Hi, I have read the fitting thread above, the fitting instructions and tried a search (1880 results..) so here is my question. Will the tubes actually protect the sill if grounded, are the brackets strong enough and/or will pressure on the tube feed throught to distort the fitting and sill....Can you stand on the tubes to access the roof?
I quite fancy fitting some but only if they actually protect, esp. as you have to loosen them to use the jack.
Many thanks for any answers, this forum is sooooooo useful! Upgraded to an ex demo, 7 mth old, Rimini Red/Ebony Napoli Auto HSE on 28th Jan 2011, added roof rails, mudflaps and side strips.
Gone - A great 57 Plate, Auto SE, Bought Feb 2009, Roof Rails and Mudflaps added on purchase. Blue colour, anything but drug dealer black.....

They protect the sills, they will bend at the brackets and the tubes will distort and dent if you bounce down hard

I know I have two sets of tubes, one for best, one set for getting dirty and scratched

You can't stand on the either, though my son still try's and has the bruises to prove it Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

As for protection Questionable but I suppose they help.
Cosmetic more, the book says loosen them to get at the jacking point, but iv'e never needed to but the nut is the same size as the wheel nut so its easy enough to crack the nut, give it a couple of turns and slide the tube half an inch if you need to.
No you can't stand on them as they are only proud of the sill an inch or so. p****d off with a Digital Keyboard Warrior

Black looks better than C E on a new car

LR only do Stainless Steel  p****d off with a Digital Keyboard Warrior

But your old one's are C E which matches your exhaust

Oh you mean the genuine LR Stainless Steel one as fitted to the HST which incidently has been modified to day, I have removed an inch and a half off the tailpipe and repositioned it so it sits higher up closer to the bottom of the rear bumper.  p****d off with a Digital Keyboard Warrior

Yer killin' me....

I bent my tubes slightly in some very rough off roading, did they save the sills? who knows as the tubes are so much lower then the sills, personally I think they helped if only as a warning of lack of clearance. Also judging by the stone chips on them they deflect a fair few stones.

You cant easily remove them to off road as the brackets sit nearly as low as the tubes and would get damaged badly on their own. These brackets take an hour or so (and many annoying trim clips) to take off.

When jacking my car I found it easier to remove the tubes from the brackets , only four bolts. This gave a chance to wash right round them too

They do make the car look a bit better in my opinion, I would have them again, but at ebay prices not factory/dealer fit At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

Thanks all for advice, I would have had the black tubes (still available according to LR website Ad) but looks as if they are not worth the hassle, even if they do look good!
Edit, meant to say how impressed I am by Mr Pink's ownership of both 'rough' and 'posh' tubes, OTT or what! Upgraded to an ex demo, 7 mth old, Rimini Red/Ebony Napoli Auto HSE on 28th Jan 2011, added roof rails, mudflaps and side strips.
Gone - A great 57 Plate, Auto SE, Bought Feb 2009, Roof Rails and Mudflaps added on purchase. Blue colour, anything but drug dealer black.....

OTT NOT

Just could not live with a dented and slightly bent tube, and needed to Refix a bracket that bent also, so I bought a complete fixing set which came with another set of free tubes too off eBay for £100:lol: Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

I inherited mine when I bought the car second hand.
Personally I don't like them much, but if they save me from damaging the actual car then I'm gonna keep the on.... for now.

I also did a test to see if I needed to move them slightly for jacking the car up and found that they were not in the way at all.

And, no, you cannot stand on them.