Jeep Wrangler Mirrors

jdr818

Has anyone had problems stripping the screws holding the windshield bracket where the mirror mover bracket goes? I used a breaker bar but one of the screws still got stripped. Do I have to have it drilled out now?

erickpl

Yep.

you can also try using a dremel and making new slots to get it out.

-Paul

CapnDucky

Just bought a 04 Wrangler Unlimited to pull behind motorhome. I drove my 1st jeep in 1946 @ age 9 on farm in Western Kentucky. My Uncle brought it back from WW2. It had a breaking plow & a disc for farming, which is why I 1st drove it. I have wanted one for all these yrs, found this one & just could'nt resist. It came with
5 Micky T Baja MTZs LT 265-75R16s ( 31x11.50) & MT 16" wheels with a 2in lift, plus the 5 orignal Goodyear Wrangler tires with 5K miles on them.
Capn Ducky

tired_old_dave

What a wonderful story. Congratulations on your dream coming true.

tidester

That's a great story! You should tell it over in the main Jeep Wrangler discussion. The "old timers" would get a kick out of it.

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

tracy3999

I just purchased some mirrors to put on my jeep when i take my doors off.. I was wondering how i take the screws out with out stripping it /and what tool i need to do this.. to put the new mirrors on? Thank you again.. Tracy..

erickpl

Tracy, you don't have to remove the entire assembly from the door. Just the arms that come from the mounting block on the door itself. My 'arm' and mirror came off with (I THINK) a 3/4" socket and a few turns. If you have the newer mirror style, I may be totally wrong and somebody will hopefully correct me.

Do you have the brackets for your new mirrors? Getting the Torx bits out of the windshield frame so you can install the brackets can be a challenge as those suckers are in SOLIDLY and with some kind of industrial loctite. To get them out, use a GOOD set of bits that fit perfectly. Apply straight direct pressure downward as you unscrew those things. The straight pressure and turning SLOWLY will help. A breaker bar will give you good leverage.

-Paul

jdr818

Tracy, listen to Paul. I'll vouch for the fact that those torx bits are in solidly. I stripped one of mine because I didn't use a breaker bar. It might also help to spray with WD40 a few minutes beforehand.

-John

jdr818

Along the same lines, since the Wrangler's windshield is hinged and has the capability to be lowered down to the hood, has anyone had the need to do so? And if so, for what reason?

mac24

Need to do so? Never!
Desire to do so? Many times!
Reason? Fun!

erickpl

Many people who offroad have a full replacement cage, including the part that leads to the windshield. In doing so, they can safely lower the windshield. This will greatly reduce the likelihood of destroying your windshield and/or frame in an offcamber situation where the Jeep leans into/around a tree. The cage can take the hit while the windshield is safely secured to the hood.

-Paul

mac24

And if you're driving slowly offroad it's just nicer not to be looking at nature through a sheet of glass.

kyfdx

It might help to make sure your hinges aren't rusted in place, if it's been many, many years since the windshield has been down (if ever)..

Otherwise, you might get a nasty surprise! Trust me on this... lol

mac24

Good point. Repeatedly soaking the hinges for several days in PB Blaster or Kroil before attempting to fold it down will lessen the chance of a nasty surprise.

The frame and/or mounting points are easy to bend but hard to repair.

Hope you got yours fixed ok!

kyfdx

I did... of course, that was in 1980!!

ourjeeplife

Along these same lines, Rugged Ridge sent me their mirror relocation brackets for our 08 wrangler. This allows us to remove the doors more often. The thing is, if you get/buy a kit like this.. Make sure you repaint them because most company's tend to powder coat these items to save money and the coating either flakes off or fades. I was forced to repaint my brackets and even the torx screws off the jeep. Which brings up another issues.. Make sure you have the right size torx and use lost of penetration oil to remove them. I found that our old 99's screws were locked tight and even rusted and yet we had to drill them out. But using a smaller drill bit so that we could retap the holes. We were able to save the holes.. but most may not.

ourjeeplife

Rugged Ridge Mirror Relocation Update:

A few things I neglected to mention in the above post.. One is the fact that Rugged Ridge created a useless passenger side view mirror even when the doors on or off, the mirror is not useable or even in a viewable area of the jeep. The jeep's passenger side dash area obstructs your view of the mirror.
However after making this discovery I sent a message to Rugged Ridge in an effort to inform them of this mistake. That was 2 years ago and have yet to here back from them. I told them that they need to create a bracket that is farther up the window/door jam area.
Lastly.. To all those Jeep Wrangler owners wanting to remove their doors this spring and depending on the state they live in, each state laws may be different and require doors must be kept on at all times. Though I haven't seen or heard any indication whether or not Maryland will start enforcing new jeep door laws. Along these same lines, you must have all three (3) mirrors located on your jeep at all times even if the doors have been removed. Untill that time, we at JWN look forward to removing our doors as much as possble and down grading them to Bestop's Soft (fabric) doors

ourjeeplife

Update: I've searched for the box the relocation brackets came in and found out that these brackets are universal.. which means I can actually mount TJ Jeep Wrangler (95-06) mirrors in them. This design will extend the mirrors upward instead of outward with the current JK mirror version. Thus I'll be searching for a set of these TJ mirrors to try in our brackets, then I'll see if the passenger side mirrors will finally be usable.