Others have posted this info on FTE before, but here it is with good illustrations.


http://www.linquist.net/motorsports/tech/mirrors/

 

That might be okay for a car, but, it would be a good way to have an accident in a high COG truck or van where you have to be able to see the car down there "somewhere" next to your sheetmetal between the front and rear wheel wells.

 

Good point, but I'm sure it is intended for cars. Works in my pickup too.

 

Is it somehow too difficult nowdays to just look over ones shoulder when there is reason for concern? Peoples vision, when used intelligently, allows them to make pretty good decisions based on their observations.

 

why, as a matter of fact, yes it is. with the new in a rush always late lifestyle of the general public, the extra effort needed to turn your head for that fraction of a second may burn 2 or 3 very important calories, causing your obese body to go into an under-nourished state, which may in turn cause you to black out from lack of said nourishment, causing you to possibly get into an accident when you reach for the twinkie to replace those dreaded lost calories.

 

I simply make my mirrors work as one big panoramic picture.

 

I use Cowboy's method. Look around, it's not that difficult. I'd never trust just what I saw in my mirrors at a highway on or off ramp, amongst other places.

RP
Zach

 

I use the method BDOX posted. It works very well. I also turn my head to double check. Thing is now, I don't have to. So in an emergency situation, I can rely on a glance at the mirror to know if I can evade in that direction.


It would work in larger vehicles IF the third mirror can be used to see the middle of the picture. In a cargo van or a loaded truck with no rear view, it won't work very well. In that case I would adjust the mirrors in and use some fish-eyes to see the blind spots.

 

on large trucks you want the mirrors out as far as you can get them, not in. when the mirror is in, you see the side of the truck, and nothing else. when the mirror bracket is out at a 90º angle to the truck, you will see the back corner of the truck, and what is behind the truck also. for along side of you, you use spot mirrors. i use a spot on each door mirror, and one on each side all the way up front mounted on fender sticks. with this mirror setup, the only blind spots, are in front of my radiator, in a taper to a point about 8 feet off the bumper, and directly behind me, in a taper to a point about 8 foot off the tailgate.