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Good afternoon, is their a way to swap out the small door mirrors for the larger style "tow style" mirrors and use the same mounting holes from the smaller mirrors? I posted a pic of my truck with the small mirrors.
No not really, the type 5 small mirrors two current mount holes do not really line up with the type 2, 3, 11 or 12 tow mirrors mount holes. You might be able to reuse ONE hole, but then the mirror might be mounted to far fwd or rear ward. And then it is drill time.
Some type 9's might be close enough to reuse one hole.
As mentioned above, you're going to be drilling if you want to go with the different style mirror. Make a good template, measure 5 times, drill once. Best of luck.
Stock Type 9 mirrors on a '77 F-150. You can maybe see or imagine the slightly larger polished plates under the mirror bases, used stainless steel bolts that thread in the doors to some steel I welded 1/4-20 nuts to, but some guys use threaded "nut serts" (like large pop rivet with threads in them) in oversize (near 3/8") holes. The top mount holes are 2-3/4" center to center, the lower mount holes are 2" center to center, arms pretty much in line with window divider.
TheType 9 mirror bases themselves are 1" top to bottom wide, and the upper ones are 3-3/4" long, the lower ones are 3" long.
The added plates, they are 1/4" larger than the mirror mount bases at the the top edge, and on each end, with rounded (1/2" radius) corners but flush along the bottom edge. That means the top ones are 4-1/4" long and the lower ones are 3-1/2" long. I have gaskets there under the added plates too. The plates are 1-1/4" top to bottom wide. The added base plates are polished and blend well enough
Don't know how that sets with the holes you'll have removing the smaller mirrors, but they might cover? Just an idea.
Pardon the rain drops.
Last edited by tbear853; Sep 17, 2024 at 01:30 PM.
Reason: measured them
Type 5 mount holes are wider (spaced apart) further than type 9 mirror. Like 6" wide for a type 5. And they are in a different place. If you try to reuse at least one hole you might block the vent wing from opening all the way.
Type 5 mirrors.
Type 9 mirrors.
Thankfully I took some info pics a long time ago.
Thats a great idea, I had a similar thought. Did you make the plates yourself?
If asking me .... yes, from 1-1/4" wide aluminum, then polished them. I did them mostly because I had a pair of pop rivets between my mirror mount holes to hold the 3/16"x1" steel strip with welded nuts (tapped the holes too) in place inside the door .... and I cut some plastic gaskets with holes to clear the heads of the rivets.
Just an idea.
