Help with side mirrors

[rjpastor]

I have the typical 73-90 side mirrors with the large head on a curved arm. The problem is that they don't stay where I put them. Is there some way to tighten them up? I'd rather not buy new ones if I don't have to, but the passenger side is especially difficult to keep adjusted and generally is useless as is.

 

[lectric80]

I have found that there isn't any successful way of tightening them up. The PO put round convex mirrors on the bottom outside edge of my mirrors, and that makes the passenger side useful in a very small range, and it is always moving.

Of course I am doing new stainless mirrors and will probably go with the convex mirror on the passenger side.

 

[RudyO]

It is possible to tighten them up. I had the same problem with a 90'. Mine were powdercoated black. When I disassembled them, I repainted the arms. There is a plastic or teflon sleeve in there that gets worn. The extra coating of paint did the trick. After four years, still no problems.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

I take it these don't have the little bolts that tighten down on the arm like the 88+ IFS trucks with similar mirrors?

 

[dyeager535]

Nothing tightens directly on the arm, it's a clamp-type arrangement.

I've used rubber bike tube in place of the teflon or whatever it is. Need to make sure the door inner supports are still there, and the bolts that hold the mirror to the door are all tight. If they aren't, it will rattle the mirror out of position no matter what you do.

Oftentimes at least one of the "riv-nuts" GM used on the doors that the mirror base mounts to, is in bad shape, and not allowing a good solid mounting.