Fix floppy mirror

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Repair / Refurb Method[1]

I have fixed 3 sets of floppy mirrors in the past month. In all 3 cases the shaft, on which the adjuster tries to snug up the mirror adjustment, was RUSTED in place, and that's WHY the mirrors can't be adjusted and why they flop like Dumbo's ears. I did the following:

  1. remove mirrors.
  2. unscrew the bottom nut, remove the washers, & the spring.
  3. soak the adjustment parts in penetrating oil for a few days.
  4. use a rubber hammer to BEAT the bottom of the swivel off the shaft (maybe cleaning up the shaft with corse sandpaper will help).
  5. use sandpaper to clean-up the shaft and sliding part.
  6. IMPORTANT: lubricate the assembly prior to re-assembly (I used Krown.com anti-rust oil)
  7. maybe re-paint the mirrors to match your van :-)
  8. re-assemble, re-tighten, re-mount the mirrors.

Rubber Washer Method

Another popular fix for floppy mirror syndrome is the insertion of a thin rubber washer in the ball and socket joint. Disassemble as above, but but add a rubber washer between the "ball" of the mirror mount and the "socket" of the mirror arm.[2]

References

  1. Stebbins, Malcom (2006-11-02). "Mirrors Floppy Fix". VANAGON Mailing List Archives. Retrieved 2010-06-10.
  2. HerrBGone (2006-03-15). "Vanagon 'floppy mirror syndrome' CURED!". TheSamba. Retrieved 2010-06-10.