Discovery Boot Lid

Jaybird

Active Member
May 31, 2012
192
72
28
Gippsland Lakes
This is just a heads up about the boot lid fixing. My van is a 2012 Discovery poptop with very low milage. While starting to go over it for a trip to Queensland in July I noticed that the hinge fitting of the front boot lid wasnt even along its length. On looking closer I found that the hinge is fixed with 20 small screws fixed into very thin fibreglass and all but about 10 of these are striped. On the other side of the hinge its pop riveted and some of these were not done correctly and had pulled through. My fix will be small counter sunk stainless bolts with nylock nuts and a redo of the missing rivets. One reasons for this happening is the head of the screws and the head of the rivets line up and when closed they press together putting strain on the hinge when closed.
This van has done under 20k and all on the hard top. If I hadnt noticed the problem then the boot lid may have sailed off while travelling. If the gas strut is removed then the lid can be folded back for the work.
 
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Jaybird

Active Member
May 31, 2012
192
72
28
Gippsland Lakes
Its not really something that can be photographed. If you open the boot right up you will see a row of rivets holding the lid to the hinge then a row of about 20 small screws holding the lid to the body of the van. If you get a screw driver and gently tighten the screws you will feel it they are striped. You can also grab the lid with a hand on each side and give it a wriggle to see any movement in the hinge. These screws are very small and not holding into much glass so you need to be gentle when testing their tightness.
 

Drover

Well-Known Member
Nov 7, 2013
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QLD
I think mine was the same, it might have been the repair I did where I added washers to the rivets to stop them pulling and glued the screws...
 

Jaybird

Active Member
May 31, 2012
192
72
28
Gippsland Lakes
Further to my opening post. I removed the 20 screws to refix with bolts and found that the screws were fixed into what looked like normal timber quad the had rotted out, hence the loose screws and the boot lid coming loose. I have scraped it all out and found it was fixed in with what appeared to be a couple of dobs of liquid nails and a minor amount of silicone so it may pay to check yours. I am now bolting through the hinge and through a aluminium flat bar on the inside that will be sika flexed in place so it should'nt move in the future.