Ford has somehow seen fit to put the rear view mirror really low in thewindshield.

It is a problem with regard to visibility. I would like to move it up a few inches. It would not block visibility as much and would provide a better angle to the rear. Not that you would gain much, but you would gain a little better view over the rear seats so you could see a bit lower to the rear.

Has anyone else considered or done this?

Thanks,

Tom Hall

 

Ironic that you bring that up Tom...

I was just thinking about that today. I, too, wish it was mounted up a little higher.

Anybody have any thoughts?

RP

 

Like heat the surface with a hair dryer to weaken the adhesive and apply pressure somehow to remove remove the mirror. Then shorten that square plastic trough that hides the wires that go to the auto-glare-sensing mirror and put it back on with the appropriate adhesive (whatever that is) again.

I'd sure like to do this to my truck. I wonder if it would leave an unsightly mark on the window after removal.

Surely a bodyshop would know how to do this. I think these mirrors are designed to break-away in accidents.

I posted this on the SuperCrew forum because SuperCrews would gain the most from moving the mirror Vs say a SuperCab. You need only to think of the viewing angle from the driver to the mirror to the rear of the truck to see my point.

Tom Hall

 

But back when I owned a few chebbys they had a tendancy to FALL off, so I went to the auto parts store got some mirror adhesive and reapplied them where I wanted them, higher up, worked great. they never left anything behind and I think they either give you in the kit or tell you what to use to clean and prepare both surfaces for reapplying.

Be careful when trying to remove, don't crack the glass!

 

i've thought the same thing everytime it blocks my view, i'm gonna look into moving it up some ,, get back to you

Mark Keller

 

I've always wanted to do the same thing Rajuncajun37! Anyway, I was just at the fordvehicles.com site and it looks like they fixed this problem on the '04.

 

if you think that is bad, go drive a Chevy Tahoe. They suck *** for that. ON all vehicles that I drive, I push the mirror as hight as I can, then bring it down a bit so I can see, it seems to move the mirror up about 2" and makes it better, specially considering I'm 6'3". However, you guy's idea sounds like it would work great. Might have to play around a bit.

 

And after all this time I thought I was the only one with visibility problems with the mirror. At least it's nice to know I'm not alone. If anyboby moves their mirror please post so we know how it went.

 

1st - PhillipSVT - I read your post above where you said you moved the mirror up as high as it would go and then adjusted it from there. I'm feeling a bit like a dolt to say that I didn't know you could move it up. I tried it and that did help substantially. I would still like to move it up a bit more.

2nd - First I called and then went to Schuck's Auto (they area large auto parts chain here in the northwest) tonight to check out attaching mirrors to windshields. When I called they said they had adhesives to do that.
Permatex makes a Rearview Mirror Adhesive. It sells for $2.49. Rally also has a kit that includes a mirror mounting plate and some adhesive used to attach the plate to the windshield. I don't know if the Rally mounting plate is compatible with the Ford mirror, but a mute point at this point anyway.

I read all of the instructions on both packages which amounted to the same thing. First you remove the old adhesive by scraping off the remaining adhesive and then clean using alcohol. Then you apply a prep material to the window and let it sit for 2 minutes, then apply the adhesive to the mounting plate and attach it to the prepped surface. The instructions also said that if you make a mistake on the orientation of the first mounting plate just attach another mounting plate on top of the first mouting plate!! (Swell solution to solve a problem) The permatex package said it does not recommend using heat or solvents in an attempt to remove one of these things from the windshield!
So, there are adhesives to mount the mirror mounting plate to the windshield, the mirror then attaches to the mounting plate . . . but no information on how to get the existing one OFF.

For what it's worth that's what I came up with tonight.

Tom Hall

 

20 years ago I knocked one off whille having sex w/ my girlfriend.

I've glued several (4) back on, but have never tried to take one off,

I would think a glue dissolver would work or a thin bladed sharp device of some kind

 

I think RajunCajun has the proven method for removing the mirror. I think I'll ask my wife if she can help me loosen the mirror tonight!

 

Any auto glass shop can do it.
When you bust a windshield and they come to you, they replace the windshield and move your mirror to the new glass along with whatever stickers you are required to have in less than an hour.

Some things just aren't worth the headache, let it remain a mystery. They got families to feed too. Open up your wallet.
It's not like it's a skill you'll need again and odds are if you do it yourself the mirror will spend 10 months where you put it and two months on the floorboard in any given year.

 

Most new windshields come with the pad already glued to the glass. When they switch the mirror over they usually remove the mirror from the old pad and install it on the new pad. But I do agree with you on having a professional do the job of removing the old one. Thats an expensive mistake if you break the glass trying it yourself. ---Paul

 

I like where they put the mirror. I can mount my FasTraK toll transponder above it.

That way it don't sit in the lower corner of the windsheild where I have to look at it all the time.

 

I used to remove my rearview mirrors by using front windshield shades that you fold out on the inside. I reglued the mirrors several times on both my 1990 Ranger and 1990 T-Bird SC. Maybe 1990 was a bad year. I did not ever have to reglue after finally deciding not to use the shades. The Permatex claims to be the OEM adhesive and is easy to use. A razor blade should also do the removal trick. That's also what you need to use to remove any adhesive that may still be on the windshield.