Date:         Sun, 3 Jan 2016 01:49:38 -0700
Reply-To:     Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@Q.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@Q.COM>
Subject:      Re: Small windscreen wiper repair
Comments: To: Alistair Bel <albell@SHAW.CA>
In-Reply-To:  <CCDBD986-305E-49F8-8FF5-2B0CE4EE92F6@shaw.ca>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I've used these with similar results. I found the wiper to be a distraction due to its width. 

Karl Wolz
Sent from my electronic umbilicus

> On Jan 2, 2016, at 8:54 PM, Alistair Bel <albell@SHAW.CA> wrote:
> 
> A few years ago I switched to those unitstrut type wipers. You know the ones without any support struts, just a plastic arm holding the squeegee. First one I got were Michelin branded and you know they didn't work very well for me. Didn't wipe as well as I thought they would. My friend had Bosch branded ones that work very well so I tried that brand. There are a few different versions and I don't think I got what he has. Anyway, these were no better. The passenger side especially, there would be a patch of the glass that wouldn't get wiped. This patch was under the path of the wiper directly beneath where the wiper attaches to the arm.
> 
> Oh I tried all the tweaks. And all the glass cleaning methods. Still no joy.
> 
> But the other day I decided to take more drastic action and tweak the amount of downforce the arm has on the glass. I took the spring out of the arm and the C shaped bit of wire that connects the spring to the part of the arm that attaches to the splined shaft.
> 
> I shortened the effective length of the C shaped bit of wire from 36mm to 33mm by squeezing it in the vise. 
> 
> When all back together the arm had more downforce on the glass and the squeegee of the wiper made full contact on the glass and the wipers worked perfectly .
> 
> I think you could over do this and have too much force, and this make the wiper motor and linkage work too hard. Just a little shortening of the C shaped wire was enough.
> 
> I have to ink other people have discovered this. And I have to think that over time the C shaped bit of wire is stretched and also that the wiper spring loses some of its oomph.
> 
> Alistair