XR4Ti Rear View Mirror Mounting Pad

Post by **anglin** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 1:06 am

All,

Ford mounted the rearview mirror to the XR4Ti windshield by using a piece of double-sided foam tape. The Ford PN is D8RZ-17A720-A (first brought into service in 1978, so it has been around for a while). However, I have found that 3M double-sided foam tape works just fine in mounting mirrors back to the windshield.

Do not scrape the black mounting pad off the windshield!

If a glass repair shop has remounted the mirror with glue, rather than the double-sided foam tape, a crack in the glass will result. The windshield may crack vertically right down the center of the window or it may crack in a bullseye pattern around the mirror base. I've seen both instances.

The problem results from differences in the rates of thermal expansion between the glass and the mirror base. The double-sided foam tape can expand and contract as necessary to accomodate for the temperature changes, but the glued surface cannot.

With the increasing rarity of XR4Ti parts, windshields aren't going to be available forever. Protect yours by properly mounting the rear view mirror. Tape, not glue!

jake · Post by **jake** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:15 pm

Ok, the mirror on my XR is definetly glued. Can any of you reccomend an effective method for removing a glued mirror?

Post by **John Brennan** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 8:49 pm

Talk to a glass shop. If they are competent, they should be familiar with different glues and the solvents or other methods of removal that will be the safest and most effective.

Freejack · Post by **Freejack** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 2:48 pm

If this is a recent repair, I would definitely contact the glass shop that did the work ASAP! They need to correct the situation, or at least be told.

Jake

Post by **Slinky** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 6:34 pm

Just to confirm, is this the tape you are referring to?

3M Scotch 111 Heavy Duty 1-Inch Mounting Squares

http://www.amazon.com/3M-111-Mounting-S ... B0002V28ES

milehighXR · Post by **milehighXR** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 9:09 pm

No 3M super mount tape from Radio Shack. I don't have the Shacks P/N on hand at the moment.

Post by **My87XR4Ti** » Sun Apr 24, 2011 2:36 pm

I am new to this group. Wish I had found this information before I had a windshield put in. And yes the glass shop glued the rear view mirror on and in about 6 months there is a crack down the middle of the windshield and the rear view mirror was on the floor. It did a half moon around the rear view mirror, cracked on the inside, did it from top to bottom. Only response from the glass shop was, if I get a new or another windshield he would put it in for me. Other thing the glass shop did was cut out the outer part of the old rubber for the windshield and put it in like the new vehicles, used urethane and sealed in on, put on some molding that is not like the original.

admiralbrown · Post by **admiralbrown** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 3:59 pm

To Quote "John Brennan"Talk to a glass shop. If they are competent, they should be familiar with different glues and the solvents or other methods of removal that will be the safest and most effective."
The adhesive is a Loctite structural adhesive, I think it is Loctite 312 but don't quote me on that. Because of the thin bond line no solvent can get into the joint to weaken the bond. If you ever bond a metal rear view mirror button onto a windshield upside down the only remedy is to bond a second button onto the first button is the proper orientation. After about a minute trying to pry the button off will result in a broken windshield.
If you do get a replacement windshield it is in your best interest to have the installer write on the work order to use the tape and not the adhesive.

Post by **lowered86** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 1:30 am

I saved this off the MCA mail list.

Radio Shack Part # 64-2361
Hi-Temp/Hi-Strength
Supermount Tape

Dan

KhanTyranitar · Post by **KhanTyranitar** » Wed Aug 29, 2012 7:07 pm

I used some 3M tape that came in a 1" wide roll. I just trimmed off the amount you need. Just make sure you get the permanent 3M tape. Yes, the squares from Radio Shack are perfect, I needed more than that for other projects, so I just got the roll instead.

Post by **Ed Lijewski** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 3:09 pm

[quote="KhanTyranitar"]I used some 3M tape that came in a 1" wide roll. I just trimmed off the amount you need. Just make sure you get the permanent 3M tape. Yes, the squares from Radio Shack are perfect, I needed more than that for other projects, so I just got the roll instead.[/quote]

Radio Shacks no longer stock that Hi-strength Double-sided 3M tape [in my locale.... :( ]

YMMV

KhanTyranitar · Post by **KhanTyranitar** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 12:23 pm

I haven't been driving the car, but turns out the 3m doubles sided tape I used didn't hold. Found the mirror laying on the floor again. Guess I need some stronger tape.

Post by **Ed Lijewski** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 3:11 pm

Happened to me more than once but always when the car was parked so that the WS got a dose of full sun during the day, even though there were 3-4 layers of car covers on it. I bet if you reversed the direction that the WS faces the tape probabky would hold.

YMMV ;-)

KhanTyranitar · Post by **KhanTyranitar** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 1:18 pm

Don't think thats it, the car has never been driven and is parked under a tree. I just need better tape.

In XS 7 · Post by **In XS 7** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 3:20 pm

[quote="lowered86"]I saved this off the MCA mail list.

Radio Shack Part # 64-2361
Hi-Temp/Hi-Strength
Supermount Tape

Dan[/quote]

Thank you Dan.

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