Well, I tried but failed to get the knackered side steps off. Rusty nuts and none of them seem to shift/started rounding off.

What’s the best way to get these travesties off? Take it into a specialist and tell them to grind them off?

I don’t particularly like them anyway so would happily just grind through the box section and just leave the brackets in situ but that seems like a bit of a bodge job.

Anyone else struggled to get them off?

Forgive stating of the obvious, if you have tried these already however:

- tap with a hammer
- continual WD40 soaking (could take hours)
- use six point sockets ONLY - most cheaper sockets are 12 point and will just round a bolt head
- tighten slightly before attempting to undo
- heat with a heat gun or blow torch

...mixture of all 2015 Range Rover Autobiography 4.4 SDV8

I’m essentially doing car repairs in the mind of 18 year old me, when I rebuilt an Alfa quad cam engine, but with the enthusiasm of a 40 year old who is time pressured and would rather be in the pub, and using the same gear, so do bear with me! Apologies for being a numpty!

In the points below I am 99 percent sure I have rounded the bolt with a crap socket but will have another bash when I get round to it!

Cheers for the tips!

A 1mm smaller 6 point may still fit a rounded bolt.

Alternatives if that doesn't work are using some large adjustable or vice grip pliers but, I'd do this after attempting a 6 point and definitely lots of WD40 and some heat treatment. 2015 Range Rover Autobiography 4.4 SDV8

They cannot have been more knackered than my steps, the rubber was literally holding the step together.

Spray them with WD-40 Specialist Penetrant for about 3 days, twice a day. The longer you leave it working for the better. You can get the tube from the spray can inside the chassis and soak it.

Nearly, all mine came out using 6 point sockets apart from the one 10mm bolt some numpty had already sheared off and the larger 17mm(?) bolt that sheared off. For the larger one I put a nut over the remainder of the bolt and welded through the nut to make a new bolt, then unscrewed it.

Be super careful as you will find they start undoing easily but when the exposed rusty threads get pulled into the captive nut it will then get seized and snap. I'd suggest soaking as above and winding the bolt in and out like you were operating a tap. Christian.


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2011 Range Rover Vogue SE
2020 BMW M4 Competition
2019 BMW X4

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