How to install side mirrors?

[kat]

Bought some new side mirrors and came with different bolts/screws. It seems the PO had oversized screws for side mirrors. Im assuming I will have to fill the holes but dont know what to use to bolt them back on. The black 'inserts' confuse me. They are to big for the holes that are in there now. Do they go on the inside of door?

 

[Darryl M]

That black “insert” is just a pad that goes between the mirror and the door. It doesn’t matter that the holes are big in them. Now the holes in the door are another story. Just use big screws is all I can recommend.

 

[DirtDonk]

I think kat meant the two small plastic inserts, such as we usually have for the side marker lights and that you see larger versions of that hold license plates in place on many vehicles.
You "could" use them on the inside, like nuts, but that would require that you opened the door panel every time you wanted to tighten them or remove a mirror.

I've never seen a factory mirror that used those myself, but it's not like I've looked under ever one. You'd basically need a square hole to use them.
My '68 has nutserts, which are what I thought was used on all years? Were there changes I wonder?
Do the existing holes at least line up? If not then someone probably put a non-stock mirror on, or the new reproduction mirrors are not the exact same as original.
Either way, since that is the passenger side it was probably installed by a PO or dealer since many Broncos did not even come with a passenger side mirror. Not even sure it was an option on all years.

If you also have one on the driver's side, best bet would be to remove that one and see what was used. Hopefully it's not nutserts that have come loose though, or you might be opening up the door panel anyway!

Paul

 

[Chief Master Sergeant]

Just went through this. Ditch the screws and find lock nuts for the small bolts. The screws didn’t hold the mirror on very tightly. You can reach the back side by removing the door panel and rolling the window up. Find some help. I did it by myself, but it was a pain.


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[Spaggyroe]

I used some threaded inserts (Nutserts). Worked great.

 

[Chief Master Sergeant]

I used some threaded inserts (Nutserts). Worked great.

Well crap, I even have the Nutserts and tool to install them. That would have been much easier.


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[AZ73]

My original "nutserts" from the factory were spinning when I tried to take my mirror off. After I drilled out the screw and the nutserts, I bonded a piece of 1x3/16 flat stock inside the door, drilled, and tapped.

 

[DirtDonk]

That's a great idea. I wonder too though, if nutserts can handle the extra thickness as well? Are they made so that the barrel will crush around just about any thickness, similar to a pop-rivet?

Paul

 

[kat]

Dirt Donk, the holes are the same on the drivers side, even a little bigger. I guess these mirrors get loose alot and the PO put some oversized sheet metal screws in them. How the hell would I drill a square hole for the nutserts??

I do like the idea about just putting some nuts and maybe lock washers on the inside of door. Yeah if they got loose I would have to take the panel off but it wouldn't be that bad I wouldn't think

 

[gnpenning]

Datsun when they first came out with the 720 pick up in the 80s, IIRC used white plastic inserts in the doors for the mirror to screw into. Been awhile, but I think the mirrors where put on at the dealership.

Nutserts would be a good way to go. Back in the day I made a triangle plate with welded on nuts for my square body's mirrors.

 

[DirtDonk]

the holes are the same on the drivers side, even a little bigger.

maybe the original nutserts came out, or were removed when they failed and started to spin. A common issue with old nut-serts it seems. Yet some manage to last the life of the vehicle.

I guess these mirrors get loose alot and the PO put some oversized sheet metal screws in them.

Also very possible.

How the hell would I drill a square hole for the nutserts??

You don't. The square hole comment was regarding the black plastic inserts/anchors/thingies.
Nutserts take a round hole just like any normal fastener, and are crimped into the hole like a pop-rivet. Using either a specialized tool, or a long bolt with nut on it to pull the nutsert up and lock it in place.

I do like the idea about just putting some nuts and maybe lock washers on the inside of door. Yeah if they got loose I would have to take the panel off but it wouldn't be that bad I wouldn't think

You're right. Not the end of the world. But the previous suggestion about the "nut plate" is even better I think.
If you don't have taps and dies (they're not that expensive if you only need one or two common sizes, but a whole cheapy kit is probably under thirty bucks still) you can still glue them in place.
A bit of steel plate the right length to allow it to span both holes, with holes drilled and threaded to match, can be glued to the inner panel of the door. This "glue" could be anything from an epoxy to silicone sealer, to panel bond, to double-sided tape, to whatever you have laying around. The glue does not have to do more than hold the plate in place the next time you remove the mirror for some reason.
Even silicone makes an outstanding glue if it's given enough time to cure. Silicone it in place, then it just sits there possibly for years. After that, it's unlikely that just unscrewing the mirror will dislodge the plate. So you won't even have to go back into the door.

Same would hole true if you don't have taps and just glue nuts to the inside of the new bit of metal. The nuts themselves are too small to get a reliable glue bond by themselves, but if "glued" to the metal plate and the metal plat is adhered to the door panel, it should work very well.

And while you're in there you can deal with all the rattles that develop over time!

Anyway, just some thoughts on different methods. I finally bought a Nutsert Kit for just this reason. My mirrors were loose and attached differently, then I changed mirror designs and have always wanted nutserts for various jobs on the vehicles.

Paul

 

[Rumcustom]

Here is a link to a very cheap nutsert tool on Amazon. Depending on how often you expect to use it it might be fine for what you need. There are much better ones out there and my recommendation would be to buy it once and not regret it later when you need it again and wish you had a better one. I’m only posting this one because I found it quickly and it has a decent picture to describe what is being talked about. For the question that was asked earlier, they hold very well, even on thin sheet metal.
https://www.amazon.com/Speder-Threa...&keywords=nutsert+tool&qid=1621018515&sr=8-15

 

[gnpenning]

I should have mentioned, I was wanting some sound deadening so I sprayed the inside with undercoating ( not many options back then) and put the plate and mirrors on while it was " tacky". Many, many, many years later and I still have the truck with no issues. It has been off road a lot.

 

[kat]

I like the nutsert idea. I just worry that they will be a little rise and the mirror will have a gap. Gonna buy the nutsert kit just to have. Thanks for the idea

 

[DirtDonk]

I just worry that they will be a little rise and the mirror will have a gap.

The mirror base should be hollow backed. No rise, because the mirror sits down over the top.
No gaps from the factory that I remember. And I'm still pretty sure even after this discussion that they were using riv-nut parts to do the job.
If you have nut-sert/riv-nuts that have particularly high shouldered heads, that might cause a problem. But most are pretty low profile.

Paul

 

[kat]

The mirror base should be hollow backed. No rise, because the mirror sits down over the top.
No gaps from the factory that I remember. And I'm still pretty sure even after this discussion that they were using riv-nut parts to do the job.
If you have nut-sert/riv-nuts that have particularly high shouldered heads, that might cause a problem. But most are pretty low profile.

Paul

Thanks Paul, going to order a nut-sert set tonight. Would be nice to have one around the house anyway.

 

[DirtDonk]

Here's what the originals looked like on my '68. Note the outline of the old mirrors next to the foot of the Del-Bar swing-away I installed in it's place.



Paul