Wiper blade recommendation.
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- Advanced Member
- Posts: 52
- Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2013 10:04 am
- My tercel:: 1984, 1985
- Location: Northern Nevada
Wiper blade recommendation.
My 84 and 85 both have what is referred to as "bayonet" style wiper arms. The brackets for the wiper blades that I find at Wal Mart, simply break, freeze and break, or just fly off.
Lost both last night in a snow storm. What good quality wiper blades do you recommend for sub zero, harsh Winter conditions?
Lost both last night in a snow storm. What good quality wiper blades do you recommend for sub zero, harsh Winter conditions?
- Petros
- Highest Ranking Member
- Posts: 11930
- Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
- My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
- Location: Arlington WA USA
Re: Wiper blade recommendation.
the Boshe work well, but are costly. there are better quality blades that usually have a higher quality arm and mount as well, I like the composite Teflon blades, I do not remember the brand, but it is their upper line (more expensive) blade. It lasts much longer too.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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- Advanced Member
- Posts: 52
- Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2013 10:04 am
- My tercel:: 1984, 1985
- Location: Northern Nevada
Re: Wiper blade recommendation.
Thanks. I don't mind paying more. Having the Wal Mart offerings fail during a near "white out" was awful.
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- Advanced Member
- Posts: 52
- Joined: Sun Dec 04, 2016 4:42 pm
- My tercel:: 1986 Toyota Tercel FWD 5spd
Re: Wiper blade recommendation.
I usually rock auto mine and try to stick with Bosche or Trico. For the price of a set at Advance Auto or walmart, I can usually get 3 or 4 good sets shipped from rock auto, which usually last me 2-3 years. Apparently, you're supposed to replace wipers around ever 3-6 months anyways... I go until they start streakin...
You get what you pay for, but at the same time, you can still save money if you look for the closeout and clearance deals for the same rock auto stuff. The clearance ones still have good rubber on them; unlike my skeptical friends, I've not had a bad lot of blades or oil filters from rock auto.
You get what you pay for, but at the same time, you can still save money if you look for the closeout and clearance deals for the same rock auto stuff. The clearance ones still have good rubber on them; unlike my skeptical friends, I've not had a bad lot of blades or oil filters from rock auto.
'86 T2 DLX (114,000 miles and counting)
'90 EE4 RT4WD
'92 EG VX Hatch
'95 YJ 4.0L
'05 C6 Z51 (460rwhp)
'90 EE4 RT4WD
'92 EG VX Hatch
'95 YJ 4.0L
'05 C6 Z51 (460rwhp)
- Petros
- Highest Ranking Member
- Posts: 11930
- Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
- My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
- Location: Arlington WA USA
Re: Wiper blade recommendation.
3-6 month replacement blades? sounds like junk.
We really need good wiper blades here in the PNW, and with the gravel roads I drive daily we pick up a lot of fine sand and silt on the glass, particularly after a long dry spell (about 3 weeks for this area). I have found the Teflon composite blades last about a year if I clean them off regularly (wipe down with rag and soapy water, and use silicone or armorall on them). I too have had blades fly off the arm in the middle of the storm (it flew off into road side brushes and a ditch...spent too much time looking for it and gave up), so the cheap attachments I am leery of as well.
I have tried to just replace the blade itself, and reuse the arm assembly (which is better quality on the higher priced blade assemblies), but the pivots wear out and they get sloppy (particularly after a year of heavy gritty use). So I find it is just as well to just replace the whole arm assembly with a the new blade already in it.
One time I bought in a clearance sale some techie looking double blades (in Red, for my black pathfinder, just to dress it up for fun), and to my surprise it not only worked exceptionally well, it also lasted longer. Though it too eventually wore out and I did not want to pay the full regular retail price, so I went back to the regular quality blades. likely you can get some decent ones on ebay or Amazon at a good price. These did some serious window clearing in heavy rain, snow and ice. the only ones I could find were on alibaba, so not sure of quality, though Autozone says they sell something similar.
looked like this:
We really need good wiper blades here in the PNW, and with the gravel roads I drive daily we pick up a lot of fine sand and silt on the glass, particularly after a long dry spell (about 3 weeks for this area). I have found the Teflon composite blades last about a year if I clean them off regularly (wipe down with rag and soapy water, and use silicone or armorall on them). I too have had blades fly off the arm in the middle of the storm (it flew off into road side brushes and a ditch...spent too much time looking for it and gave up), so the cheap attachments I am leery of as well.
I have tried to just replace the blade itself, and reuse the arm assembly (which is better quality on the higher priced blade assemblies), but the pivots wear out and they get sloppy (particularly after a year of heavy gritty use). So I find it is just as well to just replace the whole arm assembly with a the new blade already in it.
One time I bought in a clearance sale some techie looking double blades (in Red, for my black pathfinder, just to dress it up for fun), and to my surprise it not only worked exceptionally well, it also lasted longer. Though it too eventually wore out and I did not want to pay the full regular retail price, so I went back to the regular quality blades. likely you can get some decent ones on ebay or Amazon at a good price. These did some serious window clearing in heavy rain, snow and ice. the only ones I could find were on alibaba, so not sure of quality, though Autozone says they sell something similar.
looked like this:
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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- Advanced Member
- Posts: 52
- Joined: Sun Dec 04, 2016 4:42 pm
- My tercel:: 1986 Toyota Tercel FWD 5spd
Re: Wiper blade recommendation.
Sorry; you might have misread my comment. I was restating typical service intervals for wipers. Kind of like how some cars have 25k mile service intervals for tie rods. Sure they may not work as well as new, but they aren't bad enough to be a safety risk or justify money to replace...Petros wrote:3-6 month replacement blades? sounds like junk.
Life of blades will vary from environment to usage to care. Running wipers on a dry windshield will wear out faster. Pitted windshields with cracks or chips will eat up wiper blades. Low humidity and high temperature environments dry out blades. Sitting in direct sun dries them out. Etc. I usually get 6-9 months out of lower cost blades, but I'm okay with that because I spend significantly less over time than a good set of blades that last 9 months or longer. If the lower cost set works equally well as a higher cost set, but requires replacements 30% more frequently but cost 80% less, why pay more? This is what works for me, but I understand it may not work for everyone
'86 T2 DLX (114,000 miles and counting)
'90 EE4 RT4WD
'92 EG VX Hatch
'95 YJ 4.0L
'05 C6 Z51 (460rwhp)
'90 EE4 RT4WD
'92 EG VX Hatch
'95 YJ 4.0L
'05 C6 Z51 (460rwhp)
Re: Wiper blade recommendation.
I can say that Bosch wiper blades are worth the price. Not noisy, and no streaking.
- ARCHINSTL
- Goldie Forever
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- My tercel:: Goldie is a 1986 SR5 attualmente con Weber/also owned the first T4WD in STL in late '82
- Location: Kirkwood, a 'burb of St. Louis
Re: Wiper blade recommendation.
I buy replacement wiper "inserts" (refills?) and have been using them on replacement 18" blades I installed in 2005. The inserts are getting harder to find, however. I replace them in the Fall and again in the Spring. The last pair was $8.00 at AZ.
Tom
Tom
T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
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"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
Mark Twain
- splatterdog
- Highest Ranking Member
- Posts: 1623
- Joined: Sun Mar 26, 2006 10:26 am
- Location: Minnesota, USA
Re: Wiper blade recommendation.
Gets harder and harder to find wipers with screw on mounts. The push on ones do like to fall off. I usually go cheap/replace often on blades.
Our first winter blast I saw a "guy" pulled over and it looked like he was calling someone for help. The problem- a flipped wiper blade! Send help!!!
Our first winter blast I saw a "guy" pulled over and it looked like he was calling someone for help. The problem- a flipped wiper blade! Send help!!!
- MotorLicker
- Newbie
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Sat Jan 28, 2017 1:20 pm
- My tercel:: 1985 DX 5dr 2WD
- Location: Vancouver BC
Re: Wiper blade recommendation.
I'll add to the echo chamber and say Bosch!!
Bought a cheapo pair from lordco this winter one flew off on a bridge during a snowstorm which was pretty interesting. Luckily I still had the old Bosch to put on. Better to have a streaky old blade than one which flies off randomly.
Bought a cheapo pair from lordco this winter one flew off on a bridge during a snowstorm which was pretty interesting. Luckily I still had the old Bosch to put on. Better to have a streaky old blade than one which flies off randomly.
- marlinh
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- My tercel:: 'Everett' Blue 87 4WD Wagon (Rocky 86, recently retired)
- Location: Kootenays
Re: Wiper blade recommendation.
Hope you weren't on the Port Mann bridge. The ice bombs that fall off of that one could easily take out a Tercel!