Why are Wrangler mirrors attached to the doors?

[roaniecowpony]

The real question is: why do we still have mirrors on modern vehicles? DOT is dragging their feet on going to a camera system. Jeeze, if the government was in charge of innovation, we'd still be in flintstone mobiles.

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[OldJupiter]

I figured this 2 years ago.
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/permanent-doorless-mirrors.35193/

I have since cleaned up the install a bit. I still use vinyl to keep everything buttoned up - only had to replace it once so far. No issues with car washes and I daily this setup. I set them up just eyeballing the fitment and it’s not as good as OEM, but with the backup camera parking isn’t an issue. Doors off visibility is better than the aftermarket mirrors I’ve tried. This setup is reversible at any moment as well.

 

[Gee-pah]

Why does a Jeep which is known for off roading not have the mirrors attached to the frame somewhere?
I drove a bus for years the mirror wasn't on the door.
New Jeeper thinking to much......

I think the answer is multifactorial, in part based on some of the excellent responses above like, IMHO, @Fuel Fire Desire's and @Chief_Dan's.

There are esoteric and marketing reasons as well I suspect. Wrangler diehards like performance and feature improvements in the model but at the same time are, as a group, resistant to changes in the appearance that stray the vehicle to far from its underlying "DNA." Aesthetics designers of the vehicle face a tug of war between innovating style and not deviating from the model's roots for a large marketplace that wants both. Witness easter eggs on the vehicle that pay homage to its past in addition to the fold down windshield.

(I'm not saying the fold down windshield should necessarily be abandoned, but what I am saying is lots of $ went to such design, for a feature that's relatively as infrequently used as this one, that could have gone into other more broadly appreciated areas of design or lowered its entry price. Recall, the fold down aspect of the windshield has origins in the rig fitting in a crate far more than for folding down the windshield when operating the vehicle.)

Now, especially, with Ford adopting this change in the Bronco, I'd think that Stellantis would be that much more resistant to making the Wrangler more Bronco like.

Still more, the aftermarket provides solutions to marriage of door and mirror that allows the Wrangler designers to face less pressure for not adopting such changes. "Go out and buy some hinge mirrors," some might say.

@roaniecowpony had ideas about "mirror by wire" that at first read made me instinctively say to myself that "that's all kind of wrong."

Then I got to thinking, so many mission critical features to safety in the vehicle are already computer based that who am I kidding about the mirrors needing to be old school, apart from federal mandates that make it necessary.

 

[Arterius2]

The real question is: why do we still have mirrors on modern vehicles? DOT is dragging their feet on going to a camera system. Jeeze, if the government was in charge of innovation, we'd still be in flintstone mobiles.

Probably for “nostalgia”..

Some of us here are still holding onto hand crank windows and no AC like it’s the gospel, so I don’t think it’s just the government

 

[Wbino]

Mirrors could have easily been put in the spot where guy put

The real question is: why do we still have mirrors on modern vehicles? DOT is dragging their feet on going to a camera system. Jeeze, if the government was in charge of innovation, we'd still be in flintstone mobiles.

Having drivers still rely on mirrors is a good thing.

 

[Chief_Dan]

Can't they just be made to fold in?

Many good replies here that have addressed this some. Such as if the mirrors were on the A-pillar, then the windshield couldn't fold down. If on that panel between the hood & A-pillar, once folded in the passenger side mirror would probably be hard to see & practically useless. Plus, if folded in against the side of the vehicle or opening made by taking the door off, then you couldn't see out them at all.

Engineering wise, I'm sure it is possible, but I think it would cause a compromise somewhere. To me, obviously Jeep likes the design the way it is.

I paid to get the Carolina Metal Masters Mirrors & I like the way they install & work, easy to take off too & no shaking at 80mph.

I have the sail mount mirrors on my old 1990 Toyota 4x4 & I have broken quite a few offroad & they fold in. So, it really doesn't bother me that my Jeep is the way it is.

 

[Rufus]

Jeep recommends doors-off riding only for off-road, but you need mirrors for the ride to the off-road trail, right, because taking the doors off at the trail doesn’t seem like a good option.

Doesn’t the Bronco allow you to store the removed doors in the vehicle?

 

[Arterius2]

Doesn’t the Bronco allow you to store the removed doors in the vehicle?

Well, it’s also a lot easier to take off the doors on a Bronco and they’re half the size and 20lbs lighter.

 

[Rufus]

Well, it’s also a lot easier to take off the doors on a Bronco and they’re half the size and 20lbs lighter.

Exactly, thank you @Arterius2. Ford has engineered the door removal and storage to be easier all around. Including mirror placement.

I’m just saying that Jeep is running out of excuses for the mirror situation. The line about them not willing to compromise off-road capability is ridiculous in this context.

I love my JL and in the summer I run doors off with very easily installable/removable Kikbax. I wouldn’t buy the Bronco over the Jeep from what I’ve seen unless there was a massive financial reason for doing so; however I’m also not afraid to call Jeep out on what they could do better.

As many people here have stated on many threads I view the competition from Ford as a good thing that will help Jeep recover from and avoid as much future complacency as they’ve been displaying in the absence of direct market segment competition.

Maybe they can start with the mirrors.

 

[Zandcwhite]

Exactly, thank you @Arterius2. Ford has engineered the door removal and storage to be easier all around. Including mirror placement.

I’m just saying that Jeep is running out of excuses for the mirror situation. The line about them not willing to compromise off-road capability is ridiculous in this context.

I love my JL and in the summer I run doors off with very easily installable/removable Kikbax. I wouldn’t buy the Bronco over the Jeep from what I’ve seen unless there was a massive financial reason for doing so; however I’m also not afraid to call Jeep out on what they could do better.

As many people here have stated on many threads I view the competition from Ford as a good thing that will help Jeep recover from and avoid as much future complacency as they’ve been displaying in the absence of direct market segment competition.

Maybe they can start with the mirrors.

I won't even bring bottled beer in the ice chest on off road trips, but what could possibly go wrong hauling the doors around in the vehicle off road? Add in the fact that they literally fill the entire cargo area, so good luck bringing an ice chest let alone camping gear, tools, air compressor, and recovery gear. Bronco doors just seem like a gimmick to me, of course they are all really easy to store as of now being as they are still imaginary...

 

[Rufus]

I won't even bring bottled beer in the ice chest on off road trips, but what could possibly go wrong hauling the doors around in the vehicle off road? Add in the fact that they literally fill the entire cargo area, so good luck bringing an ice chest let alone camping gear, tools, air compressor, and recovery gear. Bronco doors just seem like a gimmick to me, of course they are all really easy to store as of now being as they are still imaginary...

I have no idea how well the doors are secured or not. As you point out it’s not available yet so you don’t know either how well it works. And if you wouldn’t “even bring bottled beer in the ice chest on off road trips” then why would you care about room for the ice chest?

I don’t think most people take their doors off and put them on regularly. I think people do it seasonally or for trail runs (or possible permanently depending on location) so the door storage thing is gimmicky, but regardless they’ve found a way to have side mirrors that remain on with the doors off.

 

[Zandcwhite]

I have no idea how well the doors are secured or not. As you point out it’s not available yet so you don’t know either how well it works. And if you wouldn’t “even bring bottled beer in the ice chest on off road trips” then why would you care about room for the ice chest?

I don’t think most people take their doors off and put them on regularly. I think people do it seasonally or for trail runs (or possible permanently depending on location) so the door storage thing is gimmicky, but regardless they’ve found a way to have side mirrors that remain on with the doors off.

Don't worry, I bring plenty of canned refreshments. You made my point about the doors. They are usually on or off, but the last thing I want to do is haul them around. I don’t know how much Ford figured out with A pillar mounted mirrors, easy to do if the windshield doesn't fold?

 

[oldcjguy]

The mirrors on my old CJ were mounted to the windshield. Not sure why they don't still do that. The passenger side mirror was setup so you looked at it through the windshield instead of the passenger door window. Worked great.

The only thing I can think of is they didn't want to run wires through the windshield or hinges and everyone has to have power mirrors these days.

 

[Rufus]

Don't worry, I bring plenty of canned refreshments. You made my point about the doors. They are usually on or off, but the last thing I want to do is haul them around. I don’t know how much Ford figured out with A pillar mounted mirrors, easy to do if the windshield doesn't fold?

We are agreed that the storage is likely gimmicky, but I don't see having our cake and eating it too with respect to mirrors and the windshield as rocket science level engineering. Make them foldable with a quick release pin that secures them? Make them detachable if you really want to lower your windshield? Oh wait, lowering the windshield, what was that about gimmicks...

 

[Zandcwhite]

We are agreed that the storage is likely gimmicky, but I don't see having our cake and eating it too with respect to mirrors and the windshield as rocket science level engineering. Make them foldable with a quick release pin that secures them? Make them detachable if you really want to lower your windshield? Oh wait, lowering the windshield, what was that about gimmicks...

I'd say there's a difference between tradition and a gimmick. Quick release mirrors would be great, but the wiring makes that difficult especially with the advanced safety group/bsm indicator built in. Too many government regulations and sue happy morons to include a simple quick release mirror for doorless use. I'm just amazed so many are able to unbolt, unplug, remove, and store doors yet are hung up on simple, unregulated, drop in aftermarket mirrors.

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