A Guite to Replacing lower tailgate spooled retaining cables
Had my nearside one fray on me and as i sit on there quite a lot and being 18 stone i didn't want it to suddenly snap on me so today i replaced it and thought id share as im sure others will need to do this simple repair at some point.
Things Needed.
New spools you can get from dealers but i got both sides in great condition for £20 delivered from Metal Monster Junk
Flat blade screwdriver
10mm socket with short extension
10mm ratchet or ring spanner
small thin flat bladed screwdriver
this picture shows the frayed end of the cable
First job is to pop the cover off that surrounds the protruding lock bolt
Next remove the door seal from about 1/2 way up the opening to just past the small lift up flap that covers the lower tail gate hinges, then using the flat blade or trim tool pull at the top part of the lower side trim until it pops away from the upright you will notice that the entire panel including the cubby box comes out you can open it at the top roughly 4-5 inch.
this next photo though a little blurred shows how wide the panel can be opened as well as the damaged spool and the location of the 10mm socket on extension (dead center of the picture), you gain access to the rear bolt through the opening for the tow bar
i undid until loose enough to remove with my fingers to ensure i didn't drop it i then using the ratchet spanner undid the front bolt again removing with my fingers.
Once the bolts were removed i used the small screwdriver to remove the clip that held the cable to lower tailgate.
Refitting was a simple reversal of the above steps, this is the state the cable was in when removed im happy i took the time to replace after seeing the state of the cable.
Hope this can help othersRange Rover Westminster 4.4 TDV8 what a car
Discovery 3 HSE 2006 gone but never forgotten
Member of the 234,567 mile club😎
2nd Feb 2017 4:12 pm
ClassikFan
Member Since: 02 Nov 2016
Location: Surrey
Posts: 1027
Very good. Looks like your cable wouldn't have lasted much longer. You caught it just in time.
Dread to think the damage that would have been caused to the lower tailgate if it had snapped whilst i was on it Range Rover Westminster 4.4 TDV8 what a car
Discovery 3 HSE 2006 gone but never forgotten
Member of the 234,567 mile club😎
3rd Feb 2017 9:02 am
overmuchogrande
Member Since: 06 Aug 2012
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 78
Brilliant guide, just done both of mine following this and only took 15 minutes in total.
Thanks for posting, I found it really easy to do after reading your guide.
Glad it helped Range Rover Westminster 4.4 TDV8 what a car
Discovery 3 HSE 2006 gone but never forgotten
Member of the 234,567 mile club😎
18th Feb 2017 6:24 pm
John C
Member Since: 28 Aug 2007
Location: East Yorkshire
Posts: 3292
Also just used it - top tips - thanks2020 SDV6 D5 HSE, Carpathian Grey +
2022 Tesla Model Y LR... almost Carpathian Grey
Previously : 2005 TDV6 SE Auto, Cairns Blue (288K) - ours for 16 years
Glad I helped a few people out with the guide, I have been helped so
Many times on the forum it's my way of giving back,Range Rover Westminster 4.4 TDV8 what a car
Discovery 3 HSE 2006 gone but never forgotten
Member of the 234,567 mile club😎
1st Apr 2017 5:57 pm
Andyschleckscat
Member Since: 03 Feb 2020
Location: Cheshire
Posts: 71
Just changed mine, cheers
17th Jun 2020 2:49 pm
dandam
Member Since: 06 May 2019
Location: Worcestershire
Posts: 60
I’ve had a replacement part sitting in my garage since well before Christmas (the cable was fine but didn’t retract), then saw this guide, 25 minutes later and it’s now fitted - thanks for the guide.
Glad it’s helped a few of you out mine are still going strong 3 years onRange Rover Westminster 4.4 TDV8 what a car
Discovery 3 HSE 2006 gone but never forgotten
Member of the 234,567 mile club😎
19th Jun 2020 6:58 pm
mini8334
Member Since: 17 Jul 2014
Location: Tonbridge
Posts: 707
Just did mine
Thanks for the help. T’was a 5-10min job!2016 D4 Landmark
Santorini Black
Removable Tow-Trust
Spare Wheel Guard
-------------
Previous:
2007 D3
TDV6 GS
Automatic
117000
Blanked EGR
V8 Brake Upgrade
Harming Sat Nav Mod
Beanie Grill
De-Tango
15th Nov 2020 10:46 am
AdamRandall
Member Since: 31 Aug 2020
Location: Brandon, Suffolk
Posts: 153
Mine has started to go too and I was worried the repair was going to be a nightmare so I’m grateful you took the time to put this together.
Did you replace the spoils with new or second hand parts? And also, how much did they cost you please?12 months of D3 ownership have passed and I’m still loving it!
18th Nov 2020 6:35 pm
Brian_DL13
Member Since: 25 Aug 2013
Location: Teesdale
Posts: 1418
Probably because it wasn’t on the wiki when I wrote this in February 2017 Range Rover Westminster 4.4 TDV8 what a car
Discovery 3 HSE 2006 gone but never forgotten
Member of the 234,567 mile club😎
18th Nov 2020 8:39 pm
Vince Clorto
Member Since: 18 Mar 2012
Location: Seine et Marne
Posts: 9
Hi, can anyone confirm that this part reference includes also a brand new cable ?
I looked into several website and on the displayed picture we don't see any cable.
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