Parking lot protection

[kingfishgrapeja]

So I've had the LR3 for a year now, am pretty careful about where and how I park yet I have two dinged up doors.

I'd like put some sliders on in not because I off road a lot...though it does happen on a casual basis. But mainly to keep the errant door swing from bashing into my bodywork. I realize such a notion is probably a sacrilege.

Getting past that, what sliders are most likely to best protect in this case? Is there a cheaper option with the same standoff as the RS Option II's? $1500 buys a lot of ding repair. I'm in the northeast so wide should not be a big hinderance and they need to stick out far enough to protect the upper door anyway.

I've seen some nerf bars around for under a couple hundred but would rather go with something that isn't going to rust off in a year or two.

I have plenty of branch marks on the paint as well but for some reason they don't bother me like the door dings. I like to give the truck something to fight back with a little.

 

[whydahdvr]

Went to Wholefoods near Wakefield, MA yesterday. Parked at the very end of the row with no cars next to me. Came out of the store and some asshole had let a cart roll downhill, down the slope of the parking lot. The cart hit my right rear body panel, about 2 inches behind the fender wheel well protection and left a small ding from the edge of the cart's corner protection. The angle of the cart, the parking lot, and the vehicle meant that the protections on the cart and the car didn't do much for me. So, not sure how well a slider would do for that since the belly (tumblehome) of a car door, the swell of the side or the LR, and any angles that the vehicles are sitting on may well exceed your planned exterior protection. Wish I could put a forcefield around my car! And zap those idiots that don't pay attention to their surroundings.

 

[JackMac]

The body side molding kit is the best solution for preventing parking lot door dings. Sliders are nice, but are probably overkill for what you have described.

 

[JackMac]

Duplicate post removed

 

[Houm_WA]

I agree with Jackmac that they are overkill, but they RS Opt. II would indeed be effective. I appreciate that factor with mine, but that's not why I bought them. That said, I had the running boards before and while they were not good for off-roading, they were PERFECT for guarding against errant Toyota Camry doors!

Of course you can't protect against everything, but those did do the job. I also skid-plated them for a while and that kept them on the rig when they met with a tree stump or boulder they didn't like.

 

[bgsntth]

Another endorsement for the LRNA side-steps for door-ding protection. I had these and the side molding, and had not one door ding in 3 years. Actually witnessed a "lady" kick her 3-series coupe door into the side steps. Put a nice dent on the edge of her door. Luckily, I was walking toward my LR3 as this was happening, as she was getting ready to key my beast in retribution.

I'd put dollars to donuts that some Whole Foods patron purposely let their cart run into your LR3.

 

[whydahdvr]

It's possible about the Whole Foods patron. But Wakefield is super hoity-toity and expensive. Most of the cars there are Mercedes, BMW, etc. Mostly I think it's the result of their lack of awareness of anything other than themselves.
So the sliders really stick far enough out to make a difference to protect the sides from door impacts? If so, that's an argument in my favor to sell to my financier (spouse) on the upgrade.

 

[Houm_WA]

I don't think that they stick out quite as far as the running boards, but they stick out. I'm fairly sure they would help but I haven't done the same "tests" against doors that I did with the running boards.

 

[kingfishgrapeja]

Went to Wholefoods near Wakefield, MA yesterday. Parked at the very end of the row with no cars next to me. Came out of the store and some asshole had let a cart roll downhill, down the slope of the parking lot. The cart hit my right rear body panel, about 2 inches behind the fender wheel well protection and left a small ding from the edge of the cart's corner protection. The angle of the cart, the parking lot, and the vehicle meant that the protections on the cart and the car didn't do much for me. So, not sure how well a slider would do for that since the belly (tumblehome) of a car door, the swell of the side or the LR, and any angles that the vehicles are sitting on may well exceed your planned exterior protection. Wish I could put a forcefield around my car! And zap those idiots that don't pay attention to their surroundings.

I feel your pain there, I had my allroad exactly a week when the passenger door got creamed by a sams club cart. It actually hit so hard that there was blue plastic melted to the door.

I'd like to see the side strips in person...my dings are higher but maybe they stick out far enough to prevent them.

I had thought about the running boards before but my wife didn't like them. Maybe it is time to revisit.

 

[jjvd21]

Park at offroad height in parking lot situations.