$8 shaky mirror fix with 100% OEM parts - no glue,no zip ties! (2 Viewers)

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bryson

I do stuff.
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Now this has been done before (@nodaksn3 did this 11+ years ago here :clap:), but his thread didn't receive the attention I think it deserves, and, unless you already knew the details of the fix, you'd never find it via search.

I stumbled upon the fix before I knew it had been done before, and came here all excited to post my new found fix! But, I did my due diligence, searched before I posted, and found the thread linked above. But, for the reasons listed previously, I decided to make a new thread anyways.:p

2nd generation 4Runners (90-95) with power mirrors have the same mirror motors that our 80s do. And anybody that has been to a wrecking yard knows that 4Runners are a lot easier to find than 80s, so that significantly expands the pool of parts that you can search from to find one in good shape.

Go find a 4Runner mirror motor in the junk yard and fix your shaky mirror with 100% OEM Toyota parts - No glue, no zip ties, no soldering, no cutting... The part cost me $7.99 at the local Pick-N-Pull.

The mirror itself is different, so don't bother taking the 4Runner glass if it'd cost you extra. The first thread goes into detail about how to separate the motor from the glass, so I won't explain it here.



Note that my 80 motor had been partially repaired and partially disassembled before I decided I wanted a better fix. The 80 and 4Runner motor cases are 100% IDENTICAL.
m12.jpg



Opened up via 4 small screws visible in the previous pic. Notice how the 4Runner wiring is not disconnect-able at the motor housing like the 80 is. The internal motors are the same, and the circuit is the same, the 4Runner just disconnects further up the harness.
m14.jpg



Like I said earlier, the housings are 100% identical, so I just pulled the 80 motors and wiring out (my motors still worked fine) and dropped them into the 4Runner housing. You could easily disconnect the wiring and swap motors if you have a bad one - no soldering needed - everything is spade connectors. The motors and wiring simply lift up and out of the housing. Easy peasy.
m6.jpg



Keep the insides clean. The grease was all still clean and viscous, so I simply reassembled the case halves.
m9.1.jpg



m8.jpg



Now go reinstall your mirror/motor assembly and enjoy your shake-free view!:beer::beer::beer:
 
Muchas Gracias :)
 
SWEET! According to the 4Runner wiki the range is:
Second generation (N120; N130; 1989–1995)

What year was the one you got that mirror from? is there any chances for small change?
 
89-95 was the full run from the 2nd gens
 
SWEET! According to the 4Runner wiki the range is:
Second generation (N120; N130; 1989–1995)

89-95 was the full run from the 2nd gens

I'm pretty sure the 4Runner was a year later than the pickups--so '90-'95. Pickups started the "rounder" bodies in '89. (and I would assume have the same mirrors as the 4Runners)
 
Love the idea of this. Checked my local junkyards and found one had been crushed (unfortunate cause it looked pristine) and the other two junkyards want $40 and $44 for EACH mirror, respectively. I'm going to call and see if they'll part the mirror out.

If they will, I'll update with the price.
 
Neat, but exactly what elements in the 2nd gen motor case fixed the 80 series shaky mirror? Were the mirror head mounting points less worn out?
 
Neat, but exactly what elements in the 2nd gen motor case fixed the 80 series shaky mirror? Were the mirror head mounting points less worn out?
The slotted holes that hook the motor case into the mirror housing are not broken. You can see he began "fixing" the old one with a wire. (to be followed with adding epoxy, I assume)
 
I did the epoxy putty / wire fix as outlined on a youtube video. It worked great and cost me nothing. YMMV.
 
This is a really good write up!

I have a shaky drivers side mirror. It's been there since I bought my truck almost 5 years ago. When I bought it they had put some new parts in the mirror but sure at s***, it still shook.

When driving her home from AZ I rolled up a gas station napkin and shoved it in the crack between the glass and mirror frame. No more shake!

Every 6 months or so the napkin gets a bit beat up and it starts to wiggle again. The fix? New napkin!

Maybe one day I'll take the time to do it right. Probably unlikely, though... :)
 
This is a really good write up!

I have a shaky drivers side mirror. It's been there since I bought my truck almost 5 years ago. When I bought it they had put some new parts in the mirror but sure at s***, it still shook.

When driving her home from AZ I rolled up a gas station napkin and shoved it in the crack between the glass and mirror frame. No more shake!

Every 6 months or so the napkin gets a bit beat up and it starts to wiggle again. The fix? New napkin!

Maybe one day I'll take the time to do it right. Probably unlikely, though... :)

Do you have a go-to napkin?
 
Nice. motors look just like the power lock motors but with a plastic gear. Is there an ongoing thread that shows parts from other vehicles that swap into the 80? I know the ls400 visors swap with minimal effort. I wish I seen your post about 2 months ago.
 
I found that I have an otherwise nice driver mirror with broken swivel on the housing (where it folds in to the door to prevent being broken). It is not loose and sloppy.

the mirror part is good. $35 for it, and I can ship it with the heater valve in a slightly larger box, add $5.00 for shipping a larger box.
 
Thank you @bryson for reviving the information @nodaksn3 originally posted, and adding your detailed experience and pics!

I completed this repair in late July with parts off a '92 4Runner that I grabbed at a local pick and pull. I will add the self deprecating story that I had a shaky passenger side mirror because I clipped it on the side of my own garage while backing out. That is the kind of $*!& that I just don't do, so it killed me that it happened. I buggered it good, it turns out I had broken one of the "wings", but I also busted out the screw hole that you access from the bottom of the mirror.

Anyhow, this fix you posted was great, thank you so much. I went to one pick and pull that had two 4runners of the spec'ed generation, but both driver and passenger mirrors were gone. I thought, oh crap. I drove to another pick and pull across town, and the '92 4runner they had still had the driver and passenger side mirrors, so I just grabbed both of them. I went ahead and grabbed the whole mirror and housing. I think I paid $30 each. Maybe it was $28?

I beefed up the mounting tabs or whatever you call them on the 4 runner mirror motor housings by placing a bent trim nail on them and then JB welding that on. Who knows if that will help, and I know it isn't the most sophisticated repair, but it should help? I then swapped the motors and gears from my broken LC housing into the '92 4runner housing, and it was pretty easy. I am saving the driver side if - or more like for when it breaks. It is nice to have the spare motors too. I figure they could be pressed into service with just a quick solder job.

Below is a pic of the broken 80 series mirror motor housing on the left and the beefed up and intact 4 runner mirror motor housing on the right before the LC motors and gears were swapped over.
1567830811788.png


Here is a more close up view of the tabs that I added JB Weld too.

1567830952397.png
 

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