Hi all,

I don't post much but I do lurk around quite often. I've been part of club4ag ever since I bought my corolla GTS 10 years ago even if my post count doesn't show it. I've also had to deal with the wobbly power mirrors during that time. Since I've probably put about 3000 miles in the last four years, it hasn't bothered me much lately. I'm a mechanical engineer and have access to a few tools where I work right now, specifically in this case, a 3d printer and solidworks 3d CAD.

So back to the purpose of this post. I see undamaged mirrors go for a premium when the only thing that's broken on them is the plastic tab that holds the assembly to the mirror. Many are going the manual mirror route due to this, but I've seen manual mirrors lose their adjustment as well.

My question to everyone is if there's any demand for a cost effective replacement piece or would I be wasting my time? This would not be just a replacement tab to glue on it the existing piece, it will be the complete bottom half that holds the gears and motors in place.

Any thoughts or opinions shared are appreciated and welcomed! Thanks

If it was cost effective, i would be in for a set. Its a pain in the ass, but to me it never warranted mirror replacement

ToeKnee805 wrote:If it was cost effective, i would be in for a set. Its a pain in the ass, but to me it never warranted mirror replacement

It's not a mirror replacement per se, but a replacement for the piece that houses the gears and motor in the mirror assembly. I think a picture would make it clearer. Notice on the left side, the tab is broken. Which is the REAL reason why any mirror wobbles. The whole piece pictured is what I'd be making.

I'd be in for the right price.

Do it up man!

3d scan and print the prototype and check it out

Alright cool! Definitely will have to look into it further and see how it turns out. I don't have a 3d scanner, but from what I've seen small details are more difficult to make out. I'll keep everyone updated as I go forward!

if you can get it done i would be in for a set or 2

ga_goosh wrote:if you can get it done i would be in for a set or 2

Great! I'm working on this on my spare time so progress is a little slow, but not stopped. I should be able to have a prototype made and tested within the next couple of weeks. I'll update this thread as I progress forward.

ga_goosh wrote:if you can get it done i would be in for a set or 2

x2!

this sounds really interesting! any instructions on how to take apart the side mirrors safely? I'd like to check my mirrors out as they also suffer from a little bit of wobble.

Yes i am in need of one of them for sure. Depending on the price possibly two.

Any updates on the progress? I am also interested in a set.

Sorry everyone! I've been MIA. I was able to successfully replicate and strengthen the weak part of the slot. Unfortunately vibration is still present, albeit SIGNIFICANTLY less, so I have to do more R&D to find the root cause. Unfortunately, progress is super slow. I've moved on to another job and consumes most of my time, so finding access to a good 3d printer is much more difficult. I'm not giving up though!

very interesting. any progress?

Any update on this? I know this several years old. With 3d printers being Way more common now I think this a viable option now

yeah dope concept!

Just to let you know, this is common on all JDM 90s power mirrors. They all get loose and vibrate themselves until the plastic tabs break loose.

That being said, I'd definitly be interested, but opening up the mirrors is also a delicate process which can produce results much worse than the initial problem.

Just my 4 cents.