Well, we're gettin some much needed rain now. So, im having a bit of difficulty with my wipers. Sitting or at lower speeds they clear the glass OK, but higher speeds on the hiway cause the blades to make less contact with the glass and it just smears the stuff... v. bad visibility. ive tried 3 different wiper blades to no avail. passenger side is a bit better, but drivers side is absolutely horrible. Any ideas, suggestions?? Thanks!

you could bend the arms to apply more pressure against the window. for high speeds you can buy little deflectors that go on your wiper arms to flow air "over" them at faster speeds

maybe your wiper arms need to be bent "IN" more against the windshield?

just taking a shot at it....sparks

that was fast we both posted at the same time with the same answer weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrd

i bent them a little bit, but doesnt seem to help..can the springs lose tension over time??

thanks gotta go do some rainy day laundry and theres an ACE across the street..ill see if they have a spring that matches...

Mine does the same thing, with no headwind I can go upwards of 68 with no problems, but anything past that or add a headwind and the driver side wiper starts skipping.

 

Im going to try that spring idea.

Rain-X works wonders.

Yeah, Rain-x is great.

 

On the other hand, isn't 68 fast enough to be going in the rain?

I've said it before, I'll say it again - little item called a wiper snuggie. Clips onto the wiper arm and pulls it in toward the windshield. comes in either chrome or black finish, sold in pairs and available at some auto parts stores, and most truckstops (big trucks have this problem regularly due to thier aerodynamics - or lack thereof)

 

can post a picture of them installed if ya want - just ask.

thank you for saying it again... ACE was rather low on springs and i couldn't find one that matched.. i'll have to go look for that wiper thing you mentioned...and i use RAIN X as well, but it doesn't really solve the problem. helps, yes, but doesnt fix it..

you could bend the arms to apply more pressure against the window. for high speeds you can buy little deflectors that go on your wiper arms to flow air "over" them at faster speeds

or you could replace the spring in the arm that holds your wiper blade tight to the windshield. Dunno if you will find just the springs so you might need replacment arms.

Wiper snuggies:

 

NAPA# 735-3921 (chrome), 735-3922 (black)

 

around $3.50-$4 a pair.

Yes, the snuggies were originally made for big rigs, but many "drivers" have taken to using them on thier personal vehicles as well (myself included) and have passed the things on to friends and family too. That is why I mentioned them being available at most truckstops - you will have better luck finding them there than the auto parts places.

3 or 4 bucks sounds about right on the price too - not terribly expensive and they work great! Have one on my Subie's driver side wiper now (gave the other one to mom who was having the same problem with her chevy!)

Will try to snap a quick pick tomorrow - too dark out now...

ok, hopefully the pics show up...

1st one is the snuggy itself

2nd one shows how it fits on the wiper arm.

Napa #'s are listed a few posts back..

 

 

and thanks for the pics..

oops.. i reread your post shadow and you probably searched USING the Napa numbers previously posted.. my bad...

 

i think its kind of funny what they chose to call these things.. seeing these truckers going into the store and requesting "wiper snuggies" is kind of humorous..

yer welcome! nearly forgot to take the darn pictures, been a rough week all ready!!

And yeah, it is a silly name, but they definitely work!!

Perfect! What a great fix. Gotta get some for my wagon.

 

Thanks

Blue Train, you wouldnt believe the stuff Truckers put on and in thier rigs

Add me to the Wiper Snuggie fan club.

 

Couldn't wipe worth crap for years. No luck bending arms, staring at old springs, putting new blades on.... 70 mph on a rainy day and I was screwed.

 

Hitched my britches up, walked into the local NAPA, laid down my three bucks and said "Bartender, gimme a couple-a-them wiper snuggies."

 

Being geometrically challenged, it took me longer to mount em than it did to kiss my first girlfriend (and that, my friends, took a while), but I can now report that I am Looking Forward to that first torrential downpour on I-89. These things work like a charm.