Wipers - lift problem

[mankypro]

Well, it's begun raining with regularity again here in the high country as fall quickens.

Now that I can actually drive at highway speeds - I've noticed that my wipers will lift off the glass right in the line of vision through the wind shield and consequently not do a very good job of keeping the glass clear of water.

I use Rain-X and love it so it hasn't been much of an issue, but when it starts snowing like it tends to here in the Mile high City I'll be up the creek. I've replaced the blades, wondering if I should replace the arms?

Any tricks or good arms that are direct fit for our trucks that will solve this issue?

 

[sle2115]

I think the straight up windshield of these trucks makes the blades float!

 

[Russ]

Are you running a bug shield? Those will cause it too.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

you can bend the arm also, I did this and it works OK for the most part

 

[mankypro]

nope

Are you running a bug shield? Those will cause it too.

 

[mankypro]

Good idea.

I'm wondering though the parts of the wipers that tend to not make contact is exactly in the middle.

you can bend the arm also, I did this and it works OK for the most part

 

[LCAM-01XA]

I'm wondering though the parts of the wipers that tend to not make contact is exactly in the middle.

Which is exactly where the arms put most force. If you bend the arms so they push on the blades stronger, that may just give you the extra force you need to make the blades have contact with the windshield again.

 

[waytoomanytoys]

they sell these black or chrome spring steel peices that are called wiper snuggies at truckstops etc that eliminate wiper floating on the glass that on semis and other vehicles. i would google it they are like $8.

 

[typ4]

also blades off a chrysler minivan have those little scoop things that plant them on the windshield, works for me better than anything else.

I like the wiper snuggies idea, may try those.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

The way I look at those snuggies, they don't do anything different than what I've achieved by simply bending the wiper arms towards the windshield... Or is there something more to them snuggies?

 

[waytoomanytoys]

i have them on my semi and all they do is push force down on the blade farther from the wiper arm.they just clip under the wiper arm and push on top of the blade. i have had them a long time and i drive a pete and normally they lift off the windsheild and interstate speed and would move all around but with the snuggies on they dont lift or move at all i am happy with them but i have never tried to bend the arm.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

i have them on my semi and all they do is push force down on the blade farther from the wiper arm.they just clip under the wiper arm and push on top of the blade. i have had them a long time and i drive a pete and normally they lift off the windsheild and interstate speed and would move all around but with the snuggies on they dont lift or move at all i am happy with them but i have never tried to bend the arm.

Can someone post a picture or product link to these "snuggies" ??


I will second the Rain-X = best thing ever for driving in the rain or mist.


One other possibility for the wipers not touching in certain spots :

Ford glass of these year-models is much too thin, about a third as thick as Dodges and Chevys of the same period.

This thin-ness causes the glass to swag down in the center over time; also, due to road-hazard damages, I am on my FIFTH replacement windshield and each one has had a low spot in a different place that the wipers just wouldn't touch.

I mentioned this to my windshield man and he happened to have a glass on the truck for a Chevy; the Ford glass looked paper-thin beside the Chevy.


My current windshield has a spot immediately in front of me that the wipers miss and no amount of arm bending has corrected this; the blade just bridges the low spot.

 

[Agnem]

Ford trucks just see better. They don't need no coke bottle glasses.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

Ford trucks just see better. They don't need no coke bottle glasses.

They crack all the way across from the least little nick, too, which is probably why my Ford is on it's fifth replacement, and all these Dodges and Chevys out here in the yard still have their original glass.

 

[Fordsandguns]

I've seen a few chevys and dodges with cracks all the way across, too. But I cant figure why ford would make it thinner and therefore weaker.