Freaking mirrors! HD to the rescue!

[AUtiger]

Ok, I took my mirrors off when I received my mirror extenders.  I removed the rubber boot covers because my mirror stems have some rust on them and the rubber was dry rotted anyway and looked bad. When I go to put my mirrors into the new extenders the mirrors never want to line up in the right place for a good view. Take a look at the attached pic, shouldn't my mirror stems turn when the top bolt is loosened all the way up as in the pic? Seems like after tightening down the bottom bolt into the mirror mount you could rotate the stem in any direction and then tighten down the top bolt. My stems do not rotate at all even with the top nut loosened all the way. I assume they are "froze", what else would the top nut do if it doesn't hold the stem?  Help.


Update - I did unfreeze the mirror joint and cleaned them up a bit a put some more paint on. I was traveling near the local Harley/Buell dealership and thought for kicks I would see if the buell mirrors were 10mm and if they had any in stock.

I promptly buy a pair and go home and stick them on. Wow how bout those ears! I think I can get cinemax on this baby now. See shoulders, what shoulders. Not the most attractive, but hey it's a tiger. Ha

Anyway, they are on, and aren't pitted, and don't look rattle canned with rust oleum.

[JetdocX]

Try some penetrating oil like Kroil or Liquid Wrench on them.  They are probably rusted solid.

[walker]

yes - if you can twist and work them free - that bottom threaded piece is bucket shaped, and the stalk just presses in there with a cone shaped washer / spacer thing. It freezes in there.... the top nut presses the cone shaped washer into the bottom part, which creates the pressure around the mirror stalk, holding it in place.

hold the bottom piece (with the threaded post) - use a pair of pliers, vice grip, whatever.... and then hold the mirror stalk and just start twisting it till it comes free.

temporarily threading it back into the handlebar controls might help.

I did this, then cleaned them all up with a dremel tool and a small wire brush attachment - painted everything that needed painting, then reassembled.

NOTE: there is a pop rivet that keeps the cone washer from falling off the bottom (you'll see when you get it apart). I cut that off to clean everything, and then replaced the pop rivet, because I happened to have some handy. It's only job is to keep the cone shaped washer thing from getting lost if you take everything apart.

Mine were about as pitted - I used the dremel to remove all the rust, and then just painted them with some paint in a spray can. Matched the finish (I used a semi-gloss, not a satin I think).

[AUtiger]

Thank's, I didn't see any other way it could work! I did get them positioned correctly using various combinations of washers. I break them apart next cold snap and maybe replace them with some better grade of metal. All that rubber boot does is trap moisture and cause problems.

[2004Tiger]

In your climate, rust will happen. After you clean it up, pack it with waterproof grease when you reassemble to keep the water out. Bicycle bearing grease works well.