As a few people have expressed their interest in these from other posts, I thought I'd post a close-up of the step showing the quality to which these are made. At about £450, they are not cheap but I think it goes to prove that you get what you pay for.

Cheers Dave, I like them. How do they fit to the car and how much ground clearance do you reckon you lose when fitted ??

:yes:

Lovely looking accessory there Dave, sadly out of my price league as Kitten and I only work part-time

Cheers Dave, I like them. How do they fit to the car and how much ground clearance do you reckon you lose when fitted ??

Have looked for the fitting instructions but can't find them. However, I've taken photos. It seems straightforward enough. There are two brackets either end which are simply bolted to the underside.

Regards ground clearance; it looks like you're only going to lose ground clearance at the width of the side steps themselves which is approx 4 cm.

Hope this helps!

Dave, quite taken with your Yeti looks fantastic, in fact nearly convinced me to buy black. I was pondering these side steps not only for looks but to protect the Yeti from others opening car doors against it.

Question.

How can something that is BELOW door height protect you against doors opening into your car?

That will only work if the "protection" is above the average door height, which those bars are not.

Dave, quite taken with your Yeti looks fantastic, in fact nearly convinced me to buy black. I was pondering these side steps not only for looks but to protect the Yeti from others opening car doors against it.

Cheers Onesque! One of the aspects I like about side steps is, like yourself, the provision of a little added side protection. Sadly, and has been pointed out to me by other members (and by Llanagraham as I was replying with this post), when you look at what part of a car door (especially a rear one) is likely to make contact with your pride and joy, it tends to be higher up. Therefore, I don't think they add that much in the way of protection against car doors - maybe a little depending on the design of the door. Of course, they could have a "psychological influence", with regards to people being a little more careful opening their doors in order to prevent the steps damaging their pride and joy.

Edited 11 July, 201015 yr by davecarter

Question.

How can something that is BELOW door height protect you against doors opening into your car?

That will only work if the "protection" is above the average door height, which those bars are not.

You will just have to park next to sports cars!

On a totally different subject, Google Maps locates North Wales just to the North East of Aberstwyth. odd I thought!!

Edited 11 July, 201015 yr by Terfyn

Surely a Yeti with a ground clearance of 180mm will still have the step higher than the average car door so its going to act as a stop from prats banging them open ??

:no:

Well we locals wouldn't call Nant Yr Moch North Wales, We are MID WALES and proud of it!!

The whole topic of these "protection" bars comes up regularly in the Freelander Club, and the consensus of opinion is they do little actual good. Even against a normal car they are wrong, because most car doors are curved, with the bottom 6" being narrow than the middle, and it is generally the mid part of the door that hits. Therefor they would need to be 6" higher up at least. Just look at where the fitted rubbing strips are fitted to most cars?

However there is a perception that some people do see them and are a bit more wary in case they damage their doors.

Well we locals wouldn't call Nant Yr Moch North Wales, We are MID WALES and proud of it!!

The whole topic of these "protection" bars comes up regularly in the Freelander Club, and the consensus of opinion is they do little actual good. Even against a normal car they are wrong, because most car doors are curved, with the bottom 6" being narrow than the middle, and it is generally the mid part of the door that hits. Therefor they would need to be 6" higher up at least. Just look at where the fitted rubbing strips are fitted to most cars?

However there is a perception that some people do see them and are a bit more wary in case they damage their doors.

Maybe they ought to be made with steel barbs protruding from them as in the old chariots in Roman times ?? That would make the plebs think twice before opening their doors before going into the supermarket to buy their copy of cosmopolitan !

:|

Maybe they ought to be made with steel barbs protruding from them as in the old chariots in Roman times ?? That would make the plebs think twice before opening their doors before going into the supermarket to buy their copy of cosmopolitan !

:|

Speechless!!!!

I take it you're a Cosmopolitan magazine reader LP

Oops sowwy lady P lolol

Im sure you are much more considerate with your parking habits :yes:

Well we locals wouldn't call Nant Yr Moch North Wales, We are MID WALES and proud of it!!

The whole topic of these "protection" bars comes up regularly in the Freelander Club, and the consensus of opinion is they do little actual good. Even against a normal car they are wrong, because most car doors are curved, with the bottom 6" being narrow than the middle, and it is generally the mid part of the door that hits. Therefor they would need to be 6" higher up at least. Just look at where the fitted rubbing strips are fitted to most cars?

However there is a perception that some people do see them and are a bit more wary in case they damage their doors.

I travel Mid Wales when I visit my daughter in Tenby - and the bit I see (mostly the coast) is really lovely. Unfortunately, like many others who travel through, my trip is to the South so Mid Wales remains a "means to an end". I do want to visit Ludlow one day but my wifes trip to the Cotswolds comes first!! My comment about Google Maps was to show how little these English based companies know about the real world.

I considered steps for my Terrano and my X-Trail but decided, in both cases, they were more bother than they were worth and more of a cosmetic exercise than of real use! I find that the seat height is perfect just to sit on and swing the legs inboard. (I now hate having to "climb down" into normal cars and, for me, sports cars are a "hands and knees" job!)

OH! Our mountains are bigger than your mountains!?!

OH! Our mountains are bigger than your mountains!?!

Oohh!!

Fighting talk from the Gog's now, isit?

Question.

How can something that is BELOW door height protect you against doors opening into your car?

That will only work if the "protection" is above the average door height, which those bars are not.

I see what you are saying but I thought the sill height on the Yeti would be higher than the bottom of most car doors. I agree with your observation on the rear doors though. I always find if you have to park near something, pick something that is expensive in the hope that they are like minded and want to avoid damage.

Oohh!!

Fighting talk from the Gog's now, isit?

BIG LOL!!! Mind you, we need a choo choo to reach the top!! Taking Granddaughter (4) up this month - my excuse for not walking!

I see what you are saying but I thought the sill height on the Yeti would be higher than the bottom of most car doors. I agree with your observation on the rear doors though. I always find if you have to park near something, pick something that is expensive in the hope that they are like minded and want to avoid damage.

Probably the best tactic. The "law of sod" will dictate that, even if you park in the deepest, darkest recesses of a supermarket carpark where there are no other cars around, you'll come back to a tatty old rotbox parked next to it. I did that once at a hotel in Huntingdon when I had my TT. The carpark was virtually empty but I still parked in the far corner right out of the way. When I came to the car in the morning, the carpark was still empty but I had a tatty old Fiesta parked one side and a white van parked on the other. I think they must have done it on purpose.

I will admit, my side steps are there for cosmetic purposes more than anything else. I don't use them for stepping into the car, I don't have to. They add some individuality to the car and finish off the side profile nicely. That, to me, is a good enough reason for getting them.

I think these bars will just deposit all the dirt on them on your trousers every single time you get in and out... OR you will need extra long legs to get over them every time! Dave just remember to tell your passengers this when it rains!

I think this picture TP took of his dust ridden car in Wales shows the results on a normal Yeti sans bars. All that dust was on TP's trousers or legs I'm sure:

Hence me thinking the extra width bars would be a nightmare to keep my clothes clean!

Are you managing to keep your clothes clean so far Dave?

I think these bars will just deposit all the dirt on them on your trousers every single time you get in and out... OR you will need extra long legs to get over them every time! Dave just remember to tell your passengers this when it rains!

Hence me thinking the extra width bars would be a nightmare to keep my clothes clean!

Are you managing to keep your clothes clean so far Dave?

To be honest, I've just not had a problem at all in this respect. The steps don't protrude enough to really get in the way of entering or exiting the vehicle and my trousers never brush against them. They've never got terribly dirty yet either as I wash the car every week.

I did have this problem when I had the Defender but the side steps were much higher and I always used them for stepping in and out of the vehicle.

Edited 14 July, 201015 yr by davecarter

I did have this problem when I had the Defender but the side steps were much higher and I always used them for stepping in and out of the vehicle.

Ah of course! That makes sense. If you actually step ON them you won't get marked.