Sun Visors - Tightening Spring

As much i understand and the pic is showing, somebody made a " quick fix "
if you want to do it right, you would have to saw off the bend over and drilled parts( Looks like a exploded gun ) on the level where the sound material starts, get the surface leveled to a right angel axial ways.
and either weld or braze a new rod on which is drilled across in order to slipp over a stronger spring and washer.

You can also prepare a new bolt as above but instead of welding or brazing you cut the rod back to the sound material and cut a outsidethread in the rest , cut the counterthread in the new bolt and screw it together with locktight.

Or you can saw off the bend over part, drill and tap a thread in and screw a bolt in , using locktight medium to secure then slip over a steel, nilon, copper or messing tube with the right length and right outer dimension to guide the spring without to much play.
then use a locknut to compress the spring to the right pressure and saw off the overlength of the screwbolt. But keep in mind that you or somebodey else may want to replace the spring in later years. so keep enough of the treaded bolt to release the spring without pressure but shorten enough to fit back in the headpanel.

If you like i can send you pic's of mine.

Me for my self would rather go for the first option, to returne to the original. This is only my two cents and if some other clubmembers have better ideas, please let us know.


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Sounds like the flat washer which fits under the cotter pin is missing. Compress the spring and pull out the cotter pin which is what I think you see as a bent item. Add the flat washer and new cotter pin and it should be all right. Good luck.

I took my sun visor apart and the top of the spring is held in by something that seems to be pushed down into the hollow part of the top of the rod and bent over the top of the spring. There is no pin running trough the rod. (Will post picture, if I figure out how.)

Assume my first try should be to put a shim(s) in at the base of the spring and see if this does the trick.

Bill McLaughlin

Pic. is at: www.29buickphotos.com/gallery/75 ... SvJmt-A-LB

Thanks. Car is currently away having some brake work done so will remove sun visors when car returns and see if your suggestions work.

Bill

Hi bill, took my sunvisor apart to see, basicly it's a slightley conical shaft running in the mountingbase on the back of the shaft there is a spring, on top if it sort of washer and then a pin throu the shaft.
1. Make sure the the conical shaft has no rust or scratches, otherwise you can sand it a little, it should fit without any play if you rock it. if pushed fully in the housing it should stick in position.
2. if your spring is to soft, either expand it a little, replace or put more washers between spring and pin, to compress more.
3. Best is to have a vice a little open, enough to let pass the shaft.
then put the shaft in the housing without lubrication, put the spring on and aligne the washer,sideways push the whole thing aginst the vice, letting pass the shaft trough the washer with quite some force, as soon the pinhole has passed the washer put a thin wire trou.
4. check if there is enough friction to stop unwanted moving.
5. If happy with tension push the washer as much as possible towards base and as you pull out the wire enough to insert the pin on one side, you can replace easeley the wire with the pin fully, without risking to start all over again.
For the horizontal shaft, Henry is right.
I hope this was of some help. <!-- s:wink: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_wink.gif" alt="" title="Wink" /><!-- s:wink: -->

It is held on with a washer and a cotter pin. The biggest problem is compressing the spring to put the cotter pin in.

Henry, thanks but problem is not visor rotating on horizontal shaft but visor not staying close to window/headliner but ending up at 45 degree angle from bracket attachment point.

Will pull one off and see if I can easily replace spring with stronger one but, from memory, spring is held on the short piece of shaft with some form of retainer that is permanently (?) attached to shaft - which may make removal / replacement of spring difficult ??

Bill McLaughlin

Bill, I believe that Tom &amp; Philipp misunderstood what you are asking. I'm not sure either. I believe that you are asking about the visor rotating on the horizontal shaft . If that is the problem , take the visor assembly off the car, pull the visor off the shaft , bend the shaft slightly &amp; replace the visor on the shaft . See if that corrects the problem. If not bend the shaft a little more. Is that the problem? Henry

This won't work as the Cord visor does not have a ball. It has a straight shaft.

a new spring would be best, but as a tremporaily fix put a piece of sandpaper between ball and spring ( rough side to the ball ), that may bring some fix until you trace a stiffer spring that fit's. i used to do that with DESMO rearviewmirrors that kept folding back because of the windpressure, that's six years ago and still works. <!-- s:wink: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_wink.gif" alt="" title="Wink" /><!-- s:wink: -->

I went to a hardware store and got new springs that were stiffer.

Installed newly restored sun visors on my Westchester and the spring does not keep them tight to the top of the windows / headliner. They slink down so they are about a 45 degree angle from the top of the windows / headliner.

Any tips on how to tighten the spring so they don't move while you drive ?

Bill McLaughlin
1937 Westchester