DIY Side Mirror Delete & Door Hole Cover for Cybertruck

[Cybergirl]

Seems like a good idea and I appreciate your creativity, but I cannot imagine driving and parking my CT without side mirrors. Will be interested in your real-world feedback after driving without them for a while.

Yes, I agree. This is an experiment in the sense that if some camera alternative proves to be impractical, I can always revert to the factory mirrors.

I did spend a few weeks using Tesla's camera rear displays in place of the mirrors before proceeding with this project. I concluded that camera displays work, and in some ways they are superior to mirrors, but Tesla's current multi-camera display is not ideal. Looking at the center screen to check the rear left or right lane is not a natural response. It takes some time to ween oneself off looking at the mirrors. Some people may not have the patience to do that. In addition, the rear cameras are not always displayed. They share the center screen with navigation maps. I find that having to say "show cameras" and "show maps" depending on need is a nuisance.

The next step in the experiment will be to install an independent camera system with a split camera display located on the dash above the steering wheel that continuously displays wide-angle left and right rear views. Somewhat like this:

I have the camera system on order. The camera display will automatically turn on at the start of a trip and off at the end using Cybertruck's OBDII port for 12Vdc power.

There are other possibilities as well, for example, two displays, one on the left A-pillar and another on the right to simulate mirrors. Aptera tried this, but went back to a split screen above the steering yoke.

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[Cybergirl]

As much as I like how CT looks without side mirrors, I couldn’t think of driving it with half the screen unavailable for navigation and other apps.
I guess that’s why you have a mounted iPad, for navigation purpose.
I can possibly accept a solution where the iPad is mounted right behind the steering wheel, to look a little bit cleaner. But interacting with it over the wheel would be annoying. Plus it blocks the grand view, blocks the wonderful air vent. ?‍

I use the iPad for off road navigation running the GaiaGPS app which doesn't need cell service for navigation as long as the appropriate map is downloaded ahead of time. I also like it to monitor altitude.

 

[loganthefrst]

I've been thinking about removing the side mirrors on my Cybertruck ever since I stupidly damaged the driver side mirror and was looking at $500 out of pocket to replace it. I have reasons for doing it other than to avoid that cost though:

1) The Cybertruck looks so much better without mirrors
2) Putting my Model Y and the Cybertruck in the garage is tricky (that's how I broken the mirror two weeks into ownership)
3) The mirrors take a beating on off road adventures when brushy trails get narrow.
4) The mirrors produce drag, reducing driving range, and they add to the lost visibility due to the A-pillars.
5) The truck has right and left camera displays that, frankly, provide better rear visibility.
6) It's not as illegal as people think. My research found that only 14 states explicitly require side mirrors, and 5 of those 14 only require it for in-state registered vehicles.

Removing the side mirrors presents some difficulties as well:

1) It takes some time to get used to camera displays instead of mirrors.
2) Cybertruck's rear, left, and right camera displays cover up the navigation map.
3) You run the risk of getting an equipment violation ticket in states that insist on have side mirrors.

There are after market products that address the problem of covering the hole in the door when the mirror is removed. I chose a DIY approach which I hope will be interesting to others. It started when I discovered that the shape and size of the hole is nearly that of a standard credit card. I looked on Amazon and found a pack of 8 stainless steel card blanks that I hoped would fit the hole with just one straight cut. Turns out they fit more perfectly than I imagined. The link is here. The project boiled down to making a support for the SS card, cut to size, and glued in place.

I made the support from pieces of 3/4" oak board I had lying around. I measured the angle of the top section of the door at 10 degrees and cut oak support blocks to that angle on a miter saw.

I used the mirror as a template to mark the next two cuts.

I put several layers of artist tape on the top of the block to match the thickness of the SS card, then stapled a piece of wood across the top to hold the block in place to mark the bolt holes. I drilled two 9/32" holes and hammered in 1/4" pronged T-nuts.

This was then bolted into the Cybertruck door. Note the recess drilled into the wood to make room for the rubber cover's attachment plug.

I then removed the wood strip, staples and tape. What remains is a solid, flat surface to which the SS insert can be glued.

As you can see, the SS card fits the hole in the door almost perfectly.

I only have to cut off the excess material along a straight line to align with the edge of the door.
I used a grinder to cut a groove along the line until I could bend and break off the excess, then touched up the cut to remove the sharp edges.

I then used some Gorilla Glue to glue the SS piece to the wooden block. The block can be adjusted a little to get a flush surface.

The SS card is finished with a course brushed surface so it doesn't blend in with CT's surface perfectly, but I don't find it objectionable.

I will do the passenger side the same way.

Here's a view from a distance. Not bad. Some rubber trim would make it even better.

When I'm required by law to have a side mirror, I'll slap this ugly accessory on the door to avoid being cited for an equipment violation. It's a 3 1/2" motorcycle mirror attached to the truck with a strong magnet. Tesla's SS is magnetic, but not exceptionally so. I haven't tested it yet at speed on a rough road. The mirror is large enough to meet Canada rules when I take my dream adventure trip to Alaska. Needless to say I won't be using this mirror all that much. I called it my "compliance mirror".

And here's what it looks like while driving. It actually works. I'll mount these mirrors when someone else is driving, like if I bring the truck in for a service appointment and a Tesla tech needs to do a test drive. Mounting the mirrors would be the safe thing to do.

The cost? Less than $100, both sides, including the mirrors.

What are the 14 states that require the side mirror? Can you post your findings on that please? This solution looks great, REALLY hoping 3rd party accessory makers come up with some great options in the next year. I want to ditch my side mirror SO BADLY.

 

[Stuck4ger]

I've been thinking about removing the side mirrors on my Cybertruck ever since I stupidly damaged the driver side mirror and was looking at $500 out of pocket to replace it. I have reasons for doing it other than to avoid that cost though:

1) The Cybertruck looks so much better without mirrors
2) Putting my Model Y and the Cybertruck in the garage is tricky (that's how I broken the mirror two weeks into ownership)
3) The mirrors take a beating on off road adventures when brushy trails get narrow.
4) The mirrors produce drag, reducing driving range, and they add to the lost visibility due to the A-pillars.
5) The truck has right and left camera displays that, frankly, provide better rear visibility.
6) It's not as illegal as people think. My research found that only 14 states explicitly require side mirrors, and 5 of those 14 only require it for in-state registered vehicles.

Removing the side mirrors presents some difficulties as well:

1) It takes some time to get used to camera displays instead of mirrors.
2) Cybertruck's rear, left, and right camera displays cover up the navigation map.
3) You run the risk of getting an equipment violation ticket in states that insist on have side mirrors.

There are after market products that address the problem of covering the hole in the door when the mirror is removed. I chose a DIY approach which I hope will be interesting to others. It started when I discovered that the shape and size of the hole is nearly that of a standard credit card. I looked on Amazon and found a pack of 8 stainless steel card blanks that I hoped would fit the hole with just one straight cut. Turns out they fit more perfectly than I imagined. The link is here. The project boiled down to making a support for the SS card, cut to size, and glued in place.

I made the support from pieces of 3/4" oak board I had lying around. I measured the angle of the top section of the door at 10 degrees and cut oak support blocks to that angle on a miter saw.

I used the mirror as a template to mark the next two cuts.

I put several layers of artist tape on the top of the block to match the thickness of the SS card, then stapled a piece of wood across the top to hold the block in place to mark the bolt holes. I drilled two 9/32" holes and hammered in 1/4" pronged T-nuts.

This was then bolted into the Cybertruck door. Note the recess drilled into the wood to make room for the rubber cover's attachment plug.

I then removed the wood strip, staples and tape. What remains is a solid, flat surface to which the SS insert can be glued.

As you can see, the SS card fits the hole in the door almost perfectly.

I only have to cut off the excess material along a straight line to align with the edge of the door.
I used a grinder to cut a groove along the line until I could bend and break off the excess, then touched up the cut to remove the sharp edges.

I then used some Gorilla Glue to glue the SS piece to the wooden block. The block can be adjusted a little to get a flush surface.

The SS card is finished with a course brushed surface so it doesn't blend in with CT's surface perfectly, but I don't find it objectionable.

I will do the passenger side the same way.

Here's a view from a distance. Not bad. Some rubber trim would make it even better.

When I'm required by law to have a side mirror, I'll slap this ugly accessory on the door to avoid being cited for an equipment violation. It's a 3 1/2" motorcycle mirror attached to the truck with a strong magnet. Tesla's SS is magnetic, but not exceptionally so. I haven't tested it yet at speed on a rough road. The mirror is large enough to meet Canada rules when I take my dream adventure trip to Alaska. Needless to say I won't be using this mirror all that much. I called it my "compliance mirror".

And here's what it looks like while driving. It actually works. I'll mount these mirrors when someone else is driving, like if I bring the truck in for a service appointment and a Tesla tech needs to do a test drive. Mounting the mirrors would be the safe thing to do.

The cost? Less than $100, both sides, including the mirrors.

Nice job! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Roger@CYBERTRUCKco]

What are the 14 states that require the side mirror? Can you post your findings on that please? This solution looks great, REALLY hoping 3rd party accessory makers come up with some great options in the next year. I want to ditch my side mirror SO BADLY.

We have them here!

https://cybertruckco.com/product/cybertruckco-billet-aluminum-mirror-delete-kit/

 

[Cybergirl]

What are the 14 states that require the side mirror? Can you post your findings on that please? This solution looks great, REALLY hoping 3rd party accessory makers come up with some great options in the next year. I want to ditch my side mirror SO BADLY.

These 14 states have statutes that explicitly require a driver side rear view mirror and another mirror (either inside or right side mirror):

Alaska
California*
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana*
Maryland*
Michigan*
North Carolina*
Oklahoma
Rhode Island
Utah
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming

* Law applies to in-state registered vehicles only

 

[M0unt41nm4n]

You did a really nice job. My only advice to you would be to paint that wood block with some copper-green as rain will eventually rot out that wood. A heavy dose of copper-green should help that wood last a bit longer. $20 at Home Depot.

 

[Cybergirl]

You did a really nice job. My only advice to you would be to paint that wood block with some copper-green as rain will eventually rot out that wood. A heavy dose of copper-green should help that wood last a bit longer. $20 at Home Depot.

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[wtibbit]

Great job!!

Please add me to your growing list of admirers.

 

[Pops]

@Cybergirl You and I are the same page. I want to remove my mirrors, but I want an acceptable alternative. I also feel a center mounted screen would be ideal.

I have explored going low tech and adding mirrors inside the CT. They wont be able to see behind the vehicle, but they can at least cover the lane next to you and the blind spot.

So far I purchased these but they are way to small. The perfect mirror needs to be the right combination of size, convex amount and clarity.

 

[Cybergirl]

Interesting. I hadn't thought of that. Since the rear camera view is wide angle, any method to cover the near left and right side would be sufficient.

 

[Dantes]

I've been thinking about removing the side mirrors on my Cybertruck ever since I stupidly damaged the driver side mirror and was looking at $500 out of pocket to replace it. I have reasons for doing it other than to avoid that cost though:

1) The Cybertruck looks so much better without mirrors
2) Putting my Model Y and the Cybertruck in the garage is tricky (that's how I broken the mirror two weeks into ownership)
3) The mirrors take a beating on off road adventures when brushy trails get narrow.
4) The mirrors produce drag, reducing driving range, and they add to the lost visibility due to the A-pillars.
5) The truck has right and left camera displays that, frankly, provide better rear visibility.
6) It's not as illegal as people think. My research found that only 14 states explicitly require side mirrors, and 5 of those 14 only require it for in-state registered vehicles.

Removing the side mirrors presents some difficulties as well:

1) It takes some time to get used to camera displays instead of mirrors.
2) Cybertruck's rear, left, and right camera displays cover up the navigation map.
3) You run the risk of getting an equipment violation ticket in states that insist on have side mirrors.

There are after market products that address the problem of covering the hole in the door when the mirror is removed. I chose a DIY approach which I hope will be interesting to others. It started when I discovered that the shape and size of the hole is nearly that of a standard credit card. I looked on Amazon and found a pack of 8 stainless steel card blanks that I hoped would fit the hole with just one straight cut. Turns out they fit more perfectly than I imagined. The link is here. The project boiled down to making a support for the SS card, cut to size, and glued in place.

I made the support from pieces of 3/4" oak board I had lying around. I measured the angle of the top section of the door at 10 degrees and cut oak support blocks to that angle on a miter saw.

I used the mirror as a template to mark the next two cuts.

I put several layers of artist tape on the top of the block to match the thickness of the SS card, then stapled a piece of wood across the top to hold the block in place to mark the bolt holes. I drilled two 9/32" holes and hammered in 1/4" pronged T-nuts.

This was then bolted into the Cybertruck door. Note the recess drilled into the wood to make room for the rubber cover's attachment plug.

I then removed the wood strip, staples and tape. What remains is a solid, flat surface to which the SS insert can be glued.

As you can see, the SS card fits the hole in the door almost perfectly.

I only have to cut off the excess material along a straight line to align with the edge of the door.
I used a grinder to cut a groove along the line until I could bend and break off the excess, then touched up the cut to remove the sharp edges.

I then used some Gorilla Glue to glue the SS piece to the wooden block. The block can be adjusted a little to get a flush surface.

The SS card is finished with a course brushed surface so it doesn't blend in with CT's surface perfectly, but I don't find it objectionable.

I will do the passenger side the same way.

Here's a view from a distance. Not bad. Some rubber trim would make it even better.

When I'm required by law to have a side mirror, I'll slap this ugly accessory on the door to avoid being cited for an equipment violation. It's a 3 1/2" motorcycle mirror attached to the truck with a strong magnet. Tesla's SS is magnetic, but not exceptionally so. I haven't tested it yet at speed on a rough road. The mirror is large enough to meet Canada rules when I take my dream adventure trip to Alaska. Needless to say I won't be using this mirror all that much. I called it my "compliance mirror".

And here's what it looks like while driving. It actually works. I'll mount these mirrors when someone else is driving, like if I bring the truck in for a service appointment and a Tesla tech needs to do a test drive. Mounting the mirrors would be the safe thing to do.

The cost? Less than $100, both sides, including the mirrors.

Clean delete. Love the stainless tab you used to fill the slot.

 

[Cybergirl]

Very creative. Nice work.


FYI, keep in mind it makes virtually no difference in the aero cD.

https://www.cybertruckownersclub.co...ults-w-cd-figures-measured.13235/#post-261188

I'll be keeping an eye on highway efficiency (Wh/mi) on my migratory trip to AZ next month. The difference may be small, but measurable.

 

[scottf200]

I'll be keeping an eye on highway efficiency (Wh/mi) on my migratory trip to AZ next month. The difference may be small, but measurable.

IMO, it will not be measurable unless you did two test in the "exact" conditions back to back.
ala: cD difference -0.005 in the thread I pointed to. A very minor change in avg speed or wind is this much. HTH explain.

 

[Cybergirl]

You're right, getting an accurate measure of the efficiency gain by removing the mirrors would require a controlled test, like two identical CTs, one with and one without mirrors driving together for a 100 miles. I'll leave that to Kyle Connor.

As you know, drag is proportional to the CD and the frontal cross sectional area of the vehicle . I estimate the combined cross sectional area of the mirrors at about 1 sqft. The cross sectional area of the Cybertruck has not been officially disclosed, but a rough measurement gives about 31 sq ft. Based on these numbers, I should expect a drag reduction of (30 x .382 - 31 x .387) / 31 x .387 = (11.46 - 11.997) / 11.997 = - 0.0447 x 100 = -4.47%. That's not an insignificant improvement in efficiency. Others have estimated 3%. I'm expecting to see a range improvement of somewhere between 9 and 14 miles on a full to empty charge.

Is such a small improvement in range worth removing the mirrors? I pretty sure that Tesla engineers would say yes, and they would have if not for NHTSA.

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