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We've all had it happen. Out of nowhere a big bad boy on a bigger, badder sled whips by yanking the air out of your lungs. Then there's the sickening thought: what if I had stopped suddenly or swung wide to avoid something on the trail?
Of course there are the downsides associated with mirrors: they're ugly, they won't survive a tip-over or roll-over, and they're certain to be busted off by the first wayward tree branch. But consider how much NASCAR and IndyCar drivers rely on them. And any good farm boy will tell you how indispensable mirrors are for backing up and negotiating heavy traffic.
When installing a set of mirrors, pay attention to detail; it is darn near impossible to repair misplaced holes, let alone the decals. Choose a mirror set that has pivoting heads, as these will provide some measure of resilience if you should tip over. Also, pivoting mirror heads let you adjust height for different riders.
Once you select your mirrors, they're relatively easy to install:
1. With the driver seated on the snowmobile to determine the proper line of sight, mark the appropriate spot on either side of the hood. Usea magic marker or metal punch to mark the exact spot for drilling the mounting screw holes; use the rubber base or plastic space plate as your template.
2. With the holes marked, drill for the proper mounting bolt or screw dimension.
3. Place the vibration dampening rubber gasket, smooth side down,over the newly drilled holes, followed by the universal space plate.
4. Insert the machine screws through the space plate and rubbergasket. Tighten the unit down to a snug fit with the appropriate nuts and washers. Do not over tighten; this will cause stress cracks or fractures in the hood, or break the space plate.
5. Fasten the mirrors to the space plate and gasket mounting assembly using tapered head screws.
6. Repeat steps 1 through 5 on opposite side.
Once the mirrors are installed, clean the glass and rub on some anti-fog compound. Frost is a mirror's worst fogging enemy, but if engine heat escapes near the mirrors, fogging can also occur. Speaking of frost, when clearing ol' Jack from the mirrors, be sure to grip the mirror firmly before scraping and use a scraper that is dimensionally correct for the mirror; if the scraper is too big, the sharp edge will cut the rubber mounting. Also when you trailer your snowmobile or put it away for storage, remember to pivot the mirrors toward the hood (some snowmobile covers don't allow room for the mirrors) to avoid damage.