How to Replace Car Upholstery
Your car is running fine, but the family has taken its toll on the interior. Sometimes the upholstery becomes torn, worn, or you just want a change of pace. It's often possible to replace the upholstery in the car yourself with the right equipment and a little elbow grease.
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Things You'll Need
- Flat head screwdriver
- Phillips head screwdriver
- Metal cutter
- Ratchet, extension and sockets
- Pliers
- Hog ring pliers
- Adhesive spray
- Scissors
- Metal hog rings
- Glue
Instructions
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1
Take car seats out of the car. Most vehicles will require a ratchet to unbolt the seat. This is not necessary for all car models, but gives you greater ease to move around the seat as you're working.
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2
Look for any "buttons" on armrests or headrests. Pop these off to reveal hidden screws or bolts that can be unfastened for removal of the armrest or headrest.
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3
Remove the old cloth from the seats. Look for any Velcro, clips or hog rings (these look like the rings that go into pigs' noses) that hold the cloth in place and remove them or pop the pieces apart. Carefully observe where these fasteners are placed if you are using the same style of upholstery for that model.
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4
Take out old padding, if needed, and replace with new padding supplied in the kit. You may need to glue the new padding in place.
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5
Replace the upholstery on the backrest and seat, using the clips, hog rings or Velcro to hold the pieces in place. If you're installing a different type of upholstery, the fasteners may differ from the original.
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6
Cover the headrest and armrests with new upholstery, if necessary, and reattach to the seat.
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7
Reinstall the seat in the vehicle.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Because the upholstery varies from vehicle to vehicle, the list of tools included is meant to cover whatever tools are needed. You may not need to use all of the tools for your vehicle.
Some installation kits include tools such as hog ring pliers.
Some automotive stores will let you borrow tools if you purchase the parts from them.
Allow 5 to 6 hours for this project.
