Windshield wiper arm modification

[Zeitgeist 13]

[ALIKA T3]

[Sodo]

[Mellow Yellow 74]

[djkeev]

[Terry Kay]

If you want to really make a mountain out of a molehill, chop the top the three inches the wiper arm is short.

Done--the blades will get the void outa the glass lickety split.

As long as you want to kill some time, this is the way to go.
_________________
T.K.

[djkeev]

[Terry Kay]

There ya go Dave, chop the top, lower the seat-- perfect.

Go for the gusto.
Make it a real project.
_________________
T.K.

[Sodo]

[Terry Kay]

I would really like to see a before & after picture of this operation--shortened arms.
Then the final swing of both arms on the glass.

A youtube video would be fine.

You just lost the opportunity of being cool.
Nobody will notice you're shorted arms.
_________________
T.K.

[DuncanS]

To address the issue of the uncleared area of the windshield from my perspective; I do sit very high in car seats. I once rented a Mercedes 190 in Europe and could not sit up straight as my head hit the overhead. So the unswept area does bother me.

For every project that we imagine, there are a bunch that "need" to be done because a genuine improvement can be made. There are also ones that "need" to be done just because the perceived issue, although not really that important, is something that we simply want to do. My log shows that I have made 65 modifications to the Carat. Other than headlight relays, headlight upgrades and probably a half dozen others, none of the other 57 really "needed" to be done, but I wanted to. And it has made my car/bus/Vanagon a great source of pleasure for me every time I open the door to get in.

So, do I really need 70 more square inches + or - to be clear on my windshield? Probably not, but I enjoy inventing problems and then solving them so I very well may mess with the wiper situation when the dash is out. This approach is what drove my successful heated steering wheel project (not one of the 65 since the final version is waiting for warmer weather). Then again something else may jump higher on the priority like the sliding glass 46" x 46" sunroof that has been designed and engineered, or the power left rear window to replace the fixed glass there. Or I may just drive the car to Connecticut and get on my sailboat (way more than 300 mods) and go sailing.

Duncan

[DuncanS]

Got out my spare wiper assembly and I have to say, this is going to be one of the easiest mods I'll have done.

All that is required is to remove a section of the long link by the distance to move the pivot, reweld, and add that same amount into the short link and the motor mount. The factory motor mounts in the cowl can be used and the driver's side pivot will just go back in it's original hole. The passenger's side pivot will get cut out and be welded in the new location and the cut-out welded back in the old position. Body putty, primer and a bit of paint. 25 years of stone dings and road sand blasting has taken it's toll, so this would be the perfect time to gussie up the old girl.

In terms of the washer--

This was a mod I made years ago to accept arm mounted washer jets. I was sick of the blade blocking the stream. It works incredibly well as it sprays in a large fan pattern both above and below and the full length of the blade. A small hole gets drilled in the tin and a grommet surrounds the rubber tube which doesn't seem to mind the twisting. Before, I just abandoned the old jets, but with welding and new paint this will be the time to do it right.

D

[Sodo]

[ALIKA T3]

[DuncanS]

I considered the pantograph concept by just adding a new dummy arm and pivot where I wanted it, but decided that it would just be extra parts to ice up and wear out. The pantograph system is what the busses and trucks use so the blade stays mostly vertical and effectively wipes sideways. Our small area of glass should do fine (as millions of owners haven't really complained) with the conventional passenger car system. My only complaint was they just didn't get the passenger pivot in the right spot which will get corrected this summer. As I go with the welding, etc., I'll take a bunch of photos and post them right at the end of the project so that it won't take too much time to cover the thing from start to finish.

I'm amazed that with all the Vanagon nuts we all are that no one else seemed to wonder about the wiper geometry. As Butcher said, I guess I'm just one of those guys who seems to like to "go against the grain"

The wiper is only because I have to replace the front heater motor as the left outboard bearing is so worn that the shaft wobbles around with a 100db chatter. As with all my Vanagons I inserted a copper oiler tube that goes down through the dash and plastic of the blower chamber delivering the oil directly to the bearing. A drop or two every 4 months and you NEVER have to worry. Unfortunately, the PO let it sit frozen too long and the corrosion ruined the shaft even after freeing it up. The real against-the-grain Summer project is going to be using a powered passenger door window to replace the fixed left rear glass with a triangular bit of fixed glass to fill in the rest of the space. I'll create a thread for that one as it develops.

[zak99B5]