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Topic: Access to back of exterior mirror (Read 359 times) previous topic - next topic

Access to back of exterior mirror

There are four bolts holding my driver's side exterior mirror on. It seems that two of the threaded sleeves these bolts screw into have broken loose on the backside and their respective bolts just spin freely but I'm not able to extract them. Before I start tearing the dash apart I want to make sure this is the correct way to access them. Looking at juicesqueezers post, it seems straight forward to get the dash off but I can't tell if that'll give me access to the mirror.
1987 Grand Villa ORED
2001 U320 4010

Not all that wander are lost... but I often am.

Re: Access to back of exterior mirror

Reply #1 –
Once the hump cover is off, the flat panel on the left comes up - held on with velcro.  There may be an access through there to the nuts.

Re: Access to back of exterior mirror

Reply #2 –
Elliott on mine (99-320) I would have to cut a access hole in the plywood.  I can get to wiper motor through vent holes but there are no holes on either side
Chris
1999 U 320 DGFE
Build Number 5523
Chris & Elka Lang
In the field, Lonoke AR

Re: Access to back of exterior mirror

Reply #3 –
Once I got that bit of the dash off there was enough room for me to get a cell phone in there and take a picture of it and once I removed those two switches (which I forget are for) I was able to get a hand and a wrench in there. You can see that the bottom one is still a little compromised but it was actually pretty solid once I started pushing on it. just the bottom bit that is cracked.

The hardest part of it all was actually getting the dash back in because the Velcro likes to catch before you can push it into the gasket.
1987 Grand Villa ORED
2001 U320 4010

Not all that wander are lost... but I often am.

Re: Access to back of exterior mirror

Reply #4 –
Elliott, what you have in the second picture are T nuts used for furniture ( wood working) if the wood around the bottom one is deteriorated  then the nut will spin and they are a pain to deal with.  Personally if I were to do it I would take the T nut out --back bolt out until the nut is at end of thread --tap bolt with a Hammer and the nut will come out.  Going back in I would use a oversized heavy washer with a lock nut.  It will take 2 people to do that but to me that is better than dealing with a compromised T nut in a limited work space
Chris
1999 U 320 DGFE
Build Number 5523
Chris & Elka Lang
In the field, Lonoke AR

Re: Access to back of exterior mirror

Reply #5 –
Quote from: Chris m lang –
Elliott, what you have in the second picture are T nuts used for furniture ( wood working) if the wood around the bottom one is deteriorated  then the nut will spin and they are a pain to deal with.  Personally if I were to do it I would take the T nut out --back bolt out until the nut is at end of thread --tap bolt with a Hammer and the nut will come out.  Going back in I would use a oversized heavy washer with a lock nut.  It will take 2 people to do that but to me that is better than dealing with a compromised T nut in a limited work space
Chris
That's exactly what I did (the first pic is the end result). I can see how it'd be easy to over tighten those T nuts now, especially if your front end has been compromised from sitting in the sun.
1987 Grand Villa ORED
2001 U320 4010

Not all that wander are lost... but I often am.