TheSamba.com :: View topic - How to fix your wobbly CIP1 split bus exterior mirrors...

Tue Jul 17, 2012 11:53 pm

Here is a photo' tutorial on how to fix your CIP1 split bus exterior mirrors...

I, and many others, and judging by the people I've spoken to and the reading I've done on this site, have all had trouble with the repro' split bus mirrors purchased from CIP1.

Unlike the original variety, the new ones do not take kindly to being adjusted without slacking off the clamp screws.

It is still advisable to slack off the clamp screws, but this fix should compensate for nearly 100% of the wobble that develops in these mirrors shortly after fitment.

Most people I've spoken to with this problem have either replaced their mirrors with others, have simple made do as-is, or like me, have attempted to fix them with either glue or thin wire between the mirror backing and the mounting stud.

I did consider soldering in this area too, but it's not strong enough to last.

What we're going to be fixing...

Note the gap between the washer and the backing, caused by the stud which has pulled out of the mirror housing somewhat.

You will need a packet of retainer clips, which look like this...
You may break one or two, so ensure that you have a few spare.

If the gap between the mounting stud and the washer is large enough to accomodate the retainer clip, proceed to the next photo'. If not, insert a small, flat screwdriver, as show, and gently proceed to pry the stud from the housing, gently! Repeat this every 90 degrees or so, until the gap is just wide enough to take the retainer clip.
My first mirror did not require this, but the second one did. I found that inserting a clip on the one side as soon as the gap was large enough enabled me to open up the other half a little easier.
Take care not to scratch the backing with the screwdriver.

Once the retainer clip is underneath the mounting stud on both sides, use a long-nose pliers to gently coax it fully underneath the mounting stud.

You now have a repaired mirror!
Total time and cost for the repair? A minute or two, and less than a buck or two. :)

Having only just done this repair, I can't vouch for the longevity, but I have absolutely no reason to doubt that it'll last as long as my bus will. :)

Nic

Wed Jul 18, 2012 7:57 am

I had the same problem from a company I won't name. I like ur fix though better than mine. What I did is I took a rubber band and wrap it around in the gap until tight. Worked fine until I was able to find some orignals mirrors.

Wed Jul 18, 2012 8:58 am

Nice fix!!

But, be super careful! That stem is likey to snap :)

What I do is, not tighten the clamp screw onto the arm. Just keep it on there veeery gentle like. If it's cranked on there, and you tap the mirror the stem will probably snap.

Wed Jul 18, 2012 10:00 am

Here's the real fix! :D
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=508524

Wed Jul 18, 2012 2:52 pm

I put a little super glue in the gap. It's only been a couple months, but so far so good.

Wed Jul 18, 2012 10:09 pm

How long did that rubber band last, Cuñado Wear? Out here, the climate kills them very quickly.

Thanks, dawerks. If/when the stem snaps, I'll change 'em out. They cost me a fortune to get them here, so the frustration level was incredibly high when they almost immediately started wobbling. I look for similiar style mirrors from other applications now; aftermarket cheap motorbike mirrors work quite well as an interim measure.

Culito, no. :lol:

PopsBus, I tried glue, but the gap on mine was too large, so the glue didn't hold. :|

Thu Jul 19, 2012 10:25 am

[quote="Merlin"]How long did that rubber band last, Cuñado Wear? Out here, the climate kills them very quickly.
The rubber bands worked good and lasted until I could find original.
The mirrors broke almost right away after I got them and it took me 6months to find
Replacements. And the rubberband were still holding strong. There cheap and I would just replace as they wore out.

Thu Jul 19, 2012 5:13 pm

Frustrated with not being able to see anything in my mirrors when driving over 20 mph, I tried similar fixes with my Wolfsburg West replacement elephant ear mirrors. The "fixes" never lasted long. Finally, I broke down and bought West Coast Metric's version of the elephant ear mirror. It has the correct three point attachment to the back of the mirror at the ball joint. This is how Volkswagen originally did it. Now after about 5,000 miles, still no shake or vibration of the mirrors at speed. For $24 a mirror, why live with the aggravation of the other poorly designed re-pops? Here is the link, and the figure shows the three screws that attach to the mirror.

https://shop.westcoastmetric.com/viewProduct.php?productID=211-515-L

Thu Jul 19, 2012 9:37 pm

That's good going. Six months is much longer than I imagined.

Augsburg57 wrote: Frustrated with not being able to see anything in my mirrors when driving over 20 mph, I tried similar fixes with my Wolfsburg West replacement elephant ear mirrors. The "fixes" never lasted long. Finally, I broke down and bought West Coast Metric's version of the elephant ear mirror. It has the correct three point attachment to the back of the mirror at the ball joint. This is how Volkswagen originally did it. Now after about 5,000 miles, still no shake or vibration of the mirrors at speed. For $24 a mirror, why live with the aggravation of the other poorly designed re-pops? Here is the link, and the figure shows the three screws that attach to the mirror.

https://shop.westcoastmetric.com/viewProduct.php?productID=211-515-L

Ace tip! Thanks for the link.

Fixes aren't ideal, but out here we're faced with a really poor exchange rate, ridiculously high shipping costs and the promise of a fat Customs bill, so that USD 24 turns out to be much more painful.

Fri Jul 20, 2012 8:05 am

I got tired of trying to fix my repps so I eventually found some relatively cheap original mirrors at a swap a few years ago. One side was really cheap because it had been painted and someone glued a convex mirror over the top. This works great on my passenger side. The other was not an original VW mirror but similar enough to look good.

Fri Jul 20, 2012 4:27 pm

Culito wrote: Here's the real fix! :D
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=508524

Oh god! why?

I paid to remove those horrible ugly things from my bus, they look terrible, and aren't adjustable at all.

the horror... the horror...

Thu Sep 06, 2012 6:14 pm

Update to my earlier post. Wolfsburg West shows in their recent newsletter an elephant ear mirror that appears to have the correct construction so as not to wobble. See link:
http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsList.cfm?ID=211857513BSL&AD=Wired_09_12

The WW photo shows the three screw fasteners attaching the arm to the mirror - just like the original VW product and the West Coast Metric mirror that has been successful for me.

Thu Sep 06, 2012 9:32 pm

abritinthebay wrote: Culito wrote: Here's the real fix! :D
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=508524

Oh god! why?

I paid to remove those horrible ugly things from my bus, they look terrible, and aren't adjustable at all.

the horror... the horror...

Pretty sure that's a joke.... :D

Thu Sep 06, 2012 9:35 pm

turkis-deluxe wrote: abritinthebay wrote: Culito wrote: Here's the real fix! :D
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=508524

Oh god! why?

I paid to remove those horrible ugly things from my bus, they look terrible, and aren't adjustable at all.

the horror... the horror...

Pretty sure that's a joke.... :D
I can't believe they're 100 bucks a pair!

Fri Sep 07, 2012 4:35 am

I just had to JB weld mine again. Hopefully get another year out of it. Eventually i need to find an original one....

Fri Sep 07, 2012 6:24 am

Thanks for the tip.....it worked on the ones I bought from Koch's.

Fri Sep 07, 2012 7:37 am

are the wolfsburgwest round mirrors still good quality?; anyone bought some recently and can comfirm?

i bought a set about 4 years ago and i really like them.

Sat Sep 08, 2012 5:45 am

Augsburg57 wrote: Update to my earlier post. Wolfsburg West shows in their recent newsletter an elephant ear mirror that appears to have the correct construction so as not to wobble. See link:
http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsList.cfm?ID=211857513BSL&AD=Wired_09_12

The WW photo shows the three screw fasteners attaching the arm to the mirror - just like the original VW product and the West Coast Metric mirror that has been successful for me.

i think i am going to buy a pair of these. thanks for the link 8)

Sat Sep 08, 2012 8:44 pm

StockNazi wrote: are the wolfsburgwest round mirrors still good quality?; anyone bought some recently and can comfirm?

i bought a set about 4 years ago and i really like them.

I bought a set and installed them just 2 weeks ago. No fixing required. Very nice set of mirrors.

Sun Sep 09, 2012 10:31 pm

scottvw wrote: Thanks for the tip.....it worked on the ones I bought from Koch's.

My pleasure. :)