So I came out to find one of my steps dropped to the floor at the front end, obviously over the years the box section had corroded, but it was the bracket that bolts to the chassis that had given way, a bad design in my eyes, the dirt just sits in them.
I’m replacing the box section steel as the full plate under the step is near on perfect, anyone know where I can get the brackets that bolt to the chassis, otherwise I’ll redesign and make with the brackets welded to steps and I’ll drill and bolt through the chassis
The Ascot has obviously had side steps on it at some point in its life, or at least on one side anyway, as the brackets are still there. I'll have a look at it later this week to see if they can be got off without resorting to the angle grinder.
Cheers Richard, I found a guy selling them, £70,, if that’s the case 2 bits of angle iron and I’ll drill through.
Using 'box section' steel bolted through works well too; Some of the 'Captive Nuts' on the brackets seriously 'resisted removal' though - in spite of liberal applications of Rust Remover etc. Yes Chris, angle grinders/drills are much more effective than spanners with this job !
Ages ago I drew out the sidestep brackets for an American(?) forumite on the dark side who wanted to make some custom sidesteps.
PM me if you'd like a pdf copy of the drawings.
Clive
Hi, I looked for new chassis brackets when the passenger side step just dropped off the car when I went to step on it. I found the following:
P38 range rover Original Side Step Running board Mounting Brackets.
The listing says that it is the last one if it still available.
My problem was that the box section mounting arm from the side step itself had rusted through and then broke off. I just bought new box section steel and welded in new mounting arms. The chassis brackets on my car are in good condition, but I did drill right through the brackets and fix the side steps back on with 10mm stainless steel bolts.
Pierre3.
Clive603 wrote:
Ages ago I drew out the sidestep brackets for an American(?) forumite on the dark side who wanted to make some custom sidesteps.
PM me if you'd like a pdf copy of the drawings.
Clive
Thanks for the offer, but I’m not in a position to be making anything, my arthritis is kicking my arse 🤣😂
davew wrote:
Using 'box section' steel bolted through works well too; Some of the 'Captive Nuts' on the brackets seriously 'resisted removal' though - in spite of liberal applications of Rust Remover etc. Yes Chris, angle grinders/drills are much more effective than spanners with this job !
So far it’s only one bracket, but I haven’t been under and examined the others yet, must admit I like the look without the steps, i don’t use them, at 6’4” I just slide in to the seat
Pierre3 wrote:
Hi, I looked for new chassis brackets when the passenger side step just dropped off the car when I went to step on it. I found the following:
P38 range rover Original Side Step Running board Mounting Brackets.
The listing says that it is the last one if it still available.
My problem was that the box section mounting arm from the side step itself had rusted through and then broke off. I just bought new box section steel and welded in new mounting arms. The chassis brackets on my car are in good condition, but I did drill right through the brackets and fix the side steps back on with 10mm stainless steel bolts.
Pierre3.
Most probably the better way to fix them,, I’ve ordered new box section, will have a play when I feel upto it
If I remember correctly I used 30mm squared steel tube. I am attaching a couple of pictures showing what happened to my side steps.
Not the best pictures, sorry, but hopefully you will get the idea. I cut out the rusted box section with a thin cutting disc on a 115mm angle grinder, and I drilled out the rivnuts and put in S/S bolts washers and nuts, and sprayed with anti-rust spray. I stripped off the rubber step from the steel step, and removed the rubber end pieces. Then I welded in new square box section for the support legs, and just made up a couple of aluminium strengthening plates to support the end piece. I sprayed the underside of the step with black Hammerite before putting evrything back together.
As I said earlier, the chassis brackets were in pretty good shape so I just put a wire brush on the angle grinder and cleaned them off. Then I painted them with three coats of Hammerite after the rivnuts had been drilled out. I was able to slightly relocated the steps fractionally closer to the sill of the car so that the look nice and tight.
Pierre3.
I did exactly the same. I used 30mm square box tube but with 3mm thick steel so it will last the lifetime of the vehicle if not my own lifetime. I also used the plastic end caps after spraying the internal box tube with black hammerite foolowed by a good dose of waxoyl. The plastic end caps were sealed on with silicon sealant.
I, too, used aluminium strengtheners on the end caps but used angle section for added strength and alignment.
The bare metal side steps were cleaned, sanded and degreased and given a couple of coats of smooth hammerite and the underside and box tubes were then given a good coating of stone chip. I also sanded back the mounting plates on the chassis, coat of black smooth hammerite followed by a good coating of black stone chip once the steps were bolted in place.
I also mounted the steps tighter into the bodywork for a better ‘look’.
The only issue I found was that the rubber ‘covers’ had shrunk during storage (I had the steps off the vehicle and deconstructed for over a year) and are now about an inch too short in length with a slight gap in places to the end caps!
One day I might get the rubber treads off the set of steps I've had in storage for the best part of a decade to sort out the corroded square tubes, add drain holes and get a pro refinish. But its been 9 years since I got them, "perfect condition" said the lying E-Bay toad. I'm not sure that I truly miss having them. Except maybe when washing the roof or strapping something to the roof rails. The long outer tubes on mine are both mostly three sided rather than four so a boat load of tricky welding if things are to stay straight and be properly sealed at the end of it. Not forgetting appropriate drain holes.
If the chassis brackets are that rare then perhaps I should tool up for a few sets. Not hard to make in OEM form with the bolt on side-plate. Easier if a simple three sided weldment will work tho'. I'm not set up to paint properly so would be delivered in bare metal. Can't believe where time goes. Date on my drawings is August 2015.
Clive
Drain holes: I thought about putting drain holes in the tubes. However, the front one is right in the firing line for all the muck in creation coming off the front wheels. This is what rotted out the original front tube. I concluded that drain holes would let as much in as they drained out and, unless quite large, would get clogged up pretty quickly anyway. I went for the thicker walled tube, paint, waxoyl, stone chip and seal approach instead.
Just had a look under the Ascot. It appears to have had a sidestep on the passenger side at some time in the past and the brackets are still there. Not only are they there but are far better than any that I've seen pictures of. Rear one has obviously been clouted against something but if they were in the same state as the others pictured, would have just crumbled away. They're yours if you want them Chris.
HeYa everyone, pls share via PN your plans/drawings/measurements for brackets etc. with me, as another fellow enthusiast just asked this questions by coincidence in a foreign language forum. I will share with him, as he is not online, here.
happy rangeorovering
KCR
Gilbertd wrote:
Just had a look under the Ascot. It appears to have had a sidestep on the passenger side at some time in the past and the brackets are still there. Not only are they there but are far better than any that I've seen pictures of. Rear one has obviously been clouted against something but if they were in the same state as the others pictured, would have just crumbled away. They're yours if you want them Chris.
Thanks Richard, would appreciate that, no rush, I’ve just ordered the tubing so got to clean off the old step plates and see how the other brackets are,, there’s not much left of one of them, as it’s still attached to the step in my garage, not much box section either to be honest, but being 6’4” I’ve never used them,,