Rear view mirror adhesive

[Zero]

Is there anything on the market that is worth the money?

I have an old truck and my wife's daily driver, both rear view mirrors have fallen (and can't get up) I purchased one kit from NAPA and one from Advance, neither of these adhesives held at all.....mirrors back on the floor.

I followed the directions to the letter and they just weren't worth the money. Anything out there reliable, what type of adhesive do the GM factories use? It seems as if the factory adhesive lasts for years before letting go.

Ideas?

 

[aws]

Went through the same thing. Ended up going to Apple auto glass charged me 10 bucks was worth it!

 

[yonyon]

Both Permatex and Loctite offer some very good stuff that works 100% of the time. There are really three main problems to look out for:

-Single use packaging (not the big spray can and squeezy bottle) can't tolerate extended storage. If you're buying the one-time use stuff, you need a fresh one. Old stuff won't work. This means that any stuff you buy on sale probably won't work because it wouldn't likely be on sale if it was moving well.

-Quality of prep. work is essential. The glass is pretty easy to clean. Scrape it and then wipe it. The metal mounting foot should be mechanically cleaned with such as a wire wheel or sandpaper and then cleaned with solvent.

-It's easy to botch the setting and curing. Once you put that metal foot in place, it needs to remain in place without moving at all until the adhesive sets. If it slips on you once 5 seconds in, don't dismiss that and assume it will work anyway. It won't.

I like to give it a full day before hanging the mirror. Call me old fashioned if you like.

 

[Garak]

Follow yonyon's advice (or take it to the glass shop). The brands he's mentioned have worked very well for me. And all his little tips will help ensure success.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Follow yonyon's advice (or take it to the glass shop). The brands he's mentioned have worked very well for me. And all his little tips will help ensure success.


Mine fell off after I got a new windshield from a glass shop a few months later. I was going to take it back to the glass shop, but stopped in Autozone and picked up some glue, I think it was a two part glue you had to mix, one shot use. So far it's still holding up and I think it cost me $2.

 

[Merkava_4]

Believe it or not, the best rear view mirror adhesive I've found is the General Electric 100% silicone. It bonds that metal tab to the glass very well. Just make sure both surfaces are completely clean first. Rubbing alcohol should do it.

 

[Garak]

That was my preferred option, Wolf359 (a Trek fan, too, I see). Of course, at the glass shop, if the person isn't doing it right or is taking shortcuts, it won't work.

With taxis and personal vehicles, I found the branded glues worked very well when used correctly. And yes, it's much cheaper than the glass shop and less of a hassle.

 

[charbaby]

I've tried those inexpensive adhesive from the parts stores and all have failed. I just take my vehicles to the local glass shop and have them do it. It's cheap and it's a one time deal!

 

[zzyzzx]

I just reguled one yesterday, using a Permatex kit from Walmart that cost me $2. I am letting it cure for probably a week before I bother tp put on the mirror. For the most part, all the products for this get 3.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon, with a lot admitting having better success on the second try due to insufficient prep or glue.

 

[Zero]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Believe it or not, the best rear view mirror adhesive I've found is the General Electric 100% silicone. It bonds that metal tab to the glass very well. Just make sure both surfaces are completely clean first. Rubbing alcohol should do it.


This worked!

I cleaned the glass with Goop-Off, used the GE 100% silicone to adhere the "medallion" to the glass, waited one week and hung the mirror. BINGO!

 

[y_p_w]

I reattached mine after it fell off quickly after getting my windshield replaced. The job on the windshield sealing was pretty good, but for some reason the mirror fell off. I scraped off as much of the exiting glue as possible with a pocket knife off both the windshield mounting surface (it was black and shaped exactly to fit the mount) as well as the surface of the mount. It didn't look like a brand new surface, but it worked. I used a $2.50 Permatex mounting kit, and it's been on for about a good 7 years.