mirror moving at speed

[antmez]

has anyone else had this problem of when motoring along at speed the drivers mirror moved inwards ,
it seems loose compared to my passenger one,
is there any way of tightening them up, i cont seem to work i out

ant

[Pat Slade]

Hi Ant
The mirror has a friction/spring joint. On the underside of the mirror near the joint there is a small black plastic cover. This is held in by a drive pin. Under this plastic cover is a 'nut' which determines the friction in the mirror joint. It is not a conventional nut and needs a special tool to tension. It is like a thick washer with an internal thread with two holes in it. You would need a specila key to tighten it.
Now the problems. No one I have spoken to knows how this 'nut' locks onto the thread. Are the originals peened or is threadlock used? I bought a new mirror and the 'nut' worked loose when on the continent. The black plastic cover is virtually impossible to remove without breaking and it is not a spare part you can purchase.
I have been driving for some time without the plastic cover or retaining pin and keep a pair of long nosed pliers in the car which is a bodge tool I tighten the 'nut ' with from time to time.
All in all highly unsatisfactory!

[antmez]

thanks for the info ,

looks like ill have to get the long nose pliers out then,


ant

[felix]

As an aside there's at least one McLaren F1 running around with Z1 mirrors on its windscreen pillars. It's been tested at 200+ mph so somehow it must hold in place.