starting. Torx bolts can be very temperamental. Mine happen to have been VERY tight.

Using a good (expensive) set of Torx bits helps prevent stripping.
Tools (* denotes included with kit):

Tools for Stripping the Interior:
An extra pair of hands (Find a friend, neighbor, fellow Jeeper, anyone willing to help)
2x Flat Head Screw Drivers
1x Phillips Head Screw Driver
Masking Tape and a Pen
Ratchet:
-Extension
-1/2" Socket
-10mm Socket
-7mm Socket
-t50 Torx Bit
-t40 Torx Bit
-t20 Torx Bit

Tools for Prepping the Surface:
2x *Sanding pads (Easier if cut in half)
1x Quart Methyl Ethyl Ketone (M.E.K.)
Paper Towels
Gloves Recommended

Tools for the First Coat: The Second coat is the same
2x *Pairs of Included gloves (one per person working)
1x *50ft Roll of Low Tack Taper (Painter's tape)
1x *1 Gallon Can of Liner
1x *1 Pint Can of Catalyst
1x *Roller Handle
2x *Applicator Heads
1x Drill Cordless or Corded
Newspaper for filling in the holes.

Note: Should you need to wipe something with the M.E.K. to remove wet liner, REMOVE your gloves first. They can be easily eaten by the M.E.K. and this happened to my dad Twice.
Another thing is that you should use a variable speed drill. Starting slow when mixing, and gradually adding power will prevent making a mess.


Removing the Interior:

A couple of notes before we begin:
When removing the interior parts, find a bucket or bin that can be used to store the bolts safely. Nobody wants to figure out what bolt they lost.

With a soft top, folding it back, then flipping it back forward opens up a lot of space, and makes work easier.


Let's begin with the rear seats:
Start by folding seat. This is done by lifting the handle shown.


After tumbling the seat forward. Grab the handle shown which will release the seat from the bracket.


Then remove the rear section of the carper. Start by pulling the front side of the carpet up. Work it back, simply by pulling it.


Make sure you allow the seat belt catches to go through the holes in the carpet.
The next step is to remove the bracket holding the seat belt catches. This requires a t50 torx bit.


After that I removed the carpet on the inner fender wells. Remove the bolt that holds the bottom of the seat belt (also a t50). It is not necessary to remove it, but it makes removing the carpet easier, and needs to be taken out at some point. Both the driver's side and passenger's side are the same.

Note: When removing the bottom of the seat belt, pull out some slack, allowing the retracter to take too much in will cause problems when reinstalling. Once again, Please learn from my mistake.


I can't believe I don't have pics from the rear seat brackets. The 2003-2006 TJ uses the nicer style bracket, and that requires a T50 to remove the bolts. The older style bracket uses a 1/2" socket for the bracket. Thanks to cadeucsb for the info



When removing the the bolt, make sure you don't lose the little black rings.


This is what it looks like without the carpet.

The brackets that hold the rear seat (also seen in the picture above) should also be removed now. They are also t50 bolts. When removing make sure you mark the location, and direction to avoid later confusion. Once again, these are the same on both sides.

Moving on to the front seats:
Each front seat has 1 Torx bolt in the back. Since you were just using this very same bit remove that bolt first.


Continuing with bolt oddities, the bolts behind the seats are different. The next bolt is 1/2" I know this is a bad picture, but it shows the different bolts.


While not really necessary, removing the doors keeps them safe and out of the way. I mention it here because it makes removing the front bolts easier.
These are once again 1/2" bolts. I have pics of both sides, but they are exactly the same.


With all of the bolts removed, there is only one last step before the seats can be removed. You need to unplug this plug, and remove the wire from the little bracket.


Don't forget, the stock location for the jack is behind the passenger seat. To remove it you need to loosen the jack using the yellow turn handle.


Front Carpet:
To remove the carpet in the front, we need to first remove the console over the shifters. We start by taking out the mat at the bottom of the cup holders. This requires 2x Flat Head screw drivers, but that is not shown in the picture.


The 10mm bolt inside can now be removed. This takes the back cup holder off from the break back.


I should now note, taking the console out is easier if the transfer case is in 4-Low. Follow the owners manual for information on entering 4-Low.

The next step is to remove the 10mm bolt from underneath the shift indicator. Lift the indicator up, and it pops out, as well as the piece that sits below it.


The little bezel the the shift indicator mounts to may be worked over the top, followed by the entire console. Leave the shift indicator there because the handle would have to be taken off to remove it, not worth the work.


To finish removing the carpets, there are 4 retainers that must be removed from under the dash on the firewall. There are 2 on each side, and they are easily removed by placing 2 fingers behind them and pulling out. I placed them back on their studs after pulling the carpet from behind them so that I didn't loose them if I needed them for some reason.


After the carpet is pulled from behind the clips, the carpet may be peeled towards the back of the Jeep. There are 2 push pins, one on each side that hold the in, just pull up.



To Be Continued (I have too many pictures in this first post)

[LuckRider]

Now it may look like the interior is fully stripped, but there is a little more that must taken care of. The first thing is the Velcro straps that hold the jack handles under the passenger door. They are easily removed with a 7mm socket.


Now it is time to take care of the last thing. You may have noticed there is a wire sitting on the tub still. There are 3 pieces holding it to the tub. Two are the pop out style, but are very tough, use a screw driver to pry them out.


The last holder is a screw. Use a Phillips Head Screw Driver to unscrew it from the tub.


There is also one last clip on the e-brake braket. Don't forget to unplug it too.



Remove the Drain Plugs:
There are large ones on the floor such as this one.


There are also smaller ones such as this one found on top of each fender well


Don't overlook the two on each side way in the back.


Remove the grommets holding the power leads for the 3rd brake light. Be careful, you don't want to have to fish for wires like I did. There is 1 wire in each hole.


Allowing them to hand keeps them safe in their spot. I put the metal pin back in place so that I would not loose it.


Ok... we are almost done stripping the tub.

Seat Belts:
The next thing to remove it the seat belt retracters. We get to go back to our beloved friend the t50 Torx bit.

Note: This is a reminder, pull the belt out and tie up some slack. I didn't and I am having problems getting the driver's side belt to come back out enough to reinstall it.


After the bolt is removed, lift the whole unit up. There is a catch in the back that will hold it in place. We continue with being symmetrical on the other side.


Again, I realized that it would be much easier to take another piece out. Using a t40 Torx bit, remove the 4 bolts that hold the gate latch on.


As mentioned earlier, there are 2 clasps that hold the carpet in under the front seats. Use a t20 bolt to remove the 2 clasps.


Rear Gate:
We are now done with the interior and almost ready to start preparing the tub for the liner. We just need to get the last bit of work done on the rear gate.

To start, remove the cover for the 3rd brake light wires. This is done with a simple screw driver. You can then remove the 3 screws holding the bracket on.



OK... Time for everyone to learn from my mistake. DO NOT remove ANY of the Torx bolts by the gates latch (shown below). They remove the latch itself.


What you really need to do is pry the plastic cover off. There are 2 clips at the bottom.


We are now FINALLY ready for the prep work. In all... it took about 1 hour to remove the interior components. I also took pictures, and made notes in that time.

More to follow.

[LuckRider]

Ok... Time to start unpacking the kit. We need to the sanding pads to start sanding it down. Here is the picture of the kit contents from Monstaliner.com.


Now it is time for my picture. Please note, my kit contained 5 Rollers (should have 3) and 3 mix sticks (should be 2).

The Box.


All Laid Out.


Beginning Prep Work:
Ok... it is now time to start the most boring, but also most important part of the whole project. 5 Things to remember when sanding:
1. Don't sand through the paint (if you get to bare metal, prime it)
2. Working the corners and edges FIRST will help prevent over sanding other areas.
3. Good Prep work is the key to a good finish.
4. Don't sand more than you are going to coat. Nobody wants to rebuff scratches you put in the paint.
5. Remember, this will dictate how well the stuff sticks.

I have more pictures on my photobucket account, just follow one of my pictures.
I will only post a few for demonstrations. First, here is the rear fender well. Notice it is a white color. I noticed the flatter areas have MORE wax (I could swear the PO waxed the interior with the amount in the back)


To contrast this, the front looks much more blueish. This is because we were sanding into the first layer of paint. You can also see where it hasn't been sanded yet.


Placing a dull chisel inside the sanding pad is a great way to get the sides of the ridges in the back. Use a dull one so that you don't cut through the pad, scratching the paint.


Here is my HighTec auto duster. Read my comment on photobucket for more info.


After all of the sanding (A TON of it) was done, I sprayed it down with water, and cleaned away all of the dust.


Don't skimp on this stuff. The Methyl Ethyl Ketone is worth the extra couple bucks, and does a great job.


Here it is all sanded down, and some of the paint cleaned with the M.E.K.


This is all I have for now. Tomorrow: It goes DOWN!!!!!

[2006_Sport]

Still shoulda gotten U-Pol raptor

JK man, good write up so far, very detailed.

[jeep2008]

I love people who take the time to take pictures and do write-ups!Good work man!Cheers!!

[missionAvs]

Great writeup man, can't wait to see the results!

[Traildweller05]

Nice writeup! When I saw the picture of the dog, I thought the sanding pad grew oddly! lol

[ProjectWhiteTJ]

Great write up so far. Funny I have pictures of my dog in my jeep during my upol install.

[finalreckoning]

You have inspired me to start on my own lining.
Hopefully I can get some for Christmas.
And yeah, I'm 16, so pretty much every dollar for my Jeep has to be scrounged up lol

[Bennettj13]

Detailed write up man. Product is far too expensive to be worth it to me, but I'm glad it worked out for you. Be sure to update this thread as time goes on so we all know how it wears. I'm pretty sure I'll be sticking with Upol though.

[LuckRider]

So here is a little unofficial update. We put down the first coat. It is VERY Thick. The stuff smells like roofing tar, not all that just, just make sure it is a well ventilated area. I will get pics up later tonight.

The first coat took a little less than half a gallon. I am doing this kit to help determine coverage amounts, so the price will go down because there should be a kit for our specific coverage. I may have 1 whole gallon left over when all is said and done.

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

[Unlimited04]

wow, awesome. can't wait to see the final pics!

[UltimateCC]

When I get a chance I will have a write up as well from my k5 blazer experience...this stuff rocks...

Below is a quick teaser of what one thin coat does. We used about a 1/2 of a gallon to cover the entire interior in the blazer.

[NICU]

great write up just crawled this thread.

[LuckRider]

I am glad everyone is enjoying this write-up. My mom is so pissed right now, since I had to sand the tub. She also said it will never all go back together. She is wrong.

Time for the update.

Taping:
This is an important step. The tape defines where the liner will go, and the smoother it is, the cleaner the lines of the liner. We taped the tub as shown, not going all the way up the wall.


We taped both side of the tub like that, and the roll bar so that the bracket is covered, but not the bar itself.

We moved to the front of the tub. We taped off the airbag module. Notice the gold plate. We didn't tape that because it will be seen when the console is reinstalled, and gold is ugly. It is hard to see, but we taped off all of the black around the shifter.


The next thing we taped off was the e-brake bracket. Pretty obvious to do.


One thing I forgot to get a picture of is the tape under the door. Really, this is a line that is up to you. Going to high on the driver's side may lead to coating the wire pack the leads the the back of the tub. We stayed lower than this to avoid getting the messy.

Preparing the Liner:
Now that everything is taped and all of the holes are filled, it is time to mix up the liner. Start by shaking 1x 1 gallon can of liner, and 1x 1 pint can of catalyst. There are clips on these cans that must be removed before the cans can be opened. They can be pried off with a screw driver or paint can opener.


After opening the cans, use one of the stir sticks to scoop ALL of the catalyst out of the can. It is thick like a gel. The liner is not harmful to skin, but it does stain. Use the provided gloves.


After scooping all of the catalyst into the liner, use the provided paddle to mix it all with a drill. The instructions say to mix for 3-5 minutes. Make sure you scrape the bottom and sides of the can to ensure the is no extra clumps of catalyst hiding on the side.


The First Coat:

Ok, I have recieved a little bit of info from MagnetMan. He says that my recommended weather conditions can cause issues.

Originally Posted by magnetman

A word of advice regarding application on rainy or highly humid days, please try hard to avoid this.

By forcing Monstaliner to cure faster, especially when rolling, you're going to put unnecessary stress on the roller foam. If the roller starts to break up during rolling you then have a situation to deal with especially when you may be using your last roller. You don't want to have to start picking out pieces of foam from the wet coating. Also, the last thing you want to be doing is searching for similar rollers that may not be available in every paint store.

If you are spraying, there is less risk in humid conditions but I wold still be cautious and try to avoid extremes.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Thank you for the info MagnetMan. I hope this has been posted in time to warn others.
Now that it is all mixed, we are ready to start with the first coat. Note that it was rainy today. This is actually preferable, because magnet paints says that this helps cure the material quicker.


We started by coating all of the little crevasses with the supplied brush. We also used an old brush (polyester, Must be Polyester) to make the work go faster. By far the hardest space to fill was the bracket that holds the jack.


Here we coated the brackets for the T-case and shifter. After going over it with a brush, we followed with the roller to add the texture.


Here is the main section of the tub coated. We rolled the whole thing on thick. Every square inch has a very thick coating. The tub and fenders can just be worked with the roller after the corners have been covered.


The Last part we had to do was the rear gate. The easiest way to do this is by getting a good amount on the brush and then just working it up and down along the drain holes. Don't worry about being messy here. After slopping it on, you can then fill in the holes. After all of the vent holes are coated, then roll the rest of the gate. You can see where I taped here.


Notice how some of the main sections still have a little blue showing through. That is all right. It will be covered in the second coat. Also know that it took 2 rollers to do the first coat. The first roller started to break apart with just the tailgate and a small section of the trunk to do. At first sign of little piece coming off STOP. It will break apart fast once it starts. I will be starting the second coat in a little. It is almost dry now.