Why is it nothing fits ?

[Mace]

Back in March I bought a set of rocksliders for my 300tdi and found they didn't fit. There was no cut out for the bottom of the b-post. I complained and was told nobody else has had a problem fitting them. Got a full refund and searched for a different set.

Finally bought a replacement set last week and this time they didn't fit either. Slightly different problem in that the sill u-channels were slightly out of line or just too long. Ended up trimming 8mm off one end to get the rockslider to sit central. Still not perfect but it's better.

Why should I have to cut up something that is supposed to fit? Why can't companies actually make something right 1st time? It seems that a lot of disco parts are made for a 200tdi and it's assumed that they'll fit a 300tdi, they don't.  :twisted:

[muddyweb]

You must bear in mind that Land Rover didn't make it right the first time.... or very often the second, or third, or...  you get the idea.

Especially in some of the Discovery years, the quality control from LR was outstanding  :shock:     It isn't uncommon for chassis and body shells to be misaligned by centimeters at a time.

Mill Services, for example, don't bother even drilling mounting holes on some of their products because it is easier for the customer to do it than faff around with holes that never line up.

Fitting Roll Cages to Land Rovers is another great learning exercise....   the cages are generally a nice, uniform, repeatable shape......    which is why you have to modify them to make them fit ;-)

[thermidorthelobster]

Land Rover actually used to employ 2 guys on the Defender assembly line with a big hammer;  they used to hammer the bulkheads around until they fitted, up to an inch of adjustment was needed.  I have this on good authority from a LR employee!

I also had 2 sets of rocksliders which didn't fit, or at least the second set fitted to start with but after driving 200 miles I couldn't get the door open.  The ones I have now are fine, in fact they saved me from a rampant Mondeo the other day - ripped off his bumper but didn't harm the Disco in the slightest.

I've also had problems with jerry cans not fitting in jerry can holders, and a hi-lift not fitting in a hi-lift holder;  many of the modern manufacturers use CNC machinery with fine tolerances, and where this gear collides with rough-and-ready kit with not very fine tolerances at all, problems arise.

[Mace]

Land Rover production is one thing, after market products is a different kettle of fish. The sale of goods act states that the goods must be fit for the purpose for which they were supplied. Writing a disclaimer at the bottom of installation instructions which states that, these instructions were based on fitment to a 200tdi by our qualified fitters, no liability blah, blah, blah, if not fitted by our own fitters, is absolute nonsense. At the point of sale I was asked what vehicle these rocksliders were for, and it was written on my invoice. They ARE NOT suitable for my vehicle without modification and are therefore not fit for the purpose for which they were supplied.

Anyway, thats just one individual case, my orginal gripe was quite general about aftermarket products not fitting properly because the manufacture assumes too much.

[thermidorthelobster]

You're totally right about the fit-for-purpose thing.  I think the point Tim and I were trying to make is that the after-market manufacturers try to make products to fit a standard Land Rover, but there is no such thing, as Land Rover make them to such varying tolerances.  Unless the manufacturers try their product on every Land Rover ever made, there will be cases when they don't fit.

The missing gap for the B-post is just shoddy though!