How to do-it yourself instructional on replacing a side-view mirror on a car or light truck with complete inner door panel removal and installation process and discussions on torque and the over-tightening of fasteners.
Transcript provided for the hearing impaired:
OK so the problem is obvious, the driver’s side view mirror is loose at the base. There is a broken mount. So stay tuned, we’ll have a look. you’ve seen the problem, this mirror has a bad wobble in it because of a broken mount. we’re going to, with a small handful of tools, remove the inside door panel and pull off the mirror, there’s a little screw holds on that tray and another screw in here going to slip my little screwdriver in underneath, pry up on it, underneath there are a couple of hex headed screws remove with this little socket wrench. going to leave it hanging like that because I’m not going to disconnect components simply lifting the door panel off and let it hang get into this area. the only specialized tool you need made by Lisle. make your own need a piece of flat bar, cut a little groove in it bend the end of it. here’s the diagram General Motors suggests your tool should look like. we start at the bottom, work your way in get the door panel off. last thing is a channel hooking into the door frame. need to be able to pop upwards and it’s free. drop that through. little fellow comes in behind and pops free out used to cover access ports. pull them out carefully get in behind it with a screwdriver and chase it out through the front. 10mm socket. problem with a recess is I’m afraid to drop the nut inside the door panel. instead of undoing them all the way then I reach inside with my mechanical fingers… undo it the rest of the way with sure grip on the nut. And the mirror pulls away. there’s an electrical connection. Pull back locking tab and it pulls apart. there’s three studs third one’s broken. service manual calls for 53 lb.in. show you on this wheel nut that you can easily put 53lb.ft. on with just one hand. a foot pound is 12 inch pounds so it’s twelve times the power require on these little nuts. dialled in 53lb.ft.. I just wanted to show you how easy it is to make that kind of power never mind the 53lb.in., all you need to hang mirror. make some power. I was only a foot out rather than the actual full 18″… you see that? I don’t turn at all and it’s already saying 53lb.ft. make 53 lb.ft. just one hand and only twelve inches leverage. weather’s changed hope there’s enough light. get started by peeling off the tape. work with the window open, I’m working through window for your benefit.. touched up the paint where it’s been worn off by mirror. parts dealer she was able to pick it off the shelf in minutes. don’t live in a metropolitan area you might not be as lucky, wait a week or two… local scrap yard see if they’ve got it half the price a new one. electrical connection to go through I’m going to limit the amount of torque that I put behind this nut to ¼” socket wrench. got my nut loaded and it’s in place with a bit of shop towel. find the stud. certain that’s started now pull this off get the shop towel out of there and put this back on and spin it. all 3 nuts in place we can torque them down to spec. limit the torque I apply by using a ¼” socket wrench and choking half way up on it there’s 40lb.in. and a zero we want to go to 53 don’t know if you can see there’s 50, 11, 12, 13, 40 and 13 is 53. torque these down you want to you want to bring all the bolts snug before you try and apply the torque developed a feel for it know spring about to jump. 1st one. 2nd. all three. letting go with this hand in order that it doesn’t interfere with the torque I’m applying with this hand doing it with two fingers of pressure. some things can’t take a lot of power you can make a lot of power no matter how small you think you are no matter how weak you might believe you’re very strong compared to small fasteners and it’s very easy to break them. foam bushings used for soundproofing. There’s 1, 2, 3 they’re just plugs cover the access port. body panel plugs I was mentioning. hang in little bracket/keepers on the inside panel they’re all barbed and have pointed tips why you need that curved tool –get in behind it and it pops out. little hook, like that kind of deal . hook it into the door-panel right onto the steel inner door skin. pass this through there work on hooking that into the door.. Find keepers. little plastic piece holds door handle release and the actuator for the door lock. little keyhole type slot and lock actuator this rod and its got to be lined up. have both the actuator and the control both in the unlocked position. find neutral position work your way on from corner and snap drop a screw in behind there and we’re done. last thing is hang convex “spotter” mirror on the outside lower corner I don’t care what size vehicle you’ve got — even a motorcycle — you want convex mirrors on both sides.
Post time: Jun-12-2017