Say Wha ? My Rear View Mirror just fell off ( Dagnabit !)

snipped-for-privacy@grouponly.com did pass the time by typing:

Just standard rearview glue from NAPA or AutoZone. Make darn certain the glass and mirror mount are clean and grease free. Acetone (nail polish remover) is good for that.

Let the base set-up overnight before loading it with the mirror. Some DuctTape/Masking Tape will hold it while the glue sets.

On Mon, 5 Sep 2005 20:13:42 -0500 in , "DougW" graced the world with this thought:

I hope it's better than what they used at the factory! lol

I was driving through some thick brush once, and the one on the passenger side came off (of course, it needed some coaxing), the sucker flew in and hit the passenger in the head. He was OK, but what a rush...

A lot of times the reason the mirror falls off is due to extreme heat. We have had an abnormally hot summer here, and I've seen quite a few people buying the mirror glue. Doug is right on about reinstalling the mirror base. The NAPA kit does include the cleaner, which I think is basically isopropyl alcohol, but it does need to be very clean or you will be regluing it again.

Chris

...

Some notes:

Cleanliness is Godliness... wash hands, prep

*both* surfaces *surgically*.... don't touch either surface (or even breathe on them!) afterward. Make sure completely dry by waiting... start the car and run the AC if it's humid outside. Follow directions explicitly WRT temperatures, etc. I use a wire wheel buffer on the slug and a razor blade scraper on the glass, before the solvent. Don't use excess glue... one drop really will do it.

And make *damn* sure you don't glue the metal slug on upside-down! Wait til the next morning to put the mirror on the slug... don't overtighten the screw, if there is one. This is also your chance to reposition the mirror if you wish... I like mine higher than stock. __ Steve .

They make a special glue specifically to hold the mirror to the windshield. It's kinda like SuperGlue, but stronger. My guess is that the mirror was held on with SuperGlue instead of the Real McCoy.

Clean the old glue off with a razor blade, and use the right glue to mount the mirror again.

I only have one thing to add to the good advise, I like to use a magnet to hold the base in place while it dries.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

snipped-for-privacy@group>

rear view lying on the

have to special

years ago. The mirror

whole. In fact, if I

rear view lying on the

have to special

years ago. The mirror

whole. In fact, if I

Same experience here, on my '77 Cherokee Chief, since windshield replacement some years ago. I've found super glue gel to work much better than the special epoxy they make for the purpose, but you will still have to reglue it every two or three years.

Dan

Both right and wrong. SuperGlue is a trade name for one type of acrylonitrile polymer adhesive. Mirror glue is also an acrylonitrile polymer adhesive. You *could* buy something like Eastman 910 and some accelerant and experiment, or you could just buy any of the common commercial re-glue kits and read and follow the instructions carefully--in particular where they have cleaning and prep instructions. Otherwise you get a mess. Loctite Industrial works very nicely, but is just a tad oversised. Jewelers grade glass-gemstone adhesive works [same components]. I used to see an epoxy style and tape kit, haven't seen either in a long time.

Jeff Strickland proclaimed:

Loctite Industrial doesn't have a drying time if you clean and prime the base and glass properly...and keep your fingers completely away from the glass. Typically you use a magic marker on the outside of the glass to make a precision alignment and then just press the mirror in place for less than a minute. If properly primed, the bonding time is a couple seconds and after about a minute or two, the bond is stronger than the glass itself. Even works if somebody ticks you off and you glue a Coke bottle to their window...not that I'd ever do that of course.

Mike Romain proclaimed:

rear view lying on the

have to special

years ago. The mirror

whole. In fact, if I

IIRC it is dissolvable by nail varnish remover (not that I would have any handy if you glued coke bottles to my window ! ).

Dave Milne, Scotland '91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ

was my rear view lying on the

not have to special

replaced once years ago. The mirror

and whole. In fact, if I

Wow!

What a great bunch of replies. Just what I'd hoped for. I get the message about the need for proper prep work. I also like the magnet idea.

Sort of related,.... I was saddened when a family friend bought a new ('05) Rubicon and we found that there was so much c-r-a-p, er, I mean hi-tech, extras on the mirror now that I don't think you can flip it over anymore. I was always annoyed by the low mount of the thing and it was this group

7 years ago that taught me to just turn the mirror upside down. I still get a goofy 2nd look from riders once in a while when they see what I've done - sort of like, "Hey, can you do that?" Sadly, I don't think it's possible anymore.

Thx.!

Andrew (feelin') Sticky

Why experiment with anything?

Somebody already ran the tests and came up with a product that is very much like SuperGlue to the average Joe on the street, but is specifically intended to hold rear view mirrors to the inside of a windshield.

rear view lying on the

have to special

years ago. The mirror

whole. In fact, if I

One thing you can do to prevent the mirror from coming off is to cover the outside windshield over the mirror mount with paint or tape or anything that will stop the UV radiation from degrading the glue. Sunshine is what makes those mirrors fall off.

RoyJ did pass the time by typing:

kids, ain't they cute. :)

On Thu, 08 Sep 2005 14:00:25 GMT, the following appeared in rec.autos.makers.jeep+willys, posted by RoyJ :

Of course; they're green, 6-1/2 oz, and heavy/tough enough to drive railroad spikes.

The release agent is just glorified nail polish remover, but with a pair of clean flat surfaces, the tricky part is getting it to flow between enough to do any good. Which obviously has nothing to do with coke bottles. All of the acrylonitrile adhesives can be loosened with sufficient heat--with the disclaimer that "sufficient" tends to be pretty high for the varieties of the instant set mix. The rest of the heat ranges is left to those who can remember the temps for green, blue, and red Loctite.

Dave Milne proclaimed: