Installation Guide for GMC truck side view mirror glass

Read this page and learn how to install your GMC truck mirror glass only product

Its always such a hassle when you break your side view mirror. I myself have hit many a mailbox in my day that cracked the truck mirror or the mirror assembly. Lots of people think they have to go to the dealership to get the whole assembly. In some cases you have to, but most of the time its just the glass itself that is broken. Why spend $550.00 dollars and up to have it replace the assembly by the dealer or a  when you can fix it yourself easily and affordably.

Did you know that a truck mirror is not regular mirror glass. Its actually a dual mirror. That means both sides of the glass is mirror. The reason for this is to cut the glare and reflective properties that you don't need when its late at night and the truck in the other lane is blazing the lights in your eyes. However GMC trucks, and many other truck manufactures  have created an electrochromatic mirrors. In this option, the glass is actually a liquid that dims and heats the mirror. Due to the high costs of this mirror, we have the option of selling an electrochromatic fit over mirror. This is a mirror that fits over the old broken glass. The self dimming option will no longer function, but in most cases you will need to replace the whole housing in order to get your OEM product to work, and unfortunately almost all dealers only have the housing available for 300-500 dollars.  Also in later years many manufactures made side view truck mirrors that were electro chromatic using and electrical charge using copper oxide. As year go by, they turned rust in color or black. So the fit over glass is an inexpensive option for these items, for at least until the junk yards have these in stock for a reasonable price.  So be aware of this feature when you order.

Did you ever notice that the passenger side mirror always has the "objects are closer" text on the mirror. This mirror is designed this way to increase your field of vision and to eliminate the blind spot problem. Its always a good thing to replace that with a convex mirror glass verses a normal mirror. Don't substitute this as one day it might save your life.

A side view mirror is made of 1/8 inch curved chrome mirror properties. This mirror is actually translucent. Meaning that light will travel through and absorb the light from the truck behind you at night. USA Dot Standards require this mirror to absorb 40 to 60 percent of light.  We only sell mirrors that conform with DOT standards. Our mirrors are made in the USA. Beware of the 9 dollar mirror that you are seeing on sale these days on the internet, as these mirrors do not conform to USA standards. Truck or Truck mirrors should be installed using the truck mirror to a plastic frame plate. Without this plastic frame the glass has nothing to rest into the truck mirror housing. We do not suggest the use of normal bathroom silicone adhesive, which everyone has laying around at somewhere in their house or apartment. Latex type silicone does adhere well to glass, but does to the plastic frame. We suggested using a construction silicone which is non latex based.  If you don't have any then get a small tube at your local hardware store, or order the tube online with us.

How to remove and replace your truck mirror from the frame

Now how do you remove that old mirror to get the new one in. Well, you first must breakdown the mirror from the plate called a frame. One simple way to do this is to get a flat strong instrument like a wide screw driver or a automotive scraper. Not many of you have the scraper, but when you go to our page we could sell you one. Its a nice thing to have around your toolbox. Now to loosen the adhesive from the plate you must apply some heat. Ideally a propane torch is good, but if you have the wife's hairdryer or a heat gun that will also work. Heat up the mirror enough so you can get the screwdriver or the scraper under the mirror and pull all the broken pieces off. Make sure you are wearing gloves and protective eyewear, and after the side view mirror glass is removed, make sure all the mirror and adhesive is clean off the framed plate.

 Many of you have heating elements behind the mirror. Best way to remove the heating element from the truck mirror is not to make the mirror too hot. This will melt your heating element. This is the time to use the hair dryer warming up the mirror side, and taking a square utility razor, start at the corner, and slowly peal the element off the mirror. You may be able to save this heating element. Although difficult, TAKE YOUR TIME removing the broken mirror from the heating element which is attached to the mirror using a sticky adhesive. If that stick adhesive is no longer sticky, then use the silicone around the edge of the heating element onto the mirror, let it dry 24 hours then go to the next step.

  Once you have removed your side view mirror from the frame, you now need to , apply the glue to the black frame. Apply the glue outward so it extends past the lip of the frame. I call this the snow cone effect. Glue it in 5 spots. One in the middle and 4 in the middle corners.  Don't get too close to the frames edge, as it will ooze out of the frame, making a mess. So use small dabs of the adhesive 3/8" inch wide by 1/2" outwards. Remember you are not installing a windshield that requires a strong adhesive. Once you have adhered the mirror to the plate, get some easily removable tape, like masking tape, and tape the mirror around the mirror housing so that the mirror will not slide off the frame. This will also allow you to drive. Keep the tape on for 24 hours for cold climates and 5 hours in warm until the glue dries.

Installing a Electrochromatic Self Dimming Fit Over Truck mirror.

As previously stated, many truck manufactures have created what is known as a self dimming mirror. We do not sell a mirror that self dims. We do however sell mirrors that will fit over your existing self dimming mirror. For more information, please refer to the top of this page. To apply a self dimming mirror is simple. You DO NOT remove the old glass from the frame as these mirror are fused to the frame plate. When buying a self dimming fit over mirror from us, you should do the following. On the old mirror, take the silicone glue, and dot the old mirror every 1/4 x 1/4 inch 1/2 inch from the frames edge. Then take the new mirror place it over the old one, use an easily removable tape, and secure the mirror to the housing for drying. By doing this method, you have created a silicone pad between the two glasses. In many cases even thought the self dimming feature has failed, the heating element behind that mirror will still function, and by transferring the heat through the newly created silicone base onto the new mirror. If you have a self dimming mirror that had liquid come out of the mirror when broken, please clean any oils and dirt from the outer surface and this will prevent the silicone to bond to the plastic. Its best to use a power wash to clean the oil out of the frame.

For more information please click on your GMC or GMC make of truck above where you can order your mirror today. We have almost all truck mirrors in stock and ready to ship. If your looking for just the mirror we are the truck mirror for trucks shopping guide.

We also truckry the rear view mirror. Yes this is the one in your truck that is usually attached to your windshield using a mirror bracket.  We stock 8" and 10" rearview mirrors, both with break away technology or the old break your nose in an accident screw in type. What is the difference in the two. Well the old type mirror bracket used a small screw that when tightened kept the rear view mirror in place. However due to the increased knowledge through crash tests, researchers found that many people sustained facial damage because the mirror didn't move during the tests. Now instead of a screw they more or less slip onto the mirror button, so that god forbid you get into an accident, the mirror will actually breakaway from the windshield or the headliner attachment. Its a really good safely feature. There however is two drawbacks in that they are much more expensive than the standard screw on type, and the other is that there are special tools required in removing it from the windshield without actually breaking away the bracket or breaking the windshield. So before purchasing this item from us, and the tool needed to remove the old one, you might want the local glass expert for replacement of this item. However if you need the old style, they are rather inexpensive to replace. Its always a good idea to replace the old one that might either be cracked or has some serious oxide breakdown.

This page was specifically built for the following GMC truck mirrors.

Blazer side view truck mirror glass, GMC C K Pickup side view truck mirror glass, Caballero side view truck mirror glass, Canyon side view truck mirror glass, GMC Cube Van side view truck mirror glass, Denali side view truck mirror glass, GMC Dump Truck side view truck mirror glass, Envoy side view truck mirror glass, GMC Flat Bed side view truck mirror glass, GMC Jimmy side view truck mirror glass, Jimmy side view truck mirror glass, GMC Pickup side view truck mirror glass, Rally Six side view truck mirror glass, S Series side view truck mirror glass, S-15 Sierra side view truck mirror glass, S 15 Sierra side view truck mirror glass, Safari Van side view truck mirror glass, Safari side view truck mirror glass, Savana side view truck mirror glass, Sierra side view truck mirror glass, Sonoma side view truck mirror glass, GMC Suburban side view truck mirror glass, GMC T Series side view truck mirror glass, Vandura side view truck mirror glass, Yukon side view truck mirror glass, Yukon Denali side view truck mirror glass, GMC Van side view truck mirror glass,