I have recently installed a new set of correct, chrome mirrors on the doors of my '64 CS. To my dismay, they do not stay in position when I am driving and are easily moved out of position by wind and movement of the car. Other than purchasing another new set, does anyone know of any "home" remedies to firm up the ball and socket? Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
From what I've read, (never tried it)...the quick and nasty way is to set your mirror in the exact proper position
I suppose you could use tape and wood pieces for supports to make sure it's in the right place and doesn't move.
Then apply some crazy glue/super glue where the ball and mirror meet.
Others use 5 minute epoxy dries clear or JB weldand paint it silver...... but the secret in using these is to make sure your mirror is positioned right where you want it first.
.....other method involves taking the mirror off (without damaging) and adjusting the spring....google... floopy mirror repair,lots of ideas out there.
Think what your trying to do is tighten up ball socket of mirror? Try moving mirror all the way to one side and then put a couple of coats of clear nail pollish(you must have some ) on the exposed side of ball, let dry a day. Reverse 180 and do the other side, did this on my cheap plastic moon mirrors on f350, tightend up enough where they don't move in the wind but still move fairly easy to adjust. Worked on plastic ( so far ) might not work on chrome. Worth a try. Could also thy epoxy. Tricky part is not having expoxy/polish pop off when you adjust mirror.
I have recently installed a new set of correct, chrome mirrors on the doors of my '64 CS. To my dismay, they do not stay in position when I am driving and are easily moved out of position by wind and movement of the car. Other than purchasing another new set, does anyone know of any "home" remedies to firm up the ball and socket? Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
I had the same problem with a new mirror I bought for the Chevy II - I posted this last year on 2DoorPost, hope it helps...
Fixing a loose exterior mirror
I thought I'd share this since I know mirrors that won't hold their position are a common problem. I used a spare mirror that didn't matter if I wrecked it. I figured the mirror glass had to be held in place by some sort of adhesive so I put the mirror face down in a suitable sized coffee can and filled it with gasoline to just above the ball socket. I let it sit for 24 hours and the glass came out with little effort. What I found inside is in the first 2 pictures. The glass is secured by black silicone on 4 pads. The tension for the ball pivot is provided by the metal plate you can see. On this one the plate had separated from one of it's mounts. The design is the mount post is 'mushroomed' over the plate to hold it tightly in place (kind of like a rivet). To fix it I very carefully drilled out the post to accept small sheet metal screws. Be extremely careful here because if you drill too far you'll come right out the back. Also you don't want to get too close to bottom because the heat of the drill will discolor the chrome. The last 2 pictures are of the repair finished and the mirror is as tight as the day it was made.
-- Edited by bferguson on Saturday 12th of July 2014 04:55:31 AM
-- Edited by bferguson on Saturday 12th of July 2014 05:06:57 AM
Thanks for the responses to my floppy exterior mirrors problem. These are all good suggestions. I still have an old one that I can use for practice. Is there any special process involved in getting the mirror to stay in once the repair is completed?
Thanks for the responses to my floppy exterior mirrors problem. These are all good suggestions. I still have an old one that I can use for practice. Is there any special process involved in getting the mirror to stay in once the repair is completed?
some silicone? Used silicone on loose bathroom tiles.....never fell out.
Crazy glue will tighten up the joint and still allow you to move the mirror. Once it sets you need to apply some pressure to break the glue but since it filled the opening the joint will be tighter. If it loosens up over time reapply. I do this with my hinges on my spectacles all the time, works fine.
Thanks for the responses to my floppy exterior mirrors problem. These are all good suggestions. I still have an old one that I can use for practice. Is there any special process involved in getting the mirror to stay in once the repair is completed?
I used silicone & it's holding the mirror glass as good as new.
