Rearview mirror frustration!!!

Okay, so the rearview mirror has fallen off my moms car several times now. We can't seem to get it to stay on good. First try was with some bought from Checker Auto Parts, and that failed the next morning. Tried another brand, crapped out a few days later. Bought the Loc-Tite brand stuff, and that crapped out after a few weeks.

Is there any REALLY good rearview mirror adhesive (or something that's just as good, or better) out there that sticks better than plastic wrap to your skin when you're trying to put it on stuff? This is getting really frustrating. We've easily spent $20 on adhesives already, zero luck.

I cleaned the glass and mirror plug thing with acetone, and then the 99.993% alcohol, to ensure they were both clean.

I've got some epoxy I used from when I was into model rocketry that was so strong that it didn't break, even when a rocket crash landed (broke the fins, and decimated the body tube, but the epoxy stayed in one piece). It was also SUPER sticky! Downside is that its consistency is like playdough, not a fluid, like most epoxies.

~Brian

If all else fails there's always duct tape...

...duct tape fixes everything!!!

So are any of the adhesives you have tried so far an epoxy type? That's about the best and strongest for something like that. Maybe you need to try your rocket epoxy by just mashing it onto each piece. The only other thing I can think of is construction adhesive like 'Liquid Nails' but it usually takes days to really dry strong in most cases.

If possible you might also try drilling some tiny holes in the mirror mount or the part that attaches to the glass so the glue will have more to grab onto with that piece. It might also be possible to carefully use a bit of sandpaper or similar in a small area on the glass to roughen it a bit to create better adhesion. Be careful with that idea...

Just buy the rearview mirror adhesive and follow the instructions EXACTLY. I have re-glued a couple and it worked fine. Scrape old adhesive off, use the solvent pad to clean the surfaces and let dry completely, apply adhesive to mirror, stick on windshield and press tight for a couple minutes. It really shouldn't come off.

nbp said:

Just buy the rearview mirror adhesive and follow the instructions EXACTLY. I have re-glued a couple and it worked fine. Scrape old adhesive off, use the solvent pad to clean the surfaces and let dry completely, apply adhesive to mirror, stick on windshield and press tight for a couple minutes. It really shouldn't come off.

Click to expand...

I've done that for each of the adhesives I've tried, but I think part of it is the wild temperature swings the vehicle encounters. It gets as low as 70-80 degree's at night, but in the day, the truck can get to 150-160 degree's, which I'm thinking may be causing the epoxy to cure improperly.

matrixshaman said:

So are any of the adhesives you have tried so far an epoxy type? That's about the best and strongest for something like that. Maybe you need to try your rocket epoxy by just mashing it onto each piece. The only other thing I can think of is construction adhesive like 'Liquid Nails' but it usually takes days to really dry strong in most cases.

Click to expand...

They've all been "epoxy" type adhesives, but they were really thin, like superglue (which isn't a good consistency for epoxy, IMO). If the epoxy I used for my model rockets doesn't work, I'll try some "Liquid Nails", and hope that works.

If neither of the methods work, I think I'm gonna give up, and just pay to have the dealer do it. I don't want to waste more time trying this or that, just to find out that they end up not working for some reason.

Thanks for the input, guys. It's really appreciated.

~Brian

I am sure it is the temperature variance that is causing your issue... if you could put it in a garage for a day and just use normal mirror adhesive it would probably work as I have glued on mirrors with it and they had no problem sticking with minimal cleaning before hand. The one thing I did was to glue the metal pad the mirror mounts on and tape it to the windshield for a day or two before attaching the mirror that way the weight of the mirror isn't trying to pull it off before the glue can fully cure. If it is getting hot it may take longer to cure properly perhaps so you could leave it alone for longer to make sure.

This is the best rearview mirror glue. I've used it many times and never had one drop off.

http://www.henkelna.com/industrial/full-product-list-7932.htm?countryCode=us&BU=industrial&parentredDotUID=productfinder&redDotUID=0000000I0Y&param1=msdslanguage%253DUSA_/_English%257C

Lol DM. That's something I would do with the major POS I was driving (before the drivers side window motor crapped out, the engine decided to keep overheating, then started leaking oil everywhere, all in a 30 minute time frame. Then the transmission proceeds to leak like hell the next day!!! NEVER BUY A CHRYSLER LEBARON!! TOTAL PIECES OF #&$?$&@%#&!%#*$%!&@&$/% Don't even take it for free. Our economy and government have less problems than those "car"'s!!!!).

And sorry if I'm using vulgar language. I've been awake for over 23 hours, and only got 3 hours of sleep Wednesday morning, from trying to adjust my sleep schedule for my new job (9pm-7am).

Here is my procedure for rearview mirror reattachment, this comes from over 20 years as a Dealership parts manager who has replaced thousands of these little fu$#ers.

use the loctite kit DO NOT SAND ANYTHING!!! clean with alcohol LET DRY take the cap off the glue tube and turn it over and puncture the tube so its ready, then break the glass vial and put the promoter (blue liquid) on BOTH the window AND mirror mount (ignore the instruction to only put it on one side) use all of it. Then put the glue on the mirror mount place a nice smooth layer on the whole piece, gently squeeze the tube till it fills the whole surface (no bubbles).

Use your thumb to press the mount against the window and hold it there till is stops moving then hold for another minute, if its really hot out put the AC on in Defrost mode to cool the windshield
wait atleast 6 hours before putting the mirror on (overnight if possible is better)

gently clean the area around the mirrir mount with a razor blade to get the left over glue off

these seem complicated but it works and works well

If You are confused PM me or just reply here and i do my best to help

Thanks, Vinnie. I'll try that next.

Do you have an idea on how to make the mirror easier to adjust? Right now, you practically have to brute force it, to get it to move (and the truck is only like 10 years old!), which I know isn't good for the adhesive, due to the excessive strain it puts on it.

I was thinking of using some heavy silicone oil (so it doesn't drip everywhere), to try lubricating the ball joints, since I've had luck with that in the past with other metal-on-metal moving objects.

~Brian

Here is something that worked for me. When the mirror is off the windshield, I put oil on both 'ball joints'

I then move all the parts the full range of motion, twisting and turning as you go along.

I used a light machine oil, but, probably any type of lube will work. The light oil will get into the joints quicker than a heavy oil will. Once you have lubed it and moved it a lot, just wipe off any excess oil. That should free up the joints...

By the way, any mirrors I have had to replace over the years have not had any real problems. Make sure the area is clean, follow the instructions, and wait a few hours before attaching the mirror. Most adhesives need some time to really set up and harden...

what works good for joints like that as well as sway bar grommets is graphite lube. It's powdered graphite in alcohol, i don't use oil in mirrors because of the possibility of softening of the plastic joints that hold the mirror in place and then the mirror droops over every bump. You can make your own lube if you can't find it in your local auto parts store by scraping a pencil lead into a capfull of Alcohol, the Alcohol lets the graphite flow into the joint then evaporates leaving the graphite behind.