Roof Rail Installation

[royemaun]

Hi folks,

I am looking for an roof rail installation guide for my disco 98, 3 doors. can anyone help me please?

cheers,
royemaun

[Disco]

I'm surprised that no one has answered your question, so I'll try to help you out, but I need you to be a bit more specific about what you want to fit. Do you mean the factory fitted Roof Rail thats on some Discovery's, or are you wanting to fit an aftermarket unit?

[royemaun]

Hi Disco,

Thanks for replying. I have a factory fitted roof rails with cross bars taken from 5 doors disco 97 model. Mine is a 3 doors V8i disco.

[Disco]

I'm not familiar with the installation procedure, but my guess is that you will have to take down the internal head lining and drill holes through the roof to mount it. You will have to check and measure the approximate location of the holes on a Discovery that has one fitted. Alternately, try to get some info from a LR dealer. Doesn't sound like the hole drilling/head line pulling exercise is worth it. There could be another alternative however. You could get some Sikaflex silicon that is used to affix body mouldings, spoilers etc to vehicles. You can usually source it from panel beating shops and if you get the right stuff, it should hold the roof rail very securely. I have used this stuff for attaching body mouldings, and believe me, you virtually have to destroy the panel when you want to remove it. Hope this helps.

[royemaun]

Thanks for the input Disco

Cheers

[Paul Grant]

Okay, I have to ask as I am still not sure what you are looking to do. Is it that you have a 3 door Disco that does not have the two factory roof rails on them. Or is it that the roof rails on your 3 door are actually shorter than those of the 5 door rails you are in possession of (I'd have thought they were all the same size)?

I ask because the rails (if they are the same size for both the 3 and 5 door Disco) install very easily. Each rail is threaded at each end and install through preexisting holes in the roof with nothing more than a nut. To access the holes from inside you will need to partially drop the headliner by removing the side grab handles and sun visors (part of the overhead console as well if you have one).

Now, if your Disco did not come from the factory with these rails and the holes are not present, you need to measure another Disco to properly locate where these wholes will need to be drilled. Once you've marked where to drill, have at it with a bit slightly larger than the size of the threaded shafts on the rails themselves. Use a little silicone to seal off the holes from leaking and install the rails and you're set.

If you are talking about installing the three optional cross rails in an effort to turn the whole assembly into a useable roof rack, that's a different story. Those cross rails have two mounting pins on each end that depress and allow the rail to snap into place.

[royemaun]

Hi Paul,

I have a 3 door Disco that does not have the two factory roof rails on them (i'd like to attach a pic but does not know how), went to a junk yard and took the rails that was on a 5 doors model disco (i presume it's 97 model) i'd thought these rails are same size if fitted on a 3 doors disco 98. I was the one who took them off out of the roof, laid down the headliner, visors and removed the nuts. But i don't want to do that on my disco if supposed that mine does not have pre-existing holes. Will probably go back to where i bought the rails (junk yard) and look for the same model and see for myself if it has pre-existing holes unless someone would confirm that my model has these holes.