Date:         Thu, 17 Oct 2013 11:43:12 -0400
Reply-To:     Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Subject:      Re: Floppy Wiper arm, is there a fix?
Comments: To: T Collins <tonycollin@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <CAAzKkH_xb4t8H7Q7e2XvRBasoMkNg0SN0pwv2_Tyz6MUhmWAdA@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Tony, if you remove the wiper arm you will see that the wiper shaft has
little serrations on it.  The inside of the hole of the wiper arm that
goes over the shaft is originally smooth, but tightening it down allows
the serrations to bite into the wiper arm mount which is alloy of some
description (probably pot-metal).  Over time either the serrations get
dull or the pot metal gets worn away to the point where when you tighten
down the 10mm nut holding the wiper arm to the shaft it doesn't tighten
all the way.  You can overcome this a little by using a thicker washer
under the head of the 10mm but be careful.  If you tighten the nut too
much then it can snap the stud off of the shaft and then you are up a
creek without a wiper :-)

Sometimes there is just no way around it, you have to buy a new or good
used wiper arm to replace yours.  The wiper arms are made this way so
that if you try to turn on the wipers in the winter when they are stuck
to the windshield with ice or snow, that it doesn't burn out the motor
or cause a fire.  Instead the connection between the wiper shaft and the
arm strips out a little bit.

HTH.

--
Thanks,
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com
Phone: 856-327-4936
Fax: 856-327-2242


On 10/17/2013 9:51 AM, T Collins wrote:
> I have been suffering of a floppy drivers side wiper. I'm not sure why this
> is. I'm using the same type of blades on both arms, but the passenger side
> does not float away from the windshield at speed. I have tried bending the
> arm a bit, that helped, but we are back to this "floating" on the park
> position.
>
> Can someone provide an explanation and a fix?
>
> I was thinking to buy the new "fancy" (price ones) type wiper blades that
> seem more aerodynamic, but I don't just want to fork over the $30 bucks and
> still have the same floppy situation occur.
>
> Thanks,
> Tony
>
>
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