Dreaded Visor Droop Analysis

[deadeye95]

My driver's side visor had been drooping in the dangerous and annoying '45 degrees from the headliner' position for about a year now. Before I went and plunked 80 bucks down for another that would outlast the car, I gave one last try to try and make mine last with a durable repair.

Two screws hold the visor and hanger to the roof. After removing these and lowering the assembly, I find that the small wires to my vanity mirror light have been broken by the poor design of the snap on elbow that hides them in the hanger. Naturally, too close to the edge of the visor to splice them.

The hanger can be pulled from the visor and looks to be held in by a rubber donut that fits in the groove at the end of the spline. There is a flat space on the spline that holds the follower/tensioner device in the visor when it "parks" level with the headliner. This flat area had lost the bottom edge and therefore its ability to hold the visor level. Some loss in diameter of the spline was also evident.

I see no way of building up this plastic spline to proper dimensions with adhesive or other material as the stresses would just crack it off.

On a brighter note, I used a piece of 1/2" heat shrinkable tubing to cover the defective areas in the spline and carefuly twisted it back together. As of now I don't know why, but the visor is holding (after 1 day)!! If it proves durable, I have about 5 cars worth of tubing (for right visor, left visor, and 1 screw up) that I can send to willing others to test this.

On with the durability testing...........

[CGLathrop]

Only 80 bucks for a new visor?? where did you find that good of a deal? Last time I checked a drivers side visor was about $105 at subaruparts.com. If you have a source, could you let me know please.. I need a new one too..

Thanks
Chris

[sbkim]

So far, I've taken even a cheaper/uglier route of attaching some velcros to hold mine up. Are there any other solutions???

[eddycat2000]

Originally posted by sbkim
So far, I've taken even a cheaper/uglier route of attaching some velcros to hold mine up. Are there any other solutions???

Now this is just a theory, (mine were both drooping when I bought the car so my wife being parts manager got them at cost and we had them thrown in the deal), but I was thinking of a fix I used to do on GM's. What I used to do was drill a *very* small hole through the works and install a tiny roll pin. I worked every time and was a permanent fix. Like I say, I've never tried it on a Subaru, but what the heck, you aren't going to hurt anything right?;)

[deadeye95]

Got it, the roll pin takes the place of the bottom edge of the flat "parking area" on the spindle that has been worn away!

My heat shrink idea is still holding, but possibly only because the tubing bunched up when it was jammed in again. I question the durability of this friction fit. Will try the roll pin fix, hopefully tomorrow.

You are correct about my dedication to this project, before I began I had already committed to the $80 (now $105 - thanks) replacement. I'm ready to set fire to this thing if necessary.

[Aredubjay]

Originally posted by deadeye95
Got it, the roll pin takes the place of the bottom edge of the flat "parking area" on the spindle that has been worn away!

My heat shrink idea is still holding, but possibly only because the tubing bunched up when it was jammed in again. I question the durability of this friction fit. Will try the roll pin fix, hopefully tomorrow.

You are correct about my dedication to this project, before I began I had already committed to the $80 (now $105 - thanks) replacement. I'm ready to set fire to this thing if necessary.

Deadeye, please take pics or, draw a diagram of this fix. I have an extra "non drooping" driver's visor that I'm getting ready to install for Autofest -- but, still need to fix the "Wifey's" -- It didn't droop until I started taking her with me on meets. :D

[nubs]

Deadeye, I don't know exactly how you did your visor fix,but I did mine with shrink tubing about a year ago. Mine is still holding the same as the first day it was done.

[nvrmore100]

My plan on fixing mine is to buy them off a guy with a 92 smashed SVX who's visors don't sag. I keep you guys posted on how my fix works out. ;)

Ryan

[Szalkerous]

*laughs hysterically*

HAHA! I am not the only one with this problem! I'm NOT crazy! ehehehahahahohohoo The visors DO droop down! THey doubted me, but I told them!! *bubbles off into insane laughter* up, down, up, down, up, down....

[Aredubjay]

Originally posted by Szalkerous
*laughs hysterically*

HAHA! I am not the only one with this problem! I'm NOT crazy! ehehehahahahohohoo The visors DO droop down! THey doubted me, but I told them!! *bubbles off into insane laughter* up, down, up, down, up, down....

"They're coming to take him away heehee, the're coming to take him away haha, to the funny farm where life is beautiful all the time and he'll be happy to see those fine young men in their clean white coats and they're coming to take him away hahaaaaaa!" No Szalk, you're not crazy. :D

[nvrmore100]

Just an update. My amazing replace them with non-drooping ones worked great. :D

Now I don't have to worry about scalping myself if I get in a minor fender bender.

Ryan

[cocacola08]

Originally posted by nvrmore100
Just an update. My amazing replace them with non-drooping ones worked great. :D

Now I don't have to worry about scalping myself if I get in a minor fender bender.

Ryan

AHHHH that's cheating. Have to fix them, not rplace!!!

that's not fair.:D:D:D

[nvrmore100]

Heheh, but they were cheap. Paid like $30 for the pair of them. :D

Ryan

[nvrmore100]

Oh and I have some droopy project visors for sale if anyone is interested. ;)

Ryan

[Jamsvx]

$105US dollars for a visor!!!:eek:

Thats about $220 Australian........that buys a nice pair of sunglasses!

:D

Jamsvx

*my Camry visors don't droop, nah nah nah na!!!*

Sorry, I had to make myself feel better...I so much want to be able to share the experience of headlight fog/rear light leak/visor droop/tranny gone!!:D

[Aredubjay]

Originally posted by Jamsvx
$105US dollars for a visor!!!:eek:

Thats about $220 Australian........that buys a nice pair of sunglasses!

:D

Jamsvx

*my Camry visors don't droop, nah nah nah na!!!*

Sorry, I had to make myself feel better...I so much want to be able to share the experience of headlight fog/rear light leak/visor droop/tranny gone!!:D

Patience, my son. You too will one day be one of the few, the proud, the broke. :D

[cocacola08]

Originally posted by Aredubjay


Patience, my son. You too will one day be one of the few, the proud, the broke. :D

don't forget confused, frustrated

[nvrmore100]

Originally posted by cocacola08


don't forget confused, frustrated

...ready to kick it to the curb, yet have this compelling urge to continually throw money at it.... :D

Ryan

[visionaut]

Hi, new here - looks like you folks are as crazy about your SVX's as I am. Cool.

Here's my solution. My visors did the 'droop' thing a few years ago. (I'm an original '92 SVX owner). I gasped at the replacement costs myself, so I came up with a simple fix. No drilling, no part mods. I cut some material (originally plastic, now some nice polished sheet metal) into the size of a credit card. Bent it [ ~ ], into a kindof a lazy s-shape. Slip one end between the vinyl headliner side pieces and the headliner along above the doors, and the other side (the lower part of the ~ ) holds up the visor. Easy to pull 'em out when I want to put the visors down. Made opposite side similar (but opposite - duh...).

[Landshark]

"So far, I've taken even a cheaper/uglier route of attaching some velcros to hold mine up. Are there any other solutions???"

if mine droop, i was thinking the above, shrink tubing, or some kind of magnet/metal doodad. i WON'T be spending over $100 to fix a freakin' droopy visor!

[I_Alcyone_I]

I'm in the process of creating an internal battery pack for the visor. I'll let you know how it goes. I think the major part that is going to make this impossible is the extra weight of the battery will cause the visor to droop even more.

[Jamsvx]

Originally posted by Aredubjay


Patience, my son. You too will one day be one of the few, the proud, the broke. :D

Wise words and spot on oh great sage and soothsayer!!

:D

The tranny demons may come to smite me unless I sacrifice wheel bearings and torque converters to them!!

Jamsvx

Proud.....not yet broke.....carries length of finest oregon timber with him (touch wood...lot of wood...geddit???) :D

[I_Alcyone_I]

WEll, my battery idea will have to wait until another day. I don't have any batteries that are small enough to fit inside the visor. I tried a 9 volt and it lit up pretty well but it was too fat to fit inside. So I just re-wired the whole thing instead.