My lifelong problem with windshield-wipers is that, being 6'3",
while driving a car, my eyes's sightline to the road has always
gone through the windwhield *precisely halfway between* those two
supports that push the rubber "blade" against the windshield.


So, where *I* most comfortably look through the winshield is
where the wiper is guaranteed
to push lightly (if at all!) against the glass -- the rain/snow/ice/dirt/roadScum-hit glass.

Thus leaving a 3-inch band ("annulus") the windshield has any (if any)
effect on.

So, my first question:

Is there a windshield-wiper manufacturer who make ones that have not
two, but three, supports directly pushing the actual blade against
the glass?


And my second: how about ones made for really difficult weather,
eg northern canada or alaska, with lots of ice, freezing-rain, etc?

----- just for fun:

What about these huge semi-trucks -- drive all night in that kind of
weather, what kind of wipers do they have.

Or airplanes?

Or navy destroyers?




Thanks!

David

In article ,
(David Combs) wrote:

My lifelong problem with windshield-wipers is that, being 6'3",
while driving a car, my eyes's sightline to the road has always
gone through the windwhield *precisely halfway between* those two
supports that push the rubber "blade" against the windshield.


So, where *I* most comfortably look through the winshield is
where the wiper is guaranteed
to push lightly (if at all!) against the glass -- the
rain/snow/ice/dirt/roadScum-hit glass.

Thus leaving a 3-inch band ("annulus") the windshield has any (if any)
effect on.

So, my first question:

Is there a windshield-wiper manufacturer who make ones that have not
two, but three, supports directly pushing the actual blade against
the glass?


And my second: how about ones made for really difficult weather,
eg northern canada or alaska, with lots of ice, freezing-rain, etc?

----- just for fun:

What about these huge semi-trucks -- drive all night in that kind of
weather, what kind of wipers do they have.

Or airplanes?

Or navy destroyers?




Thanks!

David

It doesn't matter how tall you are. If your wipers are leaving streaks,
you need new wipers, that's all there is to it.

On Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:18:53 -0800, Smitty Two
wrote:

In article ,
(David Combs) wrote:

My lifelong problem with windshield-wipers is that, being 6'3",
while driving a car, my eyes's sightline to the road has always
gone through the windwhield *precisely halfway between* those two
supports that push the rubber "blade" against the windshield.


So, where *I* most comfortably look through the winshield is
where the wiper is guaranteed
to push lightly (if at all!) against the glass -- the
rain/snow/ice/dirt/roadScum-hit glass.

Thus leaving a 3-inch band ("annulus") the windshield has any (if any)
effect on.

So, my first question:

Is there a windshield-wiper manufacturer who make ones that have not
two, but three, supports directly pushing the actual blade against
the glass?

Maybe. HOw long are your wipers. Can you use wipers that are an inch
or two longer? (I had blades of different length, and I think there
are cars that use that. But last spring, I looked it up in there
book, and I'd been using a blade an inch or two shorter than
recommended. I wonder if I messed it up or the previous owner!

And my second: how about ones made for really difficult weather,
eg northern canada or alaska, with lots of ice, freezing-rain, etc?

I think I've seen those. I didn't take them seriously, or maybe I
just didnt' care because I live in Baltimore.

More below.

----- just for fun:

What about these huge semi-trucks -- drive all night in that kind of
weather, what kind of wipers do they have.

Or airplanes?

Or navy destroyers?




Thanks!

David

It doesn't matter how tall you are. If your wipers are leaving streaks,
you need new wipers, that's all there is to it.

Yeah, not just the blades but the arms. The ones I know have four
places where they attach to the blade, but the blades are stiff enough
that if they're in good condition, they should clean the whole area.

I've never had your problem, except when the blade was really old. I
normally replace only the blades and not the arms, but in this case
I'd do the arms too.

Does this happen more on the highway? Maybe not lately but I've seen
wipers with wings, airfoils, bent pieces of metal that are designed to
keep the wipers on the window at high speeds..

Also, consider Rain-X. I think it counteracts water tension and the
water remains clear, so that you can see through it while it is
running off the window, to a certain extent even without using the
wipers. I know from my own experience that that is true, but I don't
know to what degree. But it wears off and I think gets washed off. I
don't know how often it needs to be put on again, because I realized I
couldn't keep up the practice, so I stopped early. But it did work
well for a while.

On Jan 14, 9:09*pm, (David Combs) wrote:
My lifelong problem with windshield-wipers is that, being 6'3", *
while driving a car, my eyes's sightline to the road has always
gone through the windwhield *precisely halfway between* those two
supports that push the rubber "blade" against the windshield.

So, where *I* most comfortably look through the winshield is
where the wiper is guaranteed
to push lightly (if at all!) against the glass -- the rain/snow/ice/dirt/roadScum-hit glass.

Thus leaving a 3-inch band ("annulus") the windshield has any (if any)
effect on.

So, my first question:

* Is there a windshield-wiper manufacturer who make ones that have not
* two, but three, supports directly pushing the actual blade against
* the glass?

And my second: how about ones made for really difficult weather,
*eg northern canada or alaska, with lots of ice, freezing-rain, etc?

----- just for fun:

What about these huge semi-trucks -- drive all night in that kind of
weather, what kind of wipers do they have.

Or airplanes? *

Or navy destroyers?

Thanks!

David

My dum ass sister said she refused to put water in the battery because
water would freeze and changing the oil filter was good enough. Do
you change the motor oil, and tires when they are bad, or change your
underware if you stink, or just ask dumb questions as to why your car
wont stay on the road and it smells all the time and cant see outside,
you ask dumb questions. Get new wiper blades, if that dont do it get
new wiper arms. Check your tires too, air contracts as it get cold and
tires fall off from low pressure when you hit a curb. I shouldnt post
this rude response, but windshield wipers are basic stuff like wiping
your ass so you dont stink and putting gas in the tank so the car
moves.

I frequently need to "fix" or "modify" products so they work properly. This
is with brand new stuff which was not designed or manufactured properly to
begin with.

Lately I have been doing this a lot!

So... Try longer wiper blades. Maybe trim the lower portion off if it gets
in the way of something. Maybe get too long blades and the top goes over the
roof of the car at the peak, but maybe this does not harm anything and
solves your problem? Or maybe design your own wiper arm modification which
has an additional arm and spring to place a bit more pressure where you
want.

Also could be the design of that particular car/truck windshield. Try
different brands/models and see if there is the same problem. I know police
departments have some very large men and have a heck of a time finding cars
which will fit their long legs. Might want to make note of which cars they
are driving. I know they have been known to re-drill the front seat mounting
holes so the can move the front seats back further.


"David Combs" wrote in message
My lifelong problem with windshield-wipers is that, being 6'3",
while driving a car, my eyes's sightline to the road has always
gone through the windwhield *precisely halfway between* those two
supports that push the rubber "blade" against the windshield.


So, where *I* most comfortably look through the winshield is
where the wiper is guaranteed
to push lightly (if at all!) against the glass -- the
rain/snow/ice/dirt/roadScum-hit glass.

Thus leaving a 3-inch band ("annulus") the windshield has any (if any)
effect on.

So, my first question:

Is there a windshield-wiper manufacturer who make ones that have not
two, but three, supports directly pushing the actual blade against
the glass?


And my second: how about ones made for really difficult weather,
eg northern canada or alaska, with lots of ice, freezing-rain, etc?

----- just for fun:

What about these huge semi-trucks -- drive all night in that kind of
weather, what kind of wipers do they have.

Or airplanes?

Or navy destroyers?




Thanks!

David

On Jan 14, 10:09*pm, (David Combs) wrote:
My lifelong problem with windshield-wipers is that, being 6'3", *
while driving a car, my eyes's sightline to the road has always
gone through the windwhield *precisely halfway between* those two
supports that push the rubber "blade" against the windshield.

So, where *I* most comfortably look through the winshield is
where the wiper is guaranteed
to push lightly (if at all!) against the glass -- the rain/snow/ice/dirt/roadScum-hit glass.

Thus leaving a 3-inch band ("annulus") the windshield has any (if any)
effect on.

So, my first question:

* Is there a windshield-wiper manufacturer who make ones that have not
* two, but three, supports directly pushing the actual blade against
* the glass?

And my second: how about ones made for really difficult weather,
*eg northern canada or alaska, with lots of ice, freezing-rain, etc?

----- just for fun:

What about these huge semi-trucks -- drive all night in that kind of
weather, what kind of wipers do they have.

Or airplanes? *

Or navy destroyers?

Thanks!

David

David:

You ought to try wiper blades without supports, or without visible
supports. The best alternative is to buy Rain-X Latitude wiper blades,
which are shaped like a half-moon and do not have a support structure.
Look on-line for pictures to understand what I mean. I found mine at
NAPA Auto stores. If they don't exist for your car's size, try winter
wiper blades; the majority of the problems with the struts is that
they get iced up or corroded. If they are protected from the elements,
as in a winter blade, they work _much_ better.

Pierre

(David Combs) wrote:

-snip-
So, where *I* most comfortably look through the winshield is
where the wiper is guaranteed
to push lightly (if at all!) against the glass -- the rain/snow/ice/dirt/roadScum-hit glass.

Thus leaving a 3-inch band ("annulus") the windshield has any (if any)
effect on.

-snip-

One word- Bosch. Several years ago I bought the first pair as a
Christmas present for my son who is impressed by price- so I asked for
the 'most expensive wipers' as a bit of a joke. Then I rode with him
one day in hte rain. Now I won't buy anything else.

The set on my Impala is 3 yrs old & work like new. NY winters-
never been in a garage.

Jim

On 14 Jan 2009 22:09:40 -0500, (David Combs) wrote:

...


Is there a windshield-wiper manufacturer who make ones that have not
two, but three, supports directly pushing the actual blade against
the glass?

Skip the three idea. Rain-X and Bosch both make blades
without any external supports. I suggest you try one of them. I use
the Bosh and will not go back. This style also has the advantage of
no icing up of the supports in winter.




And my second: how about ones made for really difficult weather,
eg northern canada or alaska, with lots of ice, freezing-rain, etc?


Same as above

----- just for fun:

What about these huge semi-trucks -- drive all night in that kind of
weather, what kind of wipers do they have.

Really big ones.



Or airplanes?

Or navy destroyers?

The blade stands still and a round piece of glass rotates. (OK
today's may be different.





Thanks!

David

THE best wipers I have ever used (and I work in the auto parts business)
are the new Bosch ICON blades.
They have a one piece "backbone" that is precisely curved for YOUR
windshield....in fact it uses DIFFERENT blades for the driver and
passenger side....no "one size fits all".
In even the lightest drizzle they don't skip, shudder or streak and in
heavy weather they give an absolutely perfect no smear wipe. Plus the
rubber is guaranteed to last longer than any other blade on the market.
They ain't cheap. At least $20 each...or more.
But IMHO they're the best there is...bar none.




David Combs wrote:
My lifelong problem with windshield-wipers is that, being 6'3",
while driving a car, my eyes's sightline to the road has always
gone through the windwhield *precisely halfway between* those two
supports that push the rubber "blade" against the windshield.


So, where *I* most comfortably look through the winshield is
where the wiper is guaranteed
to push lightly (if at all!) against the glass -- the rain/snow/ice/dirt/roadScum-hit glass.

Thus leaving a 3-inch band ("annulus") the windshield has any (if any)
effect on.

So, my first question:

Is there a windshield-wiper manufacturer who make ones that have not
two, but three, supports directly pushing the actual blade against
the glass?


And my second: how about ones made for really difficult weather,
eg northern canada or alaska, with lots of ice, freezing-rain, etc?

----- just for fun:

What about these huge semi-trucks -- drive all night in that kind of
weather, what kind of wipers do they have.

Or airplanes?

Or navy destroyers?




Thanks!

David

"Curmudgeon" wrote in message
...
THE best wipers I have ever used (and I work in the auto parts business)
are the new Bosch ICON blades.
They have a one piece "backbone" that is precisely curved for YOUR
windshield....in fact it uses DIFFERENT blades for the driver and
passenger side....no "one size fits all".
In even the lightest drizzle they don't skip, shudder or streak and in
heavy weather they give an absolutely perfect no smear wipe. Plus the
rubber is guaranteed to last longer than any other blade on the market.
They ain't cheap. At least $20 each...or more.
But IMHO they're the best there is...bar none.


Seems to be a lot of us using Bosch now. Mine still work well after a year.
I'd never get a year from the Anco blades.

On Jan 15, 10:27�am, "Ed Pawlowski" wrote:
"Curmudgeon" wrote in message

...

THE best wipers I have ever used (and I work in the auto parts business)
are the new Bosch ICON blades.
They have a one piece "backbone" that is precisely curved for YOUR
windshield....in fact it uses DIFFERENT blades for the driver and
passenger side....no "one size fits all".
In even the lightest drizzle they don't skip, shudder or streak and in
heavy weather they give an absolutely perfect no smear wipe. �Plus the
rubber is guaranteed to last longer than any other blade on the market.
They ain't cheap. �At least $20 each...or more.
But IMHO �they're the best there is...bar none.

Seems to be a lot of us using Bosch now. �Mine still work well after a year.
I'd never get a year from the Anco blades.

The OTHER problem causiung streaking is the arms spring getting weak
by stretching over time

I never buy Anco they are cheap junk, last set were tie wrapped in
place since they came off the arms

In article ,
mm wrote:
On Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:18:53 -0800, Smitty Two
wrote:


Does this happen more on the highway? Maybe not lately but I've seen
wipers with wings, airfoils, bent pieces of metal that are designed to
keep the wipers on the window at high speeds..

Happens even when slow.

My problem is that whenever I buy new ones (this has been
true for what, 40 years?), it's very soon and it's happening
again.

Doesn't bother other people, I guess because where their
sight-line passes through the windshield is BELOW that
"annulus" that has weak pressure.


Thanks,

David

In article ,
ransley wrote:
On Jan 14, 9:09*pm, (David Combs) wrote:
My lifelong problem with windshield-wipers is that, being 6'3", *
while driving a car, my eyes's sightline to the road has always
gone through the windwhield *precisely halfway between* those two
supports that push the rubber "blade" against the windshield.

So, where *I* most comfortably look through the winshield is
where the wiper is guaranteed
to push lightly (if at all!) against the glass -- the rain/snow/ice/dirt/roadScum-hit glass.

Thus leaving a 3-inch band ("annulus") the windshield has any (if any)
effect on.

So, my first question:

* Is there a windshield-wiper manufacturer who make ones that have not
* two, but three, supports directly pushing the actual blade against
* the glass?

And my second: how about ones made for really difficult weather,
*eg northern canada or alaska, with lots of ice, freezing-rain, etc?

----- just for fun:

What about these huge semi-trucks -- drive all night in that kind of
weather, what kind of wipers do they have.

Or airplanes? *

Or navy destroyers?

Thanks!

David

My dum ass sister said she refused to put water in the battery because
water would freeze and changing the oil filter was good enough. Do
you change the motor oil, and tires when they are bad, or change your
underware if you stink, or just ask dumb questions as to why your car
wont stay on the road and it smells all the time and cant see outside,
you ask dumb questions. Get new wiper blades, if that dont do it get
new wiper arms. Check your tires too, air contracts as it get cold and
tires fall off from low pressure when you hit a curb. I shouldnt post
this rude response, but windshield wipers are basic stuff like wiping
your ass so you dont stink and putting gas in the tank so the car
moves.

OK -- but see my response to the immediately prior response.

Maybe new arms?

Anyway, do any better WIPERS exist, with MORE points of pressure
on the rubber parts?

David

In article ,
Bill wrote:
I frequently need to "fix" or "modify" products so they work properly. This
is with brand new stuff which was not designed or manufactured properly to
begin with.

Lately I have been doing this a lot!

So... Try longer wiper blades. Maybe trim the lower portion off if it gets
in the way of something. Maybe get too long blades and the top goes over the
roof of the car at the peak, but maybe this does not harm anything and
solves your problem? Or maybe design your own wiper arm modification which
has an additional arm and spring to place a bit more pressure where you
want.

Sounds good. Really good -- hacking in extra pressure.

I couldn't do it myself, not so that it would stay on at
60mph, anyway.

Any suggestions as to who to do the work? (Some machine shop?)


Thanks!


David

In article ,
wrote:

You ought to try wiper blades without supports, or without visible
supports. The best alternative is to buy Rain-X Latitude wiper blades,
which are shaped like a half-moon and do not have a support structure.
Look on-line for pictures to understand what I mean. I found mine at
NAPA Auto stores. If they don't exist for your car's size, try winter
wiper blades; the majority of the problems with the struts is that
they get iced up or corroded. If they are protected from the elements,
as in a winter blade, they work _much_ better.

Pierre

Hey, sounds good.

Rain-x Latidude wiper blades.

Like they say, "google is your (ie my) friend".

Will check it out.


THANKS!

David

In article ,
Jim Elbrecht wrote:

-snip-

One word- Bosch. Several years ago I bought the first pair as a
Christmas present for my son who is impressed by price- so I asked for
the 'most expensive wipers' as a bit of a joke. Then I rode with him
one day in hte rain. Now I won't buy anything else.

The set on my Impala is 3 yrs old & work like new. NY winters-
never been in a garage.

Jim

Will FOR SURE check it out!


Sounds like maybe the answer!


Thanks!

David

In article ,
wrote:
On 14 Jan 2009 22:09:40 -0500, (David Combs) wrote:

..


Is there a windshield-wiper manufacturer who make ones that have not
two, but three, supports directly pushing the actual blade against
the glass?

Skip the three idea. Rain-X and Bosch both make blades
without any external supports. I suggest you try one of them. I use
the Bosh and will not go back. This style also has the advantage of
no icing up of the supports in winter.




And my second: how about ones made for really difficult weather,
eg northern canada or alaska, with lots of ice, freezing-rain, etc?


Same as above



Hey, sure is nice to get the same recommendation from
more than one respondent!


Bosch vs Rain-x -- what difference? Any?


Thanks!

David

(David Combs) wrote in
:


Maybe new arms?

my thought,too.

Anyway, do any better WIPERS exist, with MORE points of pressure
on the rubber parts?

every wiper blade I've seen had FOUR pressure points on the blade.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

In article ,
wrote:
On Jan 15, 10:27�am, "Ed Pawlowski" wrote:
"Curmudgeon" wrote in message

...

THE best wipers I have ever used (and I work in the auto parts business)
are the new Bosch ICON blades.
They have a one piece "backbone" that is precisely curved for YOUR
windshield....in fact it uses DIFFERENT blades for the driver and
passenger side....no "one size fits all".
In even the lightest drizzle they don't skip, shudder or streak and in
heavy weather they give an absolutely perfect no smear wipe. �Plus the
rubber is guaranteed to last longer than any other blade on the market.
They ain't cheap. �At least $20 each...or more.
But IMHO �they're the best there is...bar none.

Seems to be a lot of us using Bosch now. �Mine still work well after a year.
I'd never get a year from the Anco blades.

The OTHER problem causiung streaking is the arms spring getting weak
by stretching over time

I never buy Anco they are cheap junk, last set were tie wrapped in
place since they came off the arms


THANKS, ALL,


Has this been one worthwhile post!


Bosch it is, I guess.


THANKS!!!!


David

PS: Like meeting the perfect woman late in life --
"where have YOU been all this time?"


D.

ransley said: My dum ass sister said she refused to put water in the
battery because water would freeze and changing the oil filter was good
enough. Do you change the motor oil, and tires when they are bad, or
change your underware if you stink, or just ask dumb questions as to why
your car wont stay on the road and it smells all the time and cant see
outside, you ask dumb questions.
-------------------------------------------------- just turn
your underwear inside out and wear them a few more days ransley...

----------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.minibite.com/america/malone.htm

On 1/14/2009 7:09 PM David Combs spake thus:

----- just for fun:

What about these huge semi-trucks -- drive all night in that kind of
weather, what kind of wipers do they have.

Or airplanes?

Or navy destroyers?

Regarding this, seems as if all of those vehicles you mentioned have
flat windshields, making for better wiper/glass contact.

Maybe you ought to look into replacing your curved windshield with a
nice flat one ...


--
"I know I will go to hell, because I pardoned Richard Nixon."

- Former President Gerald Ford to his golf partners, as related by
the late Hunter S. Thompson

On Jan 15, 2:07*pm, (David Combs) wrote:
In article ,

mm wrote:
On Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:18:53 -0800, Smitty Two
wrote:

Does this happen more on the highway? *Maybe not lately but I've seen
wipers with wings, airfoils, bent pieces of metal that are designed to
keep the wipers on the window at high speeds..

Happens even when slow.

My problem is that whenever I buy new ones (this has been
true for what, 40 years?), it's very soon and it's happening
again.

Doesn't bother other people, I guess because where their
sight-line passes through the windshield is BELOW that
"annulus" that has weak pressure.

Thanks,

David

I have only found one wiper blade that lasts more than six months for
me, and that's the PIAA silicone ones. They're about $20 each,
though, and they're not perfect - even when brand new they leave a
little streakiness across the glass - but it never gets any worse
until the wiping edge actually wears out, and they remain pliable.
I've only had problems with them on one vehicle though, which is my
old F-150; the driver's side blade doesn't flip over readily but I
think that is because the arm is a little twisted so the blade is not
perfectly perpendicular to the glass in the parked position. they are
refillable though so the initial $40 is a one time investment, or it
looks like they would refill other typical square claw type wiper
blades.

You may also want to look at the Bosch Icon wiper blades

http://www.boschautoparts.com/Produc...lades/Icon.htm

which more directly address the question you asked, but if the wiping
edge material is the same as they used for the regular Micro Edge
blades I haven't noticed particularly good durability with them.

Now if someone could find me some silicone refills for my '55 Stude
I'd be a happy camper only thing I've found are really expensive
repros and they're just regular rubber... (I actually "upgraded" to
56-64 wipers on this car, they're still an old school stainless steel
12" blade, shared with '62 Corvette - so at least the repros *are*
available...)

nate

On Jan 15, 9:42*am, Curmudgeon wrote:
THE best wipers I have ever used (and I work in the auto parts business)
are the new Bosch ICON blades.
They have a one piece "backbone" that is precisely curved for YOUR
windshield....in fact it uses DIFFERENT blades for the driver and
passenger side....no "one size fits all".
In even the lightest drizzle they don't skip, shudder or streak and in
heavy weather they give an absolutely perfect no smear wipe. *Plus the
rubber is guaranteed to last longer than any other blade on the market.
They ain't cheap. *At least $20 each...or more.
But IMHO *they're the best there is...bar none.



David Combs wrote:
My lifelong problem with windshield-wipers is that, being 6'3", *
while driving a car, my eyes's sightline to the road has always
gone through the windwhield *precisely halfway between* those two
supports that push the rubber "blade" against the windshield.

So, where *I* most comfortably look through the winshield is
where the wiper is guaranteed
to push lightly (if at all!) against the glass -- the rain/snow/ice/dirt/roadScum-hit glass.

Thus leaving a 3-inch band ("annulus") the windshield has any (if any)
effect on.

So, my first question:

* Is there a windshield-wiper manufacturer who make ones that have not
* two, but three, supports directly pushing the actual blade against
* the glass?

And my second: how about ones made for really difficult weather,
*eg northern canada or alaska, with lots of ice, freezing-rain, etc?

----- just for fun:

What about these huge semi-trucks -- drive all night in that kind of
weather, what kind of wipers do they have.

Or airplanes? *

Or navy destroyers?

Thanks!

David- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I bought a pair of ICONs about a month ago. I'll agree they're the
best, but I won't agree that "they don't...streak and in heavy weather
they give an absolutely perfect no smear wipe".

As far as not icing up - which is their claim to fame - I still get
some icing, although it's minimal and tolerable. They do streak when
they get ice on them, but again, it's minimal and tolerable. Even the
auto-store guy who recommended them said "Any wiper is going to get
some ice on it in sleet and freezing rain."

BTW I use the wiper fluid with Rain-X mixed in and rarely use my
wipers on the highway.

On Jan 14, 11:29*pm, mm wrote:

Also, consider Rain-X.

Rain-X is horrible for windshields! In a light rain the first swipe
wipes the windshield so dry that there in no lube when the wipers come
back across, causing them to hop and/or make a loud buuuuuuuup noise.

On Jan 15, 2:09*pm, (David Combs) wrote:

Anyway, do any better WIPERS exist, with MORE points of pressure
on the rubber parts?

David

I've been using Trico Exact Fit for yrs and I've never had a problem.

http://www.tricoproducts.com/ many other models to choose from.

On Jan 20, 3:04*pm, David Nebenzahl wrote:
On 1/14/2009 7:09 PM David Combs spake thus:

----- just for fun:

What about these huge semi-trucks -- drive all night in that kind of
weather, what kind of wipers do they have.

Or airplanes? *

Or navy destroyers?

Regarding this, seems as if all of those vehicles you mentioned have
flat windshields, making for better wiper/glass contact.

Maybe you ought to look into replacing your curved windshield with a
nice flat one ...

Since about the mid-late 90's most semis have curved windshields.

"Ron" wrote in message
...
On Jan 14, 11:29 pm, mm wrote:

Also, consider Rain-X.

Rain-X is horrible for windshields! In a light rain the first swipe
wipes the windshield so dry that there in no lube when the wipers come
back across, causing them to hop and/or make a loud buuuuuuuup noise.

***********************************************
If you are talking about the Ran-X treatment, I may agree. They do, however,
make a fluid that is good down to a very low temperature and works very
well. I use either that or Prestone. Far superior to the blue stuff.

David Nebenzahl wrote:
On 1/14/2009 7:09 PM David Combs spake thus:

----- just for fun:

What about these huge semi-trucks -- drive all night in that kind of
weather, what kind of wipers do they have.

Or airplanes?
Or navy destroyers?

Regarding this, seems as if all of those vehicles you mentioned have
flat windshields, making for better wiper/glass contact.

Maybe you ought to look into replacing your curved windshield with a
nice flat one ...


Hells yes. if you can get me a good deal on an early Studebaker C-cab
pickup, or better yet, a Coupe Express, I'd be happy to trade in my F-150

Which prompts a question; did any passenger car ever come with a
flat-glass windshield *and* a high compression V-8? (pretty much
required for "daily driver" duty in modern traffic.) I'm thinking maybe
not; earliest ones I can think of are 49 Caddy, 49 Olds, and 51 Stude,
all of which had curved glass.

nate


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David Combs wrote:
In article ,
Bill wrote:
I frequently need to "fix" or "modify" products so they work properly. This
is with brand new stuff which was not designed or manufactured properly to
begin with.

Lately I have been doing this a lot!

So... Try longer wiper blades. Maybe trim the lower portion off if it gets
in the way of something. Maybe get too long blades and the top goes over the
roof of the car at the peak, but maybe this does not harm anything and
solves your problem? Or maybe design your own wiper arm modification which
has an additional arm and spring to place a bit more pressure where you
want.

Sounds good. Really good -- hacking in extra pressure.

I couldn't do it myself, not so that it would stay on at
60mph, anyway.

Any suggestions as to who to do the work? (Some machine shop?)


Thanks!


David


If you want extra pressure on the blades, just bend the arms gently to
put more arc into them.

nate


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On Jan 20, 5:07*pm, "Ed Pawlowski" wrote:
"Ron" wrote in message

...
On Jan 14, 11:29 pm, mm wrote:



Also, consider Rain-X.

Rain-X is horrible for windshields! In a light rain the first swipe
wipes the windshield so dry that there in no lube when the wipers come
back across, causing them to hop and/or make a loud buuuuuuuup noise.

***********************************************
If you are talking about the Ran-X treatment, I may agree. They do, however,
make a fluid that is good down to a very low temperature and works very
well. *I use either that or Prestone. *Far superior to the blue stuff..

Yes. It's great for all of the other glass in your car but it is
horrible for the w/s because of the reason I mentioned.

IF you've rain-x'd the windshield, you should never use the wipers.... duh.
That's what the **** is for.

--
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Just wait. You'll be cryin' for mercy after a while with Bro Bama





"Ron" wrote in message
...
On Jan 20, 5:07 pm, "Ed Pawlowski" wrote:
"Ron" wrote in message

...
On Jan 14, 11:29 pm, mm wrote:



Also, consider Rain-X.

Rain-X is horrible for windshields! In a light rain the first swipe
wipes the windshield so dry that there in no lube when the wipers come
back across, causing them to hop and/or make a loud buuuuuuuup noise.

***********************************************
If you are talking about the Ran-X treatment, I may agree. They do,
however,
make a fluid that is good down to a very low temperature and works very
well. I use either that or Prestone. Far superior to the blue stuff.

Yes. It's great for all of the other glass in your car but it is
horrible for the w/s because of the reason I mentioned.

On Jan 20, 5:42*pm, "Steve Barker"
wrote:
IF you've rain-x'd the windshield, you should never use the wipers.... *duh.
That's what the **** is for.

Doesn't do much good while sitting in traffic, now does it? Duh!

David Combs wrote:
My lifelong problem with windshield-wipers is that, being 6'3",
while driving a car, my eyes's sightline to the road has always
gone through the windwhield *precisely halfway between* those two
supports that push the rubber "blade" against the windshield.


So, where *I* most comfortably look through the winshield is
where the wiper is guaranteed
to push lightly (if at all!) against the glass -- the rain/snow/ice/dirt/roadScum-hit glass.

Thus leaving a 3-inch band ("annulus") the windshield has any (if any)
effect on.

So, my first question:

Is there a windshield-wiper manufacturer who make ones that have not
two, but three, supports directly pushing the actual blade against
the glass?


And my second: how about ones made for really difficult weather,
eg northern canada or alaska, with lots of ice, freezing-rain, etc?

----- just for fun:

What about these huge semi-trucks -- drive all night in that kind of
weather, what kind of wipers do they have.

Or airplanes?

Or navy destroyers?




Thanks!

David


Wipers seem to have become real junk quality. The reality is you just
have to keep replacing them frequently. I put silicone blades on one
vehicle and I haven't changed them for at least a year and they seem to
be lasting like blades used to. They are 3x the cost of the others so I
don't know if it makes economic sense to use them.

George wrote:
David Combs wrote:
My lifelong problem with windshield-wipers is that, being 6'3", while
driving a car, my eyes's sightline to the road has always gone through
the windwhield *precisely halfway between* those two
supports that push the rubber "blade" against the windshield.


So, where *I* most comfortably look through the winshield is
where the wiper is guaranteed
to push lightly (if at all!) against the glass -- the
rain/snow/ice/dirt/roadScum-hit glass.

Thus leaving a 3-inch band ("annulus") the windshield has any (if any)
effect on.

So, my first question:

Is there a windshield-wiper manufacturer who make ones that have not
two, but three, supports directly pushing the actual blade against
the glass?


And my second: how about ones made for really difficult weather,
eg northern canada or alaska, with lots of ice, freezing-rain, etc?

----- just for fun:

What about these huge semi-trucks -- drive all night in that kind of
weather, what kind of wipers do they have.

Or airplanes?
Or navy destroyers?




Thanks!

David


Wipers seem to have become real junk quality. The reality is you just
have to keep replacing them frequently. I put silicone blades on one
vehicle and I haven't changed them for at least a year and they seem to
be lasting like blades used to. They are 3x the cost of the others so I
don't know if it makes economic sense to use them.

I think that it does on a seldom-driven car. I've had silicone blades
on the Porsche since December of 2007. I'd have replaced regular ones
at least twice not because the wiping edges wore out but because they'd
have become hard and stopped flipping over.

Now I put silicone on my company car at the same time, and I've had to
refill them once; however I replaced them not because they had hardened
(they hadn't) but because the wiping edges were literally worn out - but
that's a lot of miles, a lot of them in rain/snow, and a lot of usage of
windshield washer to clear salt/dirt/dust etc. off of the windshield.
It doesn't help that the driver's side wiper runs over the windshield
trim at the top of its sweep. GREAT engineering, GM.

As an aside, when did it become common to tie the windshield *washer*
switch to a timed relay so that the wipers will run for several seconds
every time you hit the switch? I far prefer the old school way where
you'd spray the windshield *first* and then run the wipers manually,
especially if, say, you need to clean the windshield because it got all
dusty or muddy while you were parked. The old way would seem to be far
kinder to the blades, although if someone can prove that it really makes
no nevermind I'm willing to be educated.

nate

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On Jan 20, 7:40*pm, Nate Nagel wrote:

It doesn't help that the driver's side wiper runs over the windshield
trim at the top of its sweep. *GREAT engineering, GM.

That is nothing more than a simple adjustment.

Depending on what kind of car it is, you have to either loosen the
wiper arm nut and lower the arm...or if it's not a nut / threaded stud
type set-up, then you simply lift the wiper arm about 2" off of the
windshield and slide out the locking tab, remove the arm, and
reposition it to a slightly lower position.

Ron wrote:
On Jan 20, 7:40 pm, Nate Nagel wrote:

It doesn't help that the driver's side wiper runs over the windshield
trim at the top of its sweep. GREAT engineering, GM.

That is nothing more than a simple adjustment.

Depending on what kind of car it is, you have to either loosen the
wiper arm nut and lower the arm...or if it's not a nut / threaded stud
type set-up, then you simply lift the wiper arm about 2" off of the
windshield and slide out the locking tab, remove the arm, and
reposition it to a slightly lower position.

won't work - lower end of sweep has a little rest for the arm when the
wipers are parked, so if I did that, it'd be trying to force the arm
through the rest.

There's SO many things that GM did wrong with this wiper implementation
that I could write pages on how to improve it. And that would just
start me on a long rant on simple things that could have been done to
improve the car as a whole...

nate

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the water still beads up and runs off. Not a problem to see through
especially when sittin still. How much do you need to see whilst sittin
still?

--
All you scholars who think bush messed up..... You ain't seen nothin' yet!
Just wait. You'll be cryin' for mercy after a while with Bro Bama





"Ron" wrote in message
...
On Jan 20, 5:42 pm, "Steve Barker"
wrote:
IF you've rain-x'd the windshield, you should never use the wipers....
duh.
That's what the **** is for.

Doesn't do much good while sitting in traffic, now does it? Duh!

On Jan 20, 8:11*pm, Nate Nagel wrote:
Ron wrote:
On Jan 20, 7:40 pm, Nate Nagel wrote:

It doesn't help that the driver's side wiper runs over the windshield
trim at the top of its sweep. *GREAT engineering, GM.

That is nothing more than a simple adjustment.

Depending on what kind of car it is, you have to either loosen the
wiper arm nut and lower the arm...or if it's not a nut / threaded stud
type set-up, then you simply lift the wiper arm about 2" off of the
windshield and slide out the locking tab, remove the arm, and
reposition it to a slightly lower position.

won't work - lower end of sweep has a little rest for the arm when the
wipers are parked, so if I did that, it'd be trying to force the arm
through the rest.

There's SO many things that GM did wrong with this wiper implementation
that I could write pages on how to improve it. *And that would just
start me on a long rant on simple things that could have been done to
improve the car as a whole...

nate

It doesn't matter, you can still lower the arm, it will just rest more
tightly against the wiper stop. What kind of car is it?

On Jan 20, 8:11*pm, "Steve Barker"
wrote:
the water still beads up and runs off. *Not a problem to see through
especially when sittin still. *How much do you need to see whilst sittin
still?

Not ALL of the water runs off. And you need to be able to see in stop
and go traffic, or when driving at low speeds. When they first came
out with the product it said "for high speed driving" right on the
bottle. And that is about all it's good for when applied to the W/S.

Whatever, go put a whole bottle of the crap on your windshield.

Ron wrote:
On Jan 20, 8:11 pm, Nate Nagel wrote:
Ron wrote:
On Jan 20, 7:40 pm, Nate Nagel wrote:
It doesn't help that the driver's side wiper runs over the windshield
trim at the top of its sweep. GREAT engineering, GM.
That is nothing more than a simple adjustment.
Depending on what kind of car it is, you have to either loosen the
wiper arm nut and lower the arm...or if it's not a nut / threaded stud
type set-up, then you simply lift the wiper arm about 2" off of the
windshield and slide out the locking tab, remove the arm, and
reposition it to a slightly lower position.
won't work - lower end of sweep has a little rest for the arm when the
wipers are parked, so if I did that, it'd be trying to force the arm
through the rest.

There's SO many things that GM did wrong with this wiper implementation
that I could write pages on how to improve it. And that would just
start me on a long rant on simple things that could have been done to
improve the car as a whole...

nate

It doesn't matter, you can still lower the arm, it will just rest more
tightly against the wiper stop. What kind of car is it?

2005 Impala.

One that a coworker had was the exact same way. I am not motivated to
do crap to it as I loathe it and it's 10K overdue to be turned in, anyway.

nate

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