72-CLASSIC_RIDE Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Last year my factory sun visors stitching started separating. I purchased (2) new aftermarket look alikes and they worked fine. I noticed some time after that the Mounts were broken opposite side of tension screws that snug visors. They still held visors fine but decided to replace mounts. When new mounts were installed, I had difficulty getting jaws to close up tight enough around visor rod to hold visor up. I over tightened one trying to snug visor and stripped out screw. I tried a more robust screw on other mount but still allowed visor to fall down. Keeping in mind I used new bushings still would not hold visors up. So, purchased (2) more new mounts and bought new GM replacement visor bushings thinking this was the problem. Nope! Screws would only tighten so far and if I had tried further they were surely going to strip out the threads also. Determined those mount jaw openings did not have the capability to close around visor rod tight enough without damaging mount thread. Thought about using a vise or vice grips to forcefully close jaw but decided risky as may break metal. So ultimately I used a hack saw, cut material away from inside of jaws (weakening) enough to allow jaws to close snugly when tightening tension screws. It worked and mounts did not break. I guess moral of story is no matter how these after market guys talk about how great their product is, they are full of it! Always be prepared to make adjustments / modifications and in fact, expect it. Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam (Bones) Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 remember... aftermarket = headaches...everytime!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72-CLASSIC_RIDE Posted August 25, 2013 Author Share Posted August 25, 2013 Yeah, I'm learning Sam. Every time I buy something for the ole girl and it isn't Factory built, I'm second guessing just what am I going to have to do in order for this to work (even before I get it). Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toppless72 Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 I hear you Doug and here is the thing I don't get. I was in the automotive parts manufacturing business for 25 years. It cost the same to engineer and manufacture a bad part as it does to engineer and manufacture one that works well. So why can't they get it right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
footballubet Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 I've experienced the same thing. Some of the simplest parts I bought that were aftermarket turned out to be the biggest PITA to install and look right. It's like you get a product that needed one more finishing step in the process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7tonemonte Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 I go through it every day due to insurance companies using aftermarket parts on cars, but it was way more frustrating dealing with it at home on my monte! Glad you posted this because one of my visor holders has a crack in it and I wanted to replace it, I figured it shouldn't be that difficult to get that part right, guess I was wrong! I tried to go with OE parts anywhere I could, but sometimes you have no choice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CKZ03 Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 I know all about many of these issues with tons of different aftermarket parts. Just a "LITTLE" more attention to detail in the manuracturing process would actually make them a good part. I had the same issue with the visors. So nice to have to re engineer every freakin part. Here's a good example of more junk. Anyone installed a new aftermarket dome light base? Re wired my entire car and once the dome light was installed it wouldn't shut off. The courtesy lights and light at rear of console all turned on & off correctly, but why wouldn't the dome light shut off. Took a while of diagnosing, at first I thought I had wired something wrong leading to the dome light, so back tracked everything I had wired & checked out OK. So what the heck could it be? Turns out in the manufacturing process the plastic housing is completely chrome plated, but around where the bolts secure it to the roof brace shouldn't be. The chrome around the bolt holes was providing a false path to ground making the light stay on constantly. I had to grind the chrome off at these areas to "insulate & isolate" this false path to ground. Talk about a waste of time. If someone just took a moment in the manufacturing to realize this it would have saved me hours of messing around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam (Bones) Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 if you would have asked me about that I could have save you that time! those studip lights have been that way for years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72-CLASSIC_RIDE Posted August 25, 2013 Author Share Posted August 25, 2013 Glad you posted this because one of my visor holders has a crack in it and I wanted to replace it, I figured it shouldn't be that difficult to get that part right, guess I was wrong! Jaws material to thick and material does not flex for this application to perform properly. While overall design (suspect) may be accurate, material tensile strength is to brittle (unforgiving) and wont allow jaws clamping tightly around visor bushing/rod. Doesn't appear any thought was given for this as to the material annealing and or type of alloy used. Duh! I should note I have vanity mirror on passenger visor (heavier) but does not explain driver visor! Was just a matter of weakening the material enough that allowed jaws to close tighter to visor rod without risking over tightening tension screw. I tried using brass shim material between visor rod & bushing but still would'nt close tight enough! Guess its the little things these Repop guys have the most problem with! What should have been a easy off / on half hour job turned into a 3+ hour project and added part cost to replace the one mount. Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC-71 Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 BEWARE if it comes in a WHITE BOX. I call it LOOK A LIKE. They know how to do that. Why not make it right. I have spent many hours making this stuff work. I will say if it's made in Taiwan it's not that bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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