47-55.1 Best Location for External Mirrors

[Driver_WT]

I have purchased after market swan neck side mirrors with 4" round head and about 6" swan neck bracket. Where is the best location for mounting these mirrors?

Thanks.

Wade

[vintovka]

I tried these on my 54AD. No matter where wife held them on to test i could not safely see. That and where i thought they might just work, the vent windows were in the way. Many use them i cannot. Suggest you try before you buy.

[Driver_WT]

Originally Posted by vintovka

Suggest you try before you buy.

Too late for that

[vintovka]

Originally Posted by Driver_WT

Too late for that

Yup i have a brand new pair in the garage as well. They look great but are near impossible for me to use safely. Link below has some pics of what i used. Even with big ones the small convex mirrors are a must due to todays crazy drivers.

[Tempest67]

I struggled trying to find mirrors that I liked. I did not want the 'Big Rig' mirrors, but I also did not want the 'Peep' mirrors.

I decided on these from Speedway, I think they look good, but they do not work well. The Passenger side will not adjust enough to see down the side of the truck, but the driver's side is OK.

I find myself using the interior mirror the most.

Mine is a 5 window (which I don't prefer), but I will say that the visibility is good.

Please post pics of what you have

[vintovka]

GM engineers did not mount factory mirrors on AD doors for a reason. The advent of wing vents kinda sealed the deal. Going from 3 to 5 window cabs may have been for safety as well.

[Chopped53]

I mounted mine right at the corner of the window. I went with the straight arm option because it pushes the mirror a little farther away from the body and greatly improves visibility. I removed the vent mirror when I chopped it. This mirror is absolutely essential when I drive. The blind spot is massive and shoulder checking isn't really possible.

[Driver_WT]

Originally Posted by vintovka

Yup i have a brand new pair in the garage as well. They look great but are near impossible for me to use safely. Link below has some pics of what i used. Even with big ones the small convex mirrors are a must due to todays crazy drivers.

Thanks. Looks like you used peep mirrors - I have a set of those too from another project.

[_Ogre]

you could always make your own...
truk has a side mount spare that is 4" wider than the stock spare
all i saw was tire or the lane beside me, needed the head moved out 2"
i cut out the rough shape, used a flap wheel to shape it, tig welded the arm on
and polished up nice and purty

[_Ogre]

base is 3/8" stainless w/ 1/2" ss rod, i can see my garage door frame now
originally i went out 3" and it looked goofy, so i cut an inch off the rod

[vintovka]

Originally Posted by Driver_WT

Thanks. Looks like you used peep mirrors - I have a set of those too from another project.

I took those off early on due to a near accident and replaced them with 4x6 rectangles on factory mounts. Small peeps can be dangerous and smart folks at Police and Insurance have told me so. These are current pics:

[edgeleycanuck]

Question. I know this may upset some but.....have some of you used cameras and a display in place of mirrors? My truck does not have corner windows and I'm really looking for options...

[vintovka]

Originally Posted by edgeleycanuck

Question. I know this may upset some but.....have some of you used cameras and a display in place of mirrors? My truck does not have corner windows and I'm really looking for options...

Interesting idea and technologically feasible. I know many new cars have 360 viewing. This is often linked to collision avoidance features which would be really handy for Old trucks and old folks like me.

[MiraclePieCo]

Upgrading to 5-inch convex mirror heads does a lot to improve visibility.

Panel truck side visibility is horrific, so I fabricated my own mirrors with 5" convex heads and can see perfectly safely.

[Driver_WT]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

base is 3/8" stainless w/ 1/2" ss rod, i can see my garage door frame now
originally i went out 3" and it looked goofy, so i cut an inch off the rod

Very nice. Not sure I am as talented as OGRE!

[Driver_WT]

Originally Posted by MiraclePieCo

Upgrading to 5-inch convex mirror heads does a lot to improve visibility.

Panel truck side visibility is horrific, so I fabricated my own mirrors with 5" convex heads and can see perfectly safely.

Where did you get the 5" mirror heads? Thanks.

[Tempest67]

that is some nice fab work Ogre, well done.............. or is that OGRE ?

[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by Driver_WT

Very nice. Not sure I am as talented as OGRE!

not much talent involved, more like a grinder with cutoff wheel and flap wheel

[mr48chev]

I bought a set of swan necks for the 48 off Ebay a few years back and am not sure exactly where I am gong to mount them. I've been bouncing back and forth between the way chopped53 did his and Tempest67 did his. I don't have wing windows so that isn't an issue.

If I didn't put them on the .50 table at the last swap meet I sold at I probably have a half dozen peep mirrors in my jjunk boxes that I have picked up over the years, tired and tossd in the junk box. I've never found any yet that held steady at road speed on either my 48 or my old 51 Merc.

[28TudorAZ]

I used 57 Chevy Truck mirrors on mine. They actually worked pretty good. They are way out of the way too.

[MiraclePieCo]

Originally Posted by Driver_WT

Where did you get the 5" mirror heads? Thanks.

I got mine used at a swap meet, but they're available at most any auto parts store.

Originally Posted by 28TudorAZ

I used 57 Chevy Truck mirrors on mine. They actually worked pretty good. They are way out of the way too.

Those look really good. It always bugged me that factory AD outside mirrors are different right and left.

[Driver_WT]

Originally Posted by 28TudorAZ

I used 57 Chevy Truck mirrors on mine. They actually worked pretty good. They are way out of the way too.

Thanks. Nice looking truck.

[72Mountaineer]

Originally Posted by 28TudorAZ

I used 57 Chevy Truck mirrors on mine. They actually worked pretty good. They are way out of the way too.

Having no wing windows is an advantage.

[vintovka]

Originally Posted by 28TudorAZ

I used 57 Chevy Truck mirrors on mine. They actually worked pretty good. They are way out of the way too.

Probably the best alternative, You may need bigger mirrors as time goes by, i know it do,

[PDW HOTRODS]

I have used the swan neck mirrors on 2 Ad trucks. I had the same problem with the passenger side. I ground the mounting surface and changed the angle leaning it back a little. Then it worked good.