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Car Forum / Land Rover Cars / February 2008Rear View Mirror snapped off! Help!
This morning it was cold (about 32 deg F) and as I adjusted the rear view mirror on our '95 Disco, it broke right off the windscreen. It broke off right at the glass attachment point, and looks like it took some glass with it, as the glass where it attached is cratered and there is lumpy stuff stuck to the mirror. My first thought is to use a quality 2-part epoxy to reattach the mirror to the glass....how in the world am I going to hold it up there while the epoxy sets up? Anybody have any suggestions? Thanks! > This morning it was cold (about 32 deg F) and as I adjusted the rear > view mirror on our '95 Disco, it broke right off the windscreen. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Anybody have any suggestions? Thanks! I think you'll find that the mirror will detach from the bit that was glued to/embedded in the 'screen. Separate the two and you'll be left with a lightweight piece to glue on. Some good sticky tape will hold it in place whilst the glue sets. As a long term solution I have my doubts, but you've nothing to lose in trying. You might need to devise something with a larger contact area if this doesn't work. > I think you'll find that the mirror will detach from the bit that was > glued to/embedded in the 'screen. Separate the two and you'll be left [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > trying. You might need to devise something with a larger contact area if > this doesn't work. I have successfully used Loctite Glass Bond to re-attach the rear side window catches on an old FIAT. These were an over-centre linkage which opened the window or pulled it tight against a rubber seal - i.e. lots of load on the bond. Glass Bond is an anaerobic adhesive which is activated by UV light. Tips to ensure the best bond - and I'm thinking about re-attaching your mirror not the chunk of glass - are: scrupulous cleaning, tremendous patience and a light box fitted with UVB tubes. Don't believe what the packet says about daylight being sufficient. I left the lightbox shining on the glue site overnight to achieve the best bond. I imagine you could use one of those battery powered dud bank note detectors, but that would extend the cure time. Of course, if you have access to a trackside power cabinet you may find one that still has a mercury arc rectifier in use. That should provide more than enough UV (if you dare to try it) ;-) HTH Richard > I have successfully used Loctite Glass Bond to re-attach the rear side > window catches on an old FIAT. These were an over-centre linkage which > opened the window or pulled it tight against a rubber seal - i.e. lots > of load on the bond. Glass Bond is an anaerobic adhesive which is > activated by UV light. SWMBO's artificial fingernail glue will do the job too. >> I have successfully used Loctite Glass Bond to re-attach the rear side >> window catches on an old FIAT. These were an over-centre linkage [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > SWMBO's artificial fingernail glue will do the job too. Useful to know. >>> I have successfully used Loctite Glass Bond to re-attach the rear >>> side window catches on an old FIAT. These were an over-centre [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Useful to know. But you're likely trying to glue glass to glass not mount to glass. I think the mount to glass glues specify the glass surface must be scrupulously clean, ie no glass debris.  SignatureWisdom and experience come with age, they say, but I wish I could remember the darn question > My first thought is to use a quality 2-part epoxy to reattach the > mirror to the glass. That's what I used, never fell off again. >...how in the world am I going to hold it up there > while the epoxy sets up? 90 second Epoxy! Matt >> My first thought is to use a quality 2-part epoxy to reattach the >> mirror to the glass. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Matt Why not use the Locite stuff that is intended for re-attaching mirrors?? It sets pretty quickly. Jeff > how in the world am I going to hold it up there > while the epoxy sets up? wedge it with a bit of wood braced off the dash/seat/floor. Anthony typed: > This morning it was cold (about 32 deg F) and as I adjusted the rear > view mirror on our '95 Disco, it broke right off the windscreen. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Anybody have any suggestions? Thanks! ISTR that epoxy is not recommended - something to do with cracks appearing when the screen heats/cools. There are plenty of makers of specific glass bonding products which should do the trick. No help in your situation, but I've always found the little double-sided pads pretty faultless when it comes to re-attaching mirrors to (unbroken) glass. Serious point, though - if you've detached a bit of glass, you have weakened the screen. Might it not be worth the 50GBP or so to claim it on your insurance? You'd get a new screen and the mirror reattached by someone who does it for a living. SignatureRich B Take out the obvious to email me. A life? Cool - where can I download one of those? Wow...how weakened do you think the screen can be by having a small crater in it? I don't want my wife driving around and having the screen bust out suddenly or something. Taking a good look at it this afternoon, the glass definately broke off with the mirror. The glue did not fail, but rather took the glass with it, taking out a chunk about the size of a quarter (pound piece?) out of the windshield with it. The glass is still attached to the mirror. If I reglue it I will be glueing glass to glass, looks like. Unfortunately, the mirror does NOT have a detachable button! It just looks to be an aluminum arm that goes straight into a ball joint attachment on the back of the mirror. Do you think carefully placed tape might hold the whole thing up while some epoxy sets? I've found the faster the epoxy cures, the lower quality it is... Anthony typed: > Wow...how weakened do you think the screen can be by having a small > crater in it? I don't want my wife driving around and having the > screen bust out suddenly or something. How long is a piece of string? It's a possibility. Put it this way - how often do bits just fall out of a windscreen? Answer - hardly ever. The bond between the glass and the mirror mount *should* have been weaker than the glass itself. Which suggests that there may be damage to the glass that may not be visible but will, inevitably, reveal itself at the worst possible moment. At least with a laminated screen the worst it would do is crack across. It wouldn't explode or anything like that. I hope. :) > Do you think carefully placed > tape might hold the whole thing up while some epoxy sets? I've found > the faster the epoxy cures, the lower quality it is... Tape it up and leave 24hrs. Gaffer tape is strong and sticky enough to take the weight. SignatureRich B Take out the obvious to email me. A life? Cool - where can I download one of those? My solution... I decided to skip reattaching it to the windscreen. There is a blank plastic trim plug in the roof just above the windscreen -- I popped it out, drilled two holes through the mirror mount base and the plastic plug and attached them together with 6-32 screws, nuts and loctite. I then replaced the assembly to the roof, and used four self tapping screws in the corners of the plastic plug plate to hold it in place, since the additional weight of the mirror was too much for the stock clips. Results, the mirror is as useable as before but vibrates quite a bit more since the trim it is attached to is not as stable as the glass. Riding motorcycles, both my wife and I can deal with a bit of vibration in the rearview. The windscreen may indeed need replacement soon, but I'll wait on that for now. I need to contact my insurance company and see if glass is covered. |
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