Looking for door-off mirrors

Viking Jeeper

Viking Jeeper

2A Supporter
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2019
Messages
3,827
Location
Jacksonville FL
Took my doors off this weekend and now I'm back to searching for mirrors and would like some input. I really think I want to stick to mirrors that go in the door hinge but they have so many bad reviews. I actually ordered some from Amazon last year that had an extra arm on to make a triangle so they would not vibrate as much. They were rusting out of the box and the threaded rod was big enough that my door hinge inserts needed to be removed and I cant get them out (another project). So I sent them back and drove for a while without mirrors. Need some help! What works for you? I've seen some posts about a cheap mirror from an auto parts store that was somewhat modified but cant find it.
 
I have a pair of Rugged Ridge Quick Release mirrors & they're great, though at highway speed they tend to collapse in unless I remember to really tighten the nut down. Here's a link, though I don't think I paid nearly that much:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VK4H7E2/?tag=wranglerorg-20

81643
81644
 
  • Like
Reactions: primetime4
I got these off Amazon and have been happy with them. Minimal vibrations, can see both mirrors easily from drivers seat. I put a small collar on the mirror shaft to limit how far them inserted, so the angled arm didn't dig into the bushing and hinge when tightening down. I also put a nylon washer and lock nut on the bottom.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012IEI1H4/?tag=wranglerorg-20


81665
81666
81667
81668
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kiwi TJ, DaYooperTransplant and Mikester86
I ended up making my own that mount to the lower windshield hinge.
81676


The body mount is the Rugged Ridge mirror relocation bracket. The mirrors are the common CJ style and the arms are bent conduit.

Then I added convex mirrors to both sides.
81678


These have worked just about perfectly for several years.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TJRick and Kiwi TJ
I have ones similar to jjvw. I cut about 4" off the vehicle side of the arm and re drilled them. Less leverage to push them back on the interstate and fewer problems with limbs in the woods. Better looking too imo.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Mikester86 and jjvw
At first, I bought mirrors very similar to, if not actually, the Rigged Ridge mirrors. The driver side stayed in place much better than the passenger side. I tried them with the doors on and couldn't get the passenger side in a position to be viewed very well from the driver seat.

At the Bantam Jeep Fest I found a set that fit the hinges and had magnets to hold them in place. They are very good mirrors and I paid $105 for the set.
81688


I couldn't remember the brand name but here they are, well here are the mounting legs anyway. Not sure why no mirrors. https://www.extremeterrain.com/steinjager-magnetic-mirror-legs-black-9706-tj.html
 
I have the same rugged ridge mirrors but mount them using hex bolts instead of the twist knobs to keep them tight.

The passenger side is harder to see but works fine with a convex mirror attached to it.
 
Mirror Mover brackets like you can find online, Rugged Ridge, Quadratec, etc. work very well. Thet get mounted to the windshield hinge and give a place to move the OE factory mirror to when the doors are off.

81752
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kiwi TJ, Camdenst and JLLJ
Never knew purchasing mirrors for a '99 vehicle could be this difficult.

I purchased this mirror off of Amazon. Like the product image below, the packaging clearly shows the mirror mounted on the passenger side. Yet the direction state the set-up is for either driver or passenger side. Clearly this is not the case. On the driver side, the arm points downward if the mirror is to be mounted on the flat side of the arm. I flip the arm over and try mounting the mirror to the 'back side' of the arm and the darned thing's all wonky. Even adjusting the three screws at the back I cannot swivel the mirror's arm to a position that works for my line of sight.

There's an $8 charge for returning the POS. I called the manufacturer and they basically admitted the arm is not compatible, wait 30 days (past the Amazon window of return policy) and deal with them directly. What's the point by then!

I'm seriously considering purchasing those long arm Harley mirrors for my purposes, though.



98661
 
A couple of things I would note. This mirror is intended to fit TJs and JKs but I would say the arm angle is probably better suited for JKs. What I suspect is that the JK windshield rake is greater than on the TJ so I can barely get it into a viewable position on my driver side. Passenger is worse so what I had to do is install a set of convex mirrors to get a decent viewing angle and it works.

In general, I do not think any of these mirrors are precision engineered accessories not that, that is any kind of excuse. I think the thought behind these mirror options is just to be minimally legal and it's up to the owner to make it work to their satisfaction.

But if you are dissatisfied with them, select one of the Amazon return options that does not charge you a shipping fee like item arrived broken and send them back. No need to pay the fee if they don't work for you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: H_E_H
True. I completely understand the mirrors aren't to be of high end quality. I don't plan to drive doorless a whole lot of the time and really just need something serviceable. I may go with some motorcycle mirrors next.

Regarding returning - Ah, that makes sense. I did try Return and Refund, but I went with another option and there was no shipping charge. Very insightful. Thank you, primetime4!
 
One other tip is if you look closely at the TJ instructions, the recommendation is to mount them to the windshield hinge below the windshield frame. This position along with the rake mentioned above makes the angle not only hard to get right but also too low on the passenger side to see at all. Instead, I mounted mine above onto the windshield frame itself. This puts the passenger side high enough to be seen through the window when doors are on. I have to remove the whole mount when removing my hard doors (sometimes) but I only do it twice a year so not a huge deal.
 
Initially I tried installing them on the upper mounting bolt area, but the bracket's holes do not align with those two holes.
 
Top Bottom
Back