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Fri Mar 04, 2011 1:35 pm

ive been needing new windshield wipers for as long as i had the Thing. i found a seller on fleabay and bought 2 RPM Thing wiper blades for 26 bucks shipped.

i hope they arent junk. i just didnt want to pay 70 bucks for a set of SWF blades.

Fri Mar 04, 2011 3:57 pm

eBay link please. :)

Fri Mar 04, 2011 6:38 pm

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290540811727

Those look like the ones that came on my '73. I'm unimpressed - they flop about badly on the pivot point.

Fri Mar 04, 2011 7:14 pm

Item Specifics

Availability: In Stock, Usually ships within 1-2 business days
Condition: New
Brand: RPM
OEM: 181 955 425 B/181955425B

These do correlate with the Thing parts manual page 77

Fri Mar 04, 2011 7:35 pm

sam_w wrote: Item Specifics

Availability: In Stock, Usually ships within 1-2 business days
Condition: New
Brand: RPM
OEM: 181 955 425 B/181955425B

These do correlate with the Thing parts manual page 77

Part number appears to be correct, but the "B" designation indicates a black and not aluminum color. I doubt the seller knows the difference. The parts diagram also shows a different type blade.

My Thing has different looking blades with a single spring type arm. Looks more like the one in the parts diagram

Fri Mar 04, 2011 7:50 pm

I will have a full report when they arrive. Hopefully, they arent the the same one Mink is talking about.
Sorry I didn't post a link. I figured they would be easy to search for. Wish us luck

Sat Mar 05, 2011 10:25 am

I think the part number reference is meant to imply that these RPM wipers are a substitute for those part numbers, and not stock wipers themselves.

Sat Mar 05, 2011 12:16 pm

I personally got my hands on a set of thingshop's replaceable insert blades. I have been able to get replacement blades for them at just about any place that carries inserts. I don't think they look out of place either. http://www.thethingshop.com/WIPER-BLADES-W_-RUBBER-INSERT/productinfo/181955TTS-S/

Sat Mar 05, 2011 12:20 pm

One of the po's had a brilliant idea.... They took the newer hook and welded it onto the end of the arm. Walla, nice wiper blades that can be bought at any store.... Great Idea as long as your not hooked on perfect restoration

Sat Mar 05, 2011 12:35 pm

SilverThing wrote: I personally got my hands on a set of thingshop's replaceable insert blades. I have been able to get replacement blades for them at just about any place that carries inserts. I don't think they look out of place either. http://www.thethingshop.com/WIPER-BLADES-W_-RUBBER-INSERT/productinfo/181955TTS-S/

Definately one of those no harm no foul "reasonable upgrades".

Sat Mar 05, 2011 2:34 pm

I just use generic wiper blades form the store.... drill a hole in the plastic adapter they come with and bolt them on. My wiper arms have holes in the end, so it works fine.

or make some beetle arms shorter and use new blades.

Sat Mar 05, 2011 6:50 pm

This style wiper blade was produced "for" Mercedes and had a part number that relates ti the UniMog. The UniMog, Illtis and Thing use the same wiper arms. I got a huge supply of the blades, arms, and rods for the source that provided these parts to the Canadian Govt prior to them disbanding their fleet of the aforementioned vehicles. I recently found a pair of the modified Thing arms that a person had welded the hooks to allow a modern wiper blade to fit at low cost. BUT!! remember one "thing" the Thing wiper motor is not able to move extra weight of modified blades so the lighter "military" Will be much better for your entire wiper system. I have run this style blade for years with much better wiper performance.

Mon Mar 07, 2011 7:59 am

SilverThing wrote: I personally got my hands on a set of thingshop's replaceable insert blades. I have been able to get replacement blades for them at just about any place that carries inserts. I don't think they look out of place either. http://www.thethingshop.com/WIPER-BLADES-W_-RUBBER-INSERT/productinfo/181955TTS-S/

I just replaced mine with TTS unit. Very nice fit and went right on. Yes they are pricey but after buying two different units at the FLAPS that had poor fit and didn't look right I got tired of screwing around with it and bit the bullet.

There are plenty of other things on the car to keep me busy without having to re-engineer the wiper arms. Should be set now for any replacements.

Mon Mar 07, 2011 8:10 am

i rarely use my wipers anyway, i liked the idea of the RPM blades look like the original SWFs that are on there now. i didnt want to have to hack and cut.
a fellow thing owner i know has his wiper arms modified to accept FLAPS style blades and he cant put his windshield down because they hit the hood if he does. and nobody wants that [-X

Mon Mar 14, 2011 2:01 pm

well, i got them today. shipping time was ok. a little slow for priority shipping from LA to Sacramento but not horrible.

as far as the quality. meh, not bad. i had to do a little light tweeking for them to sit flat on the windsheild and i crimped the pivit on it because the blade was pretty sloppy.

hey, for 26 bucks, i cant complain. i rarely use my wipers anyway so i just needed something on there just in case.

i was wrong about them looking like my SWF blades. i had the original style with the bow attached to the blade. these are just a mounting pivot directly on the blade housing

Mon Mar 14, 2011 4:10 pm

easy fix use a bosch wiper blade adapters in box slide on drill one pop rivet now you can use inserts great hold wipes great and cheap dennis domeck

Mon Mar 14, 2011 4:13 pm

does your window fold down without the wipers scratching the hood?

Mon Mar 14, 2011 4:34 pm

no problems with the windshield brother ron domeck has them on all his things runs with the windshield down all the time dennis domeck

Mon Mar 14, 2011 4:39 pm

thats good.
a friend of mine had the same type of wiper mod as you do. he couldnt drop his windshield so i avoided that plan.
either way, i got some new blades now that will probably last me 5 years at least

Mon Apr 25, 2011 10:06 am

took me a while to figure it out, yes my wipers hit the hood when lowered.

I studied and studied till the thought hit me, I wonder if it is the height of the arm assembly. kept looking at shaft exposure or bushing housing thickness etc

That definitely appears to be the case. I have the Thing Shop replacement arm/blade unit.

for now, will keep the hood up. definitely do not see much rain (as fair weather driver)

first time searched, good information here