Stomping on the loud pedal can bring on a rush of sensory experiences ranging from the deafening roar of the engine to the smell of freshly-cooked rubber on heated pavement. For our 1969 Dodge Super Bee, that experience also included the pointed thwack of a rear view mirror swinging all the way backwards and pinning itself in a rear-leaning position right alongside its fellow passengers.

A readjustment after catching traction had always been necessary and, frankly, it was becoming a bother. Rather than reaching for the rear-view every single time, we decided to dive on in to fix it once and for all.

Above left: Three screws through the headliner held the rear view in place. Above right: Two ball-and-socket joints allow for movement but, in this case, there was too much.

On 1968-1970 B-bodies, the rear view is held on with a simple three-screw housing which accommodates sun visor stationing and the ball joint for the main shaft. A second ball joint is on the back of the mirror itself but, for us, the upper coupling was the issue.

With the assembly detached, it was easy to find the steel plate that held captive the ball of the mirror shaft. Obviously, ours had been removed before as one of the screws was clearly not original. Once it was off, an inspection did not uncover any irregular wear on the ball itself.

Above: A steel plate held the ball in the socket via three screws.

It seemed as though normal use had bent the plate ever so slightly upward such that the imprisoned ball was able to move more and more freely over the years. A big ol’ hammer was the tool of choice to make the repair. One single whack produced visible movement and we figured it best to quit while we were still ahead.

Putting the plate back in place, it was clear that the pairing was already improved. After waffling back and forth on whether or not to use lubrication, the couple was left dry. Any kind of oil likely would have seeped out over time and grease might have made it a little too loose.

Above: After one fine adjustment with the hammer, the plate was reinstalled.

Back in its rightful place front and center with pink fuzzy dice in tow, a tight tug put the glass where we could easily see all the Brand-X’ers eating our dust. Of course, a road test was mandatory and the no-cost service didn’t disappoint. Following a series of spirited jaunts, we could still spot any chasing sets of blueberries and cherries.

Had our hammer not hit home, YearOne would’ve been the next stop for a reproduction unit (P/N RM688). It looked to be a dead match for our original with the proper shaft, housing, and finish. One might still find its way into the Bee’s interior although, for now, the sway has been subdued.

Above: Swinger no more, this rear view is back on the straight and narrow.

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