Rear view mirror removal.

Richard Seddon said:

Don't you mean the top tang is spring-loaded? It's the bottom lug that is fixed, and the top one that's sprung, at least on mine. -- Cheers, Rick

Click to expand...

Nice thread revival, but mine is sprung at the bottom too.....I think.

After looking at some of my photos, I’m not sure it is now. I will take it off and have a look.

mick 1986 said:

Nice thread revival, but mine is sprung at the bottom too.....I think.

After looking at some of my photos, I’m not sure it is now. I will take it off and have a look.

Click to expand...

Hi Mick,
Just hope you can get it back on again ok .

I did wonder whether OEM and Genuine Land Rover ones were different (which is why I asked), but thinking about it, having the spring-loading at the bottom would make it almost impossible to compress the spring. Pushing upwards is far easier than pulling downwards.

It's one of those jobs we need to do now and then and, inevitably, it's the sort of thing where you can never remember how you did it last time.

That said, following my experience of the mirror arm flopping around, I've come to the opinion that routine maintenance -- i.e. removal, lubricating and freeing up of that spring-loaded mechanism -- is probably a good idea. The design is reliant upon that spring holding things tight, so if it seizes up and you adjust the mirror angle, the whole thing will come loose. It's probably a good idea to add this job to your routine maintenance schedule.

I'll take a few photos when I go out to refit the mirror.

Rick

SAFETY WARNING !

Do NOT modify the mounting bracket, as that annoying spring-loaded spigot is a Safety quick release mechanism.

Routine maintenance is also a Safety requirement.

As someone suggested, Land Rover probably used a spring fastening mechanism, as opposed to a solid screw up [intentional pun], as you want that big arm to break away if your head hits it in a crash. For this reason, it's important that the spring-loaded mechanism works freely. If it has seized, then it'll take more force to break it away. For this reason alone, routine maintenance -- freeing up and lubrication -- of the quick release mechanism is essential.

(And if you've modified the mount so it's permanently screwed in place... Well, I think the implications speak for themselves. You need to remove those screws and do some maintenance work to free up that quick release mechanism for your, and your passenger's, safety.)

Who'd have thought it?

Rick