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Mirror Won’t Tighten?

Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2021 11:20 pm
by dank_nipples
I have a 2014 Forza 300 and my mirror is floppy and loose. I had ridden it to and from work a couple days before I found it and I had no issues with it. I suspect my wife might have done something to it after trying and failing to get the bike back on the center stand after she had moved it in the garage, although she claims she only grabbed the handlebars and not the mirror post; however I remain skeptical.

I am wondering what my options are as it is not functioning as it is, and if I try to tighten it, it gets tight about 1/4 turn in the hole too early and then passes back to floppy.

Is it stripped? Is there any hope of having a tight mirror again without using JB weld? It looks like there is some sort of collared nut and then another nut stacked on that on the mirror post that I could potentially adjust to get more or less threads on the post to make it work, but I can’t get either of them to budge. I tried to use some gas line thread tape to make it tighter and it works OK for buzzing around my neighborhood and stuff but it’s not perfect and there is no way it will stand up to 75 MPH on the interstate without flopping.

Any input anyone has would be appreciated!

Re: Mirror Won’t Tighten?

Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2021 3:02 am
by canthai
Loctite 442 will do it

Re: Mirror Won’t Tighten?

Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2021 5:01 am
by Jge64
You are correct in that the collar can be adjusted so that it tightens once you get a few threads into the hole, the collar may be a reverse thread, meaning to loosen you’d go clockwise .....put a pair of vise grips on it and try that before you start using using products in the hole like JB Weld.

Re: Mirror Won’t Tighten?

Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2021 7:25 am
by gn2
Here's how you're supposed to fit and adjust mirrors.
The mirror stem has a thread and a nut on it.
With the mirror taken off the bike:
Put the nut as far up the stem as it will go.
Next:
Screw the mirror stem into the mount hole as far as it can go then unscrew it to position the mirror arm where you want it to be, usually at 90 degrees to bike centreline works best.
Once you have done that, hold the mirror stem and screw the nut down the stem to lock it in place.

Re: Mirror Won’t Tighten?

Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2021 9:31 am
by Mel46
Pull the mirror completely off. Then look at the threads. If they are stripped there should be a service somewhere that can re-thread it. Once that is done you may need a washer and some Loctite, but it should be fine. (I am assuming that the loose area has a bolt, not the top area that can't be tightened. Picture of the mirror after you have pulled it???)

Re: Mirror Won’t Tighten?

Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2021 9:58 am
by gn2
If the threads on the mirror stem are trashed, throw the mirror in the bin and get a pair of CB500X mirrors, they're the same shape with longer stems giving a better rearwards view.
If the thread in the mount hole is stripped it can be helicoil repaired.

Re: Mirror Won’t Tighten?

Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2021 11:32 am
by dank_nipples
Thanks for all the replies. None of the threads appear to be stripped on either side as far as I can tell, but I’m wondering if the last thread right up to the adjuster nut might be stripped and that’s why I can’t turn it.

Re: Mirror Won’t Tighten?

Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2021 12:20 pm
by dank_nipples
I am happy to report I got it tightened back down. The “collar” screws into the hole normally and is actually what the mirror post screws into, and then the mirror post and the nut are backwards threaded which explains why I couldn’t get it undone yesterday. Just took two 14mm wrenches one to hold the collar and the other to tighten down nut. Thank you to everyone that replied!