Side Mirrors - What am I doing wrong?

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Velokid1
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Side Mirrors - What am I doing wrong?

Post by Velokid1 » Wed Jan 10, 2007 8:23 am

With the old mirrors and with new mirrors, I keep having the same problem with them not staying put. My doors need to be shut kind of hard and when I shut them, the mirrors slip.

I tighten the nut, they stay put for a couple days, then slip.

What am I doing wrong?

Do I need washers? Loc-Tite?

Just stripped the threads on another mirror this morning and now I get to shell out another $30 to Bust Depot, which I hate. :bom:

Greg

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hambone
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Post by hambone » Wed Jan 10, 2007 10:27 am

Same thing happens to me, I just retighten every 200 days. Must be road vibration/door slamming/smooth chromed threads.
Stop stripping those threads! I suppose you could use some loctite, but what's the fun of that?
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Amskeptic
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Re: Side Mirrors - What am I doing wrong?

Post by Amskeptic » Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:01 pm

Velokid1 wrote:With the old mirrors and with new mirrors, I keep having the same problem with them not staying put. My doors need to be shut kind of hard and when I shut them, the mirrors slip.
You are speaking of where the arms go into the part (bracket? eyelet?)that screws into the door, correct? They were designed as breakaway pedestrian-friendly mirrors. There is a spring underneath just under the nut. The conical profile of the arm is supposed to join the conical profile of the bracket. The spring is supposed to keep a decent sticky tension between the arm and the bracket. . . but wouldn't ya know it? they cast the arms with slightly too small of a diameter or the bracket with slightly too large of an inner diameter. I wrapped the conical part of the arm with a sliver of aluminum tape to shim it secure. Do not overtighten the nut underneath. It likes to strip and even fracture the threaded end of the arm.
Colin

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Velokid1
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Post by Velokid1 » Wed Jan 10, 2007 2:08 pm

Already stripped two of 'em out! Too late. LOL

Well, damn. I'm actually bummed to find that it's the manufacturer and not me. When it's me, it tends to be an easy fix (like, hey, put down the doobie and spend a couple hours sobering up!)

I'm leaning toward Loctite. It's always been my friend in the past.

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LiveonJG
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Post by LiveonJG » Wed Jan 10, 2007 4:18 pm

I remember reading about a NLA bushing that fit between the door and the mirror, it also protected the paint. Sound familiar anyone?
-John
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hambone
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Post by hambone » Wed Jan 10, 2007 4:24 pm

Yeah, it's just a plastic washer.
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Velokid1
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Post by Velokid1 » Wed Jan 10, 2007 4:36 pm

LiveonJG wrote:I remember reading about a NLA bushing that fit between the door and the mirror, it also protected the paint. Sound familiar anyone?
-John
That nut stays put pretty well, it's the vertically-oriented nut that faces downward that comes loose all the darn time.

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Birdibus
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Post by Birdibus » Wed Jan 10, 2007 5:03 pm

LiveonJG wrote:I remember reading about a NLA bushing that fit between the door and the mirror, it also protected the paint. Sound familiar anyone?
-John
Someone said that the plasic inserts that come with large packs of CDs and DVDs are perfect for the job. Let me know if you try it.
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tristessa
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Post by tristessa » Thu Jan 11, 2007 12:01 pm

I've just got a small slice of heater hose between the mirrors and doors, somewhere around 1/16"-1/8" thick. Took a few tries to cut it that thin with the ol' razorblade (and was a PITA), but since I had the piece of hose laying around the garage anyway...

I think it was 3/4"-diameter hose, but might've been 5/8". Been so long I don't remember.
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Ryno
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Post by Ryno » Thu Jan 11, 2007 2:17 pm

I used an 18mm (I think) oil drain plug gasket from the FLAPS, seems to work great.
Ryan

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bretski
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Post by bretski » Sat May 19, 2007 5:22 pm

Birdibus wrote:Someone said that the plasic inserts that come with large packs of CDs and DVDs are perfect for the job. Let me know if you try it.
I just tried the spindle washers that come with CD/DVD cake boxes. Just a hair too small. Wasted 20 minutes trying to make them bigger with some emery cloth (couldn't find my round file). They'll work, just need to be bored-out a bit...

edit: 10 seconds with a dremel-style conical grinder, and now they fit like butta! Why do I always look for the hard way to do things first? :cyclopsani:
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