Shaky mirror fix 2 minutes 2 zip ties
- Thread starter floridan surfer
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Been living with the shaky mirror for some time now, but not anymore. Great mod thanks!
THanks much! looks like it's going to work. I'll see if it stays in place when get it out on the road. The bolt is missing on both my mirrors. I got one in the drivers side...it's a little too long. And the plastic thread where bolt goes into was cracked. I did the best with gorilla glue to fix that piece. Hope it holds.
I have been putting this off since summer and finally took the 20 minutes it takes to find zip ties, pull the mirrors, cut the caulk away that was holding them steady, and fixing them right. Thanks OP for the great idea.
Thanks Floridansurfer for starting this!!! And everyone else for adding to it.
I just did this fix on my '96. I ran the zip tie vertically on the side that had the tab broken. I suppose if both tabs were broken, I could have done two zip ties.
The key for me was to point the mirror waay up and center it side to side. Take out the screw and then lift the assembly off. Assess the situation and put a zip tie through whichever side of the mirror needs it. There is a small hole in either side that a zip tie will barely slip through.
I have added a sketch showing a side view and a face view of what's inside to the best of my abilities and recollection. Some parts may be upside down, but you get the idea. Placement of the zip ties makes it easy to tighten it up. Pull with needle nose pliers and push up on the big end with a screwdriver. A flashlight came in handy.
Also pictured is my perfect example of "if you thought it was in focus, it was't." This is the zip ties on the passenger side. I should have pulled the top zip tie a bit further ~ 1/2 inch. On the DS, I did better and it is nice and firm.
Great thread with lots of good ideas. Thanks!
I just did this fix on my '96. I ran the zip tie vertically on the side that had the tab broken. I suppose if both tabs were broken, I could have done two zip ties.
The key for me was to point the mirror waay up and center it side to side. Take out the screw and then lift the assembly off. Assess the situation and put a zip tie through whichever side of the mirror needs it. There is a small hole in either side that a zip tie will barely slip through.
I have added a sketch showing a side view and a face view of what's inside to the best of my abilities and recollection. Some parts may be upside down, but you get the idea. Placement of the zip ties makes it easy to tighten it up. Pull with needle nose pliers and push up on the big end with a screwdriver. A flashlight came in handy.
Also pictured is my perfect example of "if you thought it was in focus, it was't." This is the zip ties on the passenger side. I should have pulled the top zip tie a bit further ~ 1/2 inch. On the DS, I did better and it is nice and firm.
Great thread with lots of good ideas. Thanks!
ElPolloBlanco
SILVER Star
Dumb question, but whats the screw on the bottom for? One is missing and the plastic thread on the other side is cracked and useless.
Holds the assemble in place. In other words (a non broken setup) you would pivot the mirror pointing up (inside electric control), remove screw and lightly press up to remove the mirror from the hangers and pull out.
ElPolloBlanco
SILVER Star
Got it. Well I cocked this up and I don't have screws or the plastic is busted. Could you just wrap 2 extra long zip ties around the entire bracket with them routed through the mirror motor like blkprj80 shows, one on each side of the screw so to speak. Would this hold everything in place if the screw were not used? The problem I had using 2 connected zipties was that the zip end would get stuck between the bracket and the housing.
I think you'd still need the screw. The zip ties only hold the top.
ElPolloBlanco
SILVER Star
Changes made in an awful green. Sorry i'm at work and this is the best I can do with Paint and a mouse. but basically i want to wrap the whole thing. not just the top part.
The screw doesn't need much pressure, get some caulk and a machine screw that fits. That should give it enough hold and still be removable.
Zip ties rock. You can also use heavy duty ones in place of hog rings when redoing your leather seats. And about a thousand other uses.....
ElPolloBlanco
SILVER Star
Cool I'll try it
I'll have to try this zip tie method since my JB Weld tabs have finally succumbed to their fate of doom.
Rallyroo said:
The zip tie method really works! My power mirrors work too.
Just did this fix. No more shaking mirror! Power adjustments still work, too. Great thread. Thanks 'Mud!
My top tabs were gone a long time ago, and a PO had "repaired" it by stuffing some foam between the mirror and the bracket, leaving ONLY the bottom screw holding it all in, so it was applying a bending moment at that bottom screwhole. I saw this crappy fix when I had to replace the swinging pivot with a long bolt & washers last year and decided to leave it be for the time being.
As expected, that plastic eventually failed a few months ago, and my mirror fell out, so I taped it back in as a temporary measure.
After reading all the JB Weld failure stories in this thread, I abandoned my original tab-reconstruction plan and did this zip tie fix. So easy! Just like in the pics, I slid one of the zip ties through the gap between the central pivot and a little tab on the inboard side (toward the cabin) on the mirror housing, and looped it around the entire mount (not just the top part, since I needed the top AND bottom to be secured since my bottom screwhole was toast). This single loop seems to be enough to hold the mirror housing into the relief in the mount after cinching it down nice and tight. Took a trip around the block and saw no shakiness or anything over the bumpy areas.
My power adjustments still work great too.
I'm super stoked -- just in time to get my safety inspection done tomorrow!
Thanks floridan surfer for this great fix!
As expected, that plastic eventually failed a few months ago, and my mirror fell out, so I taped it back in as a temporary measure.
After reading all the JB Weld failure stories in this thread, I abandoned my original tab-reconstruction plan and did this zip tie fix. So easy! Just like in the pics, I slid one of the zip ties through the gap between the central pivot and a little tab on the inboard side (toward the cabin) on the mirror housing, and looped it around the entire mount (not just the top part, since I needed the top AND bottom to be secured since my bottom screwhole was toast). This single loop seems to be enough to hold the mirror housing into the relief in the mount after cinching it down nice and tight. Took a trip around the block and saw no shakiness or anything over the bumpy areas.
My power adjustments still work great too.
I'm super stoked -- just in time to get my safety inspection done tomorrow!
Thanks floridan surfer for this great fix!
