Just went though this with a pickup. Mike and I followed the instructions to the letter. Fell off two hours later.
Bought another kit. The instructions were completely different from the one we used the first time. Applied the activator on the squeaky clean glass and mirror shoe. Immediately, not waiting for it to dry, put the dot of adhesive on and pushed the shoe onto the windshield. Good thing it was close, 'cause it locked in place within the first second on the glass. Still held it in place for the prescribed amount of time. Put the mirror on an hour later, tightened it down, came out the next morning, adjusted it, no problem. Used the Permatex kit both times. Bought the ten dollar one they had at Autozone the second time. The $6 one from NAPA the first time didn't take. It also seemed to be old stock. (Yellow cardboard and plastic pulling away from said cardboard.) When it fell off, the epoxy or whatever it was didn't set on the glass. Seemed to be partially set on the metal shoe. Still gooey four hours later when I went to clean off the windshield glass. That one the instructions said to wait a prescribed time for the activator to dry. The one that worked didn't mention that, rather, implied, "Be quick about it."
So, don't use an old kit, and don't let the activator dry. Just put on a big drop of the adhesive and slap that baby on there. Have it very close to the right position. (Right side up is good too.) Had to use the factory shoe, as the one that came in the kit wasn't close to the right size for the mirror. (Worked the shoe on some 150 grit sandpaper on a marble flat Mike gave me a few years ago. Nice and flat.)
CJ
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