1970 280SL Side Mirror Spring Challenge

[w113abudhabi]

Dear all

I am attempting to replace the side mirror glass and retaining strips on my 1970 280SL. I have removed the driver side retaining strip and mirror glass and of course the spring behind popped out. The spring has some rust and is in two parts. I am unclear how the spring goes back in and whether it should be one or two parts.

Any advice that can be offered will be very much welcome.

[w113abudhabi]

Ok I’ve answered this by taking the passenger side apart. The spring should be one piece not two.

Any suggestions of a source for a replacement spring?

[WRe]

Hi,
see here: https://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=18197.msg126930#msg126930.
...WRe

[w113abudhabi]

Thanks. I read that post. Unfortunately it is a completely different spring assembly compared to my car.

[WRe]

Hi,
our cars are 50 years old and parts may have been changed or the different car owners have changed them. It's only necessary that the mirror glass is pressed a little bit to the front frame to fix it, nothing more.
...WRe

[Shvegel]

Before I left for work (I work on a ship every other month) I had in my hand a right side mirror for a 1970 W113 that had a cracked head.  When I get home in April I will check and see if the spring is intact.  If it is I will be more than happy to send it to you.

[Kevkeller]

I’ve wound my own springs before.  It’s not difficult. Can you do that?  Get some piano wire and wrap it around a rod. My door lock has worked perfect for over 20 years from one I made.

Kevin Keller

[uptheorg]

You can buy a carton of assorted springs at Home Depot for less than $10 -- just find one that presses the glass from the inside up against the frame.

[Pawel66]

In one mirror I had a round spring, in the other a spring in shape of X (more or less). The X one was rusty, I made my own out of laundry hanger. For both springs I used pads in places where they touch the mirror housing - I just did not like metal on metal contact (scratches, rust etc.).

Make sure you have the drain holes in the mirrors clear.

[Iconic]

Thanks. I read that post. Unfortunately it is a completely different spring assembly compared to my car.

I see you have a 1970 280 SL.
I've taken apart mirrors off of two different 1970 280 SLs and both of them were different than what was shown in that link also. The link shows a circular spring and what I have seen in these two 1970s is a series of straight lines of metal (probably the same as what Pawel66 just described), not circular. I don't know if you are just trying to get the glass to stay put, or if you are interested in originality.
I hope this helps,
Mark
P.S.: I just noticed that the original question was asked in March .... Probably solved by now unless you work as slow as me.