Hi all,
I haven't quite had a good look at the side steps yet, as I have had other jobs to do on the car. Next up:

Change CD changer. (Not looking forward to taking the front left interior apart at all).
Check for rust in known areas and remedy.

And so.. my question on side steps: I have the black LR fixed ones on a 2007 VSE.

The left side step feels a bit soggy at the very back. Not so much that the bracket is loose, but more than the actual platform of the step is weakening.

Is this common and are the internals of the step collapsing due to corrosion? This is the step my mother uses to get in/out of the car, I cannot have it collapsing under her foot.

Whatever is needed, but if a quick weld has been known to sort this out, that would be ideal really.

The list never ends.

Thanks
Mark

If you are going to brace it all up, there needs to be enough decent steel to weld to. On my TD6, I left it too late and they were shot.

I then paid about £120 and got some OE “style” ones off eBay. Looked almost identical when fitted.

Yes they were lighter... yes they won’t last as long.... yes the plastic trim is riveted on instead of screwed....

But were fine when I sold the car, and I figured you could get 4 or 5 sets for the price of the genuine ones.

I left my original front mudflaps on, and slotted new steps into them....

 2011 Range Rover Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8

Previous cars :
2003 Range Rover Vogue TD6
1999 Discovery Td5 ES
1995 BMW M5 3.8 6 speed
1992 Range Rover 3.9 Efi Vogue
1992 BMW M5 3.8
1988 BMW 735i SE
1989 Ford Sierra XR4x4 2.9i
1981 Ford Fiesta Supersport

I just removed and binned a set on my mates 2007, a guy at the local car wash stepped on them to wash the roof and the whole thing collapsed, it was amasing how rotten it was, absolutely unrepairable... Removed them along with the front mud flaps and filled the two holes left in the front wing with some rubber grommets... Looked alright and cheap fix, he never used them for their intended purpose anyway...!! Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Very useful info thank you both.

I will mentally prepare myself to buy a new set and fit them. Another job on the list

What causes my anxiety when doing anything on this car is the sheer pain in the neck it is to do anything. To make the rear wiper motor work after dozen of previous repairs I ended up buying a newer incompatible model and spending hours building one working unit out of the old and new, bonding sensors into plastic cogs, fitting it dozens of times to test and dismantle again and again. The bloody tyre valves got changed, resulted in 5 trips to the fitter, and then a bust door cable, then a bust door handle, and again endless hours of fit, remove, fettle, fix, fit, remove and repeat. The bit that broke was the female connector for the barrel/nipple/swage end of the release cable. In the end I just replaced that from a doner handle, but it took many attempts to get it right.

I really would not mind if it was as simple as Ed China makes it all out to be. I.e. try and do it, if it don't work, penetration spray, then heat, and then bingo, bang it off, bang on the new one, quick tighten of the nuts and all is good. But it isn't is it? It is a complete and utter pain in the neck to work on and nothing ever works first fix.

So, I am absolutely dreading doing the side steps. Maybe will pay someone to do it.

I managed to replace my side steps easy enough, on each one, 4 bolts up the sides and 2 on the frame towards the centre of the car.... for each side. There are a couple of bolts near the air tank, that you can’t actually remove, near the rear passenger side door, but the steps allow for that and can simply hook into place before you tighten the bolts again.

Looking at pics of new ones will show you how they go on.

That said, Haylands donated his old ones to me and fitted with me first time, his old ones were good for a couple of years before they went and I had to buy another set.

 2011 Range Rover Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8

Previous cars :
2003 Range Rover Vogue TD6
1999 Discovery Td5 ES
1995 BMW M5 3.8 6 speed
1992 Range Rover 3.9 Efi Vogue
1992 BMW M5 3.8
1988 BMW 735i SE
1989 Ford Sierra XR4x4 2.9i
1981 Ford Fiesta Supersport

I much prefer the look and the not-having-to-worry-about-them aspect of not having side steps, either fixed or deployable, and fromt what I've seen/read the deployable ones are even worse! My car originally had deployable sidesteps, they've long since been removed by a previous owner.

Regarding the CD changer - get it refurbed from a guy on ebay, search this site for details, cost about £100 and if you take a Stanley knife and just nick the two right hand corners of the glovebox trim you can get it back in without taking the dash apart again. In all honesty, it isnt too bad a job  Pikey by name, not by nature

Hi Mjdronfield, thanks for the tips I can just imagine the trouble those bolts may give me. As for an air tank? I am traumatised. I keep hearing about stuff to do with this vehicle I have no idea about, whatever next? Is it like this:





Hi Pikey - I had thought I would take the CD changer out, refit everything and then just slide the replacement into place and leave it without screwing it in place. Thanks for the ebay tip, it actually turns out that danielb on here will do the CD changer refurb + warranty as well, so if I go that route I will support a fellow FFRR member however, I have got one lined up at a salvage yard for "cheaper" than a refurb. The first thing I am going to do with it though is once I have the unit out, I will see if I can give it a better clean and fix the issue that way.
I too have read about the deploy-able ones and they are not for me. Mother likes the step, and to be honest I think I prefer the look of a side step. But not deploy-able ones.

The bolts are relatively large mate, and bolts will have been in the holes even when side steps not fitted, so should be ok.

You don’t do anything with the air tank, it just stops the bolts coming fully out, as it’s right at the side of them. The steps allow for this as they have cutouts so you can hang the bracket on with the bolts loosened a bit.

You shouldn’t have any issues.... famous last words I know 🤣

You could always have a crawl underneath and make sure you can undo them all before you even order replacements, if it puts your mind at rest.

 2011 Range Rover Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8

Previous cars :
2003 Range Rover Vogue TD6
1999 Discovery Td5 ES
1995 BMW M5 3.8 6 speed
1992 Range Rover 3.9 Efi Vogue
1992 BMW M5 3.8
1988 BMW 735i SE
1989 Ford Sierra XR4x4 2.9i
1981 Ford Fiesta Supersport

Good advice thanks. I have just booked a slot (long way off) with the local mechanics for this, but I will get under and have a look and if i can do it, I will.

Parts inquiries sent out.

Like this.....

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=...RAJaONmnZ1

 2011 Range Rover Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8

Previous cars :
2003 Range Rover Vogue TD6
1999 Discovery Td5 ES
1995 BMW M5 3.8 6 speed
1992 Range Rover 3.9 Efi Vogue
1992 BMW M5 3.8
1988 BMW 735i SE
1989 Ford Sierra XR4x4 2.9i
1981 Ford Fiesta Supersport

Thanks. Looks no harder than a few minutes of adult-meccano. I do see some potential FFRR style gotchas with this though

All the bolts will be very rusty, I tried easing all the bolts out just in case he wanted to put some on later but with plenty of easing fluid about 50% of them snapped, including the ones that don't have to come all the way out...

If I had had to use them again it would have been hours of work to sort... The bolts go through large holes in the steps, the holes around the bolts get water caught in them and it is the heads that snap off as the bolt has rusted thin...

I would stick the fatty in off road height, open a door and then get under there and spray them with some penetrating fluid every few days for a few weeks until the job is done...

I imaging the condition of yours will be commensurate with how many salted roads you drive on...!!

Good Luck...  Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Thanks fellas, my new one doesn’t have side steps like my last one did and I was thinking whether to fit some.

I’ve decided, I won’t bother - I can get in easy enough, others who cannot are permitted to bring a small step with them when they travel.

Haylands - I think that is my concern too. So I booked into my local garage so they can deal with that headache.

Update: Then I set about finding replacement part. I spoke to a lot of very nice and very helpful people.

Terrainvehicles.co.uk
Gentlemen of Salvage
rangeroverbreakers.com


rangeroverbreakers.com were super helpful and we had a good chat about all things L322. I got some interesting feedback on the well known after market replacements and was told that "sidesteps.co.uk" made some of the best and long lasting after market ones that rangeroverbreakers had fitted, and they had the least problems after.

So I phoned sidesteps.co.uk. Based in Walsall, W. Mids. They manufacture on site, are willing to make up one that nearly matches my set, remove the old one, fit the newly made one and do it all this afternoon for £150.

Result!

Guess what i am buying and doing in my RR today?

That sounds a good find, post some pictures when it's done...  Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-