2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission tow mirror help

[DISPATCH]

i have a set of tow mirrors off a new truck and i want to put them on my 2000 what parts do i need if you have part #'s i would love it if you would share. i once saw i link that had a step by step procedure to do this swap and i beleive it also had pictures any help would be great btw i already did a search and found some info but not all of what i need



thanks again



drew

 

[tURBOdIEZEl]

are you wanting to keep your heated power options? i dont have any part numbers on hand, you need the manual tow mirror bases and the power/heated heads. i recently put the manual tow/flip up mirrirs on my 96. took about an hour..... hope that helps.

 

[ntillm01]

Someone else can help post the link to the instructions typed up. Rob Thomas was the originator of the swap idea. You'll need a donor set of non-power towing mirrors from a 2000-up truck. Check my gallery for a set of pictures I took when I did my install.

 

[Thomas]

Third generation Tow Mirror Transplant on a second generation Ram.

 

[Sticks]

Does anyone have the link to the instructions for the 2nd gen conversion using the 2nd gen power heated mirrors installed in the 2nd gen tow mirror shell?

 

[JL penner]

Does anyone have the link to the instructions for the 2nd gen conversion using the 2nd gen power heated mirrors installed in the 2nd gen tow mirror shell?

I didn't know this was possible??? Are there really instructions for this? I just bought a set of 3rd gen and a set of 2nd gen tow mirrors to do the swap. If it's possible to use my exsisting power heat mirrors on my truck and put that function into the 2nd gen tow mirror, I would probably rather do that.

 

[ntillm01]

I didn't know this was possible??? Are there really instructions for this? I just bought a set of 3rd gen and a set of 2nd gen tow mirrors to do the swap. If it's possible to use my exsisting power heat mirrors on my truck and put that function into the 2nd gen tow mirror, I would probably rather do that.

The standard 2nd gen power mirrors are smaller than the towing mirrors. Standards are 6-by-9 inches and the towing mirrors are 7-by-10. You may be able to extract the guts of a standard mirror and glue them in place in the tow mirror head, but I don't think it would look as well. Save your existing power heat mirrors as donors for the connector and pigtail

 

[Fireman Dave]

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111732



See the links on the thread above. I did the swap last month. It's well worth the work.

 

[Sticks]

It seems to me that someone had taken both mirrors apart (both second gen, one power/heat, the other towing) and attached the mechanical portion of the power mirrors to the towing shell, and put the towing mirrors back on. This was before the third gens came out. All of my searchs have either brought up waaay too many threads to look through, or only the 3rd gen swap.



As it stands, I have a set of 3rd gen regular mirrors (power/heat) that I planned on doing the gut conversion with, I just need the instructions.

 

[DISPATCH]

i have mirrors off a 3rd gen so do i need a set slso off a 2nd gen also do do the swap??

 

[ntillm01]

Yes, you need a set of 2nd gen towing mirrors for the bases or "flags" that bolt to the door. Standard mirror bases are too small at the pivot to mate up with the towing mirror "arm" and head. It seems like a lot to gather up and re-assemble, but if you tow, then drive around for a while not towing, you appreciate them fast!



Silly question: The 3rd gen mirrors you have now, are they power? (Should have an electrical connector and a little "heat" symbol on the glass) If they're manual, it makes no sense to do the swap, since you could get manual 2nd gen towing mirrors from several places. It's the power adjustment that makes the whole thing worthwhile!

 

[DISPATCH]

yes they are the power mirrors. i have been trying to find bases and i can't find them :{ so i might just sell these mirrors and get the mirrors that will bolt right on

 

[RMecum]

I found a set of 3rd Gen power/heated mirrors at a salvage yard and bought a set of 2nd gen non-power/non-heated mirrors at the dealer. I used the 2nd gen "flags" and the 3rd gen mirror heads and hooked everything up so my power/heat switches in my 2nd gen truck works everything. There are instructions on the site on how to do it... I too much of a computor dummy to hook you up too it but do some searches or one of these fine gents on the site will tell you where to look... . I just gotta say it's well worth the worth the work to do it. I added a technique to the original post to help in putting the crimp rings back in the mirror heads. Go for it!! You're gonna love 'em.

 

[ntillm01]

Try e-bay, or one of the on-line mopar parts sites. Get the manual 2nd gen mirrors at as reasonable a price as you can and use the bases off of them. Good luck!

 

[TX-TowRig]

It seems to me that someone had taken both mirrors apart (both second gen, one power/heat, the other towing) and attached the mechanical portion of the power mirrors to the towing shell, and put the towing mirrors back on. This was before the third gens came out. All of my searchs have either brought up waaay too many threads to look through, or only the 3rd gen swap.



As it stands, I have a set of 3rd gen regular mirrors (power/heat) that I planned on doing the gut conversion with, I just need the instructions.

just to make sure I understand this - DC never made power/heated tow mirrors for the 2nd gen trucks and you can't buy them from Dodge aftermarket. You can't take the "power" out of the small 2nd gen mirrors and put them in 2nd gen tow mirrors? The ONLY way to get power/heated mirrors on a 2nd gen is to get 3rd gen tow mirrors, AND second gen tow mirrors and do the swap.

Is that really the only way? I have the small power mirrors and just want power towing mirrors...

 

[Thomas]

... DC never made power/heated tow mirrors for the 2nd gen trucks and you can't buy them from Dodge aftermarket. You can't take the "power" out of the small 2nd gen mirrors and put them in 2nd gen tow mirrors?...



Correct.



... The ONLY way to get power/heated mirrors on a 2nd gen is to get 3rd gen tow mirrors, AND second gen tow mirrors and do the swap.

Is that really the only way?...



No. There are after-market (non-Mopar) power/heated tow mirrors that fit the second generation Ram sheet metal.

 

[JBlock]

Has any one found a place to buy the plugs for mirror side of the conversion. I got all the parts third generation and 2nd generation, but did not want to cut the plugs off the second generation power mirrors as they are perfectly good mirrors and I might want to replace them back in the future. .



thanks :--)

 

[Fireman Dave]

You'll have to cut them and splice. It's apples and oranges, and there isn't an adaptor to join them together. The wiring colors won't match either, so you'll have to figure out what's what. Different trucks have different color combinations too - which makes it even more of a challenge (so not all '01 trucks have the same colored wires for the mirrors). I have the breakdown of what mine ended up being - which could help if it happens to be close. I was able to figure it out easier from another member who had similar colors to mine (but not the same).



Dave

Has any one found a place to buy the plugs for mirror side of the conversion. I got all the parts third generation and 2nd generation, but did not want to cut the plugs off the second generation power mirrors as they are perfectly good mirrors and I might want to replace them back in the future. .



thanks :--)

 

[RMecum]

JBlock, I traded my non-tow mirrors (and a little cash) for my 3rd gen power heated tow mirrors. From the instructions on the install I noticed the wire up procedure was a trial and error method. As I recall the heat part was just black wire to black wire but the colored ones were different. I cut the connectors off both the truck harness and the mirror harness and bought some quick disconnects from radio shack and put one on each wire, male end on the truck harness and female end on the mirror harness. I installed the mirrors and just kept plugging in the wires in different combinations until they worked. It'll be obvious as you do it... the mirror will move slow and won't be doing what it suposed to and the all of a sudden you'll hit on the right combo and the mirror will be perfect and you'll get a big ol' smile on your face! Oo.



Mike

 

[NUTNDUN]

Not to bring up an old topic that has been talked about alot already but has anyone tried the mirrors from this website... . www.carmirror.com then enter info for dodge 01, full size pickup, then two up from the bottom.





TOWING MIRROR

Power, Replaces stock power heated mirrors, One Set (LH & RH), Power extends up to 21" out

2001 DODGE FULL SIZE PICKUP



Our Price: $348. 95

Retail Price: $581. 58





I wasn't sure if anyone had ever tried these people and if they are actually factory oem?