18 replies to this topic

[johnd911]

I drive on the highway for work, 1000 miles a week. My mid 80's Loyale wagons and now my 2nd. Legacy (with winter blades) does the same thing- wiper arm lift above 70mph. I've bent arms and gone to a 16 inch drivers winter blade, BUT IT STILL LIFTS, on windy days, forget it, the arm barely skims the glass. In the summer I use a trico blade with a wing (Like all German cars have!!!). If I could only find a stronger spring. Liek i said, this is the 4th Subaru that i've had that did this. Here in Buffalo I gotta use a winter solid blade till March. AQm I the only one experiencing this? I've checked on getting "wings" off of german cars in the junk yard, but they all need a rivot hole in the arm, and that would cause the subaru arm to break.

[frag]

Had the same problem. Put on an additional spring you can get at any auto parts store. Cured it. Cheap and easy to install (without tools) the minute you understand how they're supposed to go on.
Side benifit, they make the blade better at removing snow and ice even when you're not going fast.

[johnd911]

additional? do you mean added to the current spring? or replacing the current spring. I went to a buch of auto stores and they were clueless about other springs. Please elaborate.

[frag]

You add it to the regular spring. It goes on top of the wiper arm with a leg going underneath the part closest to the pivot and the other leg on top of the arm. There's a coil spring in the middle a little like a clothes' pin spring.
i bought them at Canadian Tire store in Montreal but I've seen them about everywhere. I'm pretty sure places like Walmart, Pepboys, etc. should have them in the US.
Hope you find them.

[johnd911]

I checked on the web, they are called Sure-Wipes, made in Canada. I called all the stores you mentioned here in Buffalo, no one ever heard of them. I'll have to cross over to Fort Erie or Niagara Falls, they are JUST WHAT I NEED!. Should I try any auto parts store? Thanks for the info, it's probably cheaper to drive over, charge them and drive back than to pay shipping etc.

[Tiny Clark]

Bosch makes a wiper that has a small wind deflector on it to press the wiper against the window. Works well on my Beemer and Sube.

[alias20035]

Originally posted by Tiny Clark
Bosch makes a wiper that has a small wind deflector on it to press the wiper against the window. Works well on my Beemer and Sube.

You don't want to use a "winged" wiper in winter though, as they tend to freeze up. You want to use the winter blades with the rubber covered hinge assemblies.

The problem with winter blades is that they are taller than the normal blades and this reduces the spring pressure of the wiper arm. This reduction in spring pressure coupled with worn and weak springs prevents the blades from holding to the glass.

On my 1993 Legacy I changed the springs on my wiper arms, I was able to find a replacement spring and I drilled out the hinge rivot to replace it. Rather than riveting the wiper arm back together I used a stainless bolt and used the extra strength treadlock on the nut. Cost about $10, instead of $100 for new wiper arms.

The "Sure Wipes" do work, but they can put too much force and flatten the blade. If this happens you can adjust them, see the included instructions.

[johnd911]

absolutely positively an unknown product here in Western new York, I checked everywhere. I'll have to cross the border, "lie" about the purpose of my trip, and hit the Canadian stores. Does Wal-Mart etc. carry them, or do I have to look for a Canadian Tire store. I'll have to remove the US flag off my car, previous visits "annoyed" many anti-US people and I barely avoided alot of car damage.

[Commuter]

I don't know if Walmart has them, but Canadian Tire defintely has as Frag points out. I've seen them.

As for the tension, I think they are somewhat adjustable. That is, even thought it is a spring, one can twist it enough to cause some permanent deformation of the metal, thereby increasing (or decreasing) the pressure that it will exert once on the wiper arm.

And usually, a higher wiper will increase pressure slightly as it typically stretches the spring out a little more. People bend the arms for the very same effect when springs start weakening.

I'm in Southern Ontario and while we do not get as much snow as Buffalo, I've never had much trouble with just running regular blades year round. Yeah, you gotta smack the snow and ice out of them occasionally, but I just don't like the visual distraction of the winter covered blades. I guess you probably adjust to it. Whatever works for you.

Commuter

[johnd911]

I've tried using good summer arms in the winter, but doing mostly highway driving, I noticed the wind chill (at 65mph) just freezes the arm flex points (little hinges) after a using the washers. Dicing with semi trucks and driving mostly highway miles in the winter make the winter blades alot better for keeping a clean windshield. Today I noticed a fine scratch caused by some debris under my drivers blade, square staring me in the face is a scratch in the form of an arc right in front of my face. Almost impossible to feel with my fingernail, can it be "polished" out? and how? I can't have the glass replaced cause it's only 4 months old and there are no cracks or anything. The insurance company already replaced it. Sheesh, it's one thing after another....

[1ABAJA]

Originally posted by johnd911
I'll have to remove the US flag off my car, previous visits "annoyed" many anti-US people and I barely avoided alot of car damage.

Thanks for the laugh.... ....I can just imagine an angry mob chasing a speeding "American" Subaru! It really is funny!....the way you worded it!

Josh!

[johnd911]

I've got relatives in Toronto and used to visit there alot, so far I've had spray paint sprayed on a flag sticker, a flag broken off with antenna and a lot of rude comments similar to what some British are saying about Bush today. We get tons of Canadians coming down to see the Bills and Sabres play, but I have yet to here of anyone doing anything to them. As long as it's just a middle finger or torn flag I can live with it.

[frag]

I have not seen nor heard of such antiamericanism around here. Maybe you should come to Montreal instead.
But to display conspicuously anykind of national or religious emblem on one's car is often sufficient to get the attention of the minority of fanatics you have in any society.

[1ABAJA]

right....just more so in Canada than in the US.

Josh!

[frag]

I've heard of Canadians having trouble in the US when Canada refused to accompany Bush in it's attack on Irak. But I think (1) that this is not the place to discuss this, and (2) that we lack the objective instrument that could measure the relative level of fanatism in both our countries.

[1ABAJA]

Originally posted by frag
I've heard of Canadians having trouble in the US when Canada refused to accompany Bush in it's attack on Irak. But I think (1) that this is not the place to discuss this, and (2) that we lack the objective instrument that could measure the relative level of fanatism in both our countries.

I agree 100%!!

John, just wait to go to Canada until your mullet grows out....make sure to work on your accent! :wave:

Josh!

[frag]

...and put a maple leaf on the d... antenna!

[johnd911]

A Doug Flutie photo, a "Go Leafs" bumber sticker and maybe a Canadiens sticker, these should give me immunity.
I put the flag decal on after 9-11.

[99obw]

I have never been a huge bills fan, but Doug was the coolest bill ever! He used to have great discussions with brother wease on WCMF. He is a down to earth person. Two words, Flutie Flakes, yummy!

I go to Canada many times each year and I have always been treated nicely by Canadians. They do seem to view Americans with skepticism, and I can't blame them. If we do something stupid on a large scale because of our leadership they might just be along for the ride.

I travel to Mazinaw Lake a couple of times a year to the cottage that has been in my stepdad's family since the '30s. I went to Algonquin PP for the first time last summer, and I hope to return next year. What an amazing place. The guy at the outfitters did say that American cars were the only ones getting broken into. We didn't have any trouble. My wife and I love Toronto for a long weekend. I am very surprised at the reports of vandalism, but I guess hateful people are everywhere.

As for the wipers, I would think the spring would be the best long term solution that would leave you to use whatever wipers worked best.