discovery3ski
Member Since: 25 Dec 2012
Location: leicester
Posts: 734
  
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| New side steps and you tube |
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So this morning the side steps arrived for my new to me Discovery 3. I had watched a couple of tutorials on you tube to familiarise myself with the fitting process and hopefully pick up any little tips.
The nice man on you tube had a lovely clean workshop and the car he was working on was clean and new. It took him about an hour and a half start to finish and he was still smiling when he was done.
I’d like to say the experience I had was similar. I’d like to.
I’m thinking of writing a very stern letter of complaint to you tube. Fraudulent smiling and gratuitous use of a flat workshop floor.
It took me four hours. Fortunately I now have enough soul removed from in and around the sill covers to plant a decent crop of potato’s. I think my sleeves neck and ears will probably yield enough to block the shower trap later.
The instructional video mentioned nothing about having to Dremel off the end cap screws as they were rusted to  . It mentioned nothing about the dremel bit exploding and bouncing off my chin in a hail of shrapnel reminiscent of a Vietnam film. The angle grinder finally saw those reluctant screws off. Forty minutes gone. Taking the sill covers off was easy. Cleaning them in the garden with a brush and hose anothe twenty minutes.
Fitting the brackets was a doddle on the video. All the screw threa  dis were clean and shiny.....mine not so much. Me old dad would have been chuffed I dug out his rusted tap and die set to clean them all out. Fitting the brackets with no instructions was a brief puzzle, lying on my side on the drive with a forty degree slope added to the fun as I chased the washers and bolts I carefully placed within reach as they rolled down the drive getting lost in the soil pile.
After fitting a couple I managed to whach my head onto the nice bracket. Fortunately it was solidly fitted and up damaged and most of the blood wipers off it. Had a brew whilst small first aid was done. Kitchen roll and sellotape.
Reinvigorated I pressed on. Hammering paint a wire brush and some cheery singing got me through the preparation of the sills before refitting. I trial fitted the steps both sides as per the video and it all fitted lovely. Fitted my chopped plastic sill rote tor’s- easy job as I already had the angle grinder out- and on they went. Forgot to remove a couple fi the bolts from the brackets which sandwich the the sill to the cover and bracket. Never happened in the video that!
Ten minutes to remove and remove the right bolts.....managed to make another small hole in my head but the bracket was again up damaged..
On with the sill covers and back on with the steps. Two of the bolds didn’t line up. This surprised me as in the video that never happened....a small amount of percussive adjustment and it all went on smoothly and I did the nuts up and finished the job on the sill ends with some plastic push in captives.
Cleaning the drive was another fifteen minutes but not all the blood is removed.....the job looks good. My fingers and Hands are sore and bleeding. The selection of tools they used on the video looked nothing like the bench I had when I finished.
I also managed to fit the replacement spare wheel winch. That was a dull job of no problems and I never bothered looking for a video. I think not bothering to watch the you tube video is the way forward to be honest. They lie and make you feel I adequate.
Tomorrow I’m changing interior light bulbs. I’m not watching a video. Discovery 3 tdv6 HSE 2007
Alfa GTV CUP
Alfa 156 JTS
Alfa Spider TS
Alfa GT Cloverleaf
Volvo XC70
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 5th Mar 2019 6:47 pm |
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kajtzu
Member Since: 11 Aug 2017
Location: Helsinki
Posts: 6575
 
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Good writeup, glad you got it done. 
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| 5th Mar 2019 7:17 pm |
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Skagg
Member Since: 15 May 2015
Location: Not where i'd like to be
Posts: 1023
 
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ROFL
Sounds a familiar story from when I eagerly attempted to fit my side steps a couple of days after acquiring Moneypit. I was soon to learn i'd spend a lot more time under the vehicle replacing stuff or peering into the engine bay trying to resolve issues
Cheers n Gone Nick MY16 D4 Landmark SDV6 (The Ice Maiden)
Uncle Ray's spare wheel protector
MY08 D3 HSE Stornoway (Miss Moneypit) The money tree withered......
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| 5th Mar 2019 9:02 pm |
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andy27
Member Since: 07 Oct 2018
Location: Chesterfield
Posts: 82
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It's nice to see its not put you off the Disco, just think of it that every time you go down the road there really is some blood, sweat and probably tears gone into your truck. You will love it even more tomorrow. 
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| 6th Mar 2019 3:23 pm |
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al cope
Member Since: 08 Nov 2005
Location: Oldbury, WM
Posts: 10297
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Now - if you had only fitted them when it was new
They'd have fallen off by now
Al Volvo XC90 B5 Plus Dark
Gone - MY18 D5 HSE - Corris on 22's with Black Pack
Now gone - MY16 D4 SE Tech, Loire Blue, Almond Leather, Privacy, plus some other goodies.
Old - MY12 D4 SDV6 XS Auto - Ipanema Sand with Almond Leather - Plus other niceties, and D4.com sticker
Older - D3 TDV6 XS Auto - Lugano Teal with Almond Leather, 20" Stormers, Shiny Tailpipes, DVD/TV - and obligatory D3 sticker
Ancient - D3 TDV6 S - Tonga with Ebony, 20" Stormers, satnav & DVD
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| 6th Mar 2019 3:42 pm |
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ianm27
Member Since: 02 Jun 2016
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 2154
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Great write up and proof of why we all love our Disco's Uncle Ray's spare wheel protector
Limo Tint
Blackvue front & rear dashcam
Cruise control switch pack
Bodsy's remote for FBH
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| 6th Mar 2019 6:57 pm |
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