Windshield wipers, am I ..duuuuhhhhh

[VisPacem]

Hello

I forwarded an enquiry to the good folks at Van Cafe. They very kindly and very quickly responded.

I am still confused by the details provided to improve the efficiency of the wipers.

My question to them :

"" Note when we install these blades we generally give the wiper arm a greater arc Could you elaborate ? the "greater arc" "inside" or "out" ? I need new wipers but I would want to make sure I install them correctly. ""

Their answer:

""Greater arc - instead of the arm being almost parallel with the windshield, we grab both ends of end and give it a little bend so it moves away from the windshield in the center. This gives it a little more spring pressure on the blade to the windshield giving it a better wipe and in effect shortens the arm a hair. ""

My understanding is that if we bend the arm by pulling both ends it will indeed provide a larger arc but move the center of the blade closer to the windshield, no?

Meaning we should get more pressure on the center of the blade and less on the ends, the tips. Am I right ?

Anyway the reason for this post is
1- I hate to bother those nice people at VC again
2- Someone else may benefit from this info AND the comments which I assume will follow.

Thanks
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LG aka VisPacemPB, *The* party Pooper

No Regrets (Nothing to do with Vanagons)

[RCB]

Are you refering to a particular brand of wiper...the Bosch Icon blades are a fine fit and hug the windshield without doing the hop skip and jump.

[hiram6]

I'd be somewhat amazed if this really made any significant difference, but that's not really what you're asking,

I think the confusion may be in the words and what they are referencing.

When VC/Peter says "give it a little bend so it moves away from the windshield in the center." I think he is referring to the fact that it will move the center of the ARM a little bit further away from the glass.

When you say "move the center of the blade closer to the windshield, no?" you are no longer referring to the same thing that Peter is. You're talking the center of the blade, he's talking about the center of the arm.

You are both correct, but referencing different points of the mechanism. I guess the idea is that putting a little more arc in the arm, you increase the pressure at the end of the arm, which (as you rightly point out) puts a little more pressure on the blade.

What problem are we trying to overcome here? Do you have a problem with high speed lift?
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1985 Westy, 1.9L automatic (Daisy)
1996 Mazda Miata
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited

You can't lie around on the beach and drink rum all day.................unless you start first thing in the morning.

[iltis74]

I think you're both on the same page. If you deform the wiper at the center or it doesn't flip over when changing directions you bent the arm too much, but otherwise the more the merrier. The blade itself should be keeping pressure on the tips, not the arm, and if they start pulling up either the center is already being deformed or the wiper is done.