Wiper arm stub shaft thingy retrofit hot mess

[SquareRoot]

Next up on my 85 modernization project is the ****** factory wipers! Actually, the factory motor and linkage system is fine. I have added the delay module and rebuilt the column with a new muti-funtion switch.

What I can't stand is the wiper arm/squirter/ wiper blade setup. I think it sucks balls and I hate the limited selection of cheesy OEM wiper blades available. Mine usually dry rot and fall apart before their first use.

Without looking at the splined shaft that attaches to the arm, I'm thinking that I can just make a change there by either finding later model arms that fit the shaft or replacing the shafts with later ones that use newer arms.

The big question is, did the shafts switch size (diameter, metric vs SAE, etc.) like everything else around the 85-86 timeframe?

Any other ideas or comments are more than welcome.

 

[Bextreme04]

Almost any wiper will fit my 1980 wiper shaft.... why are you having trouble finding replacement blades?

 

[PrairieDrifter]

The 84 and below wiper arms are the ones that actually suck. I just swapped on some 85 and up arms on my suburban, they work great.

You don't have a selection because the windshields on squares aren't like new cars, squares have pretty vertical "short" windshields. New cars have slanted back, long windshields so they can fit much bigger wiper blades. This leads to newer cars having less blind spots in the windshield during snow or whatever weather.

It's just the way the cookie crumbles on this one. I believe I've been using the mid tier Michelin blades, the rain-x blades suck, the lower tier Michelin's suck.

 

[SquareRoot]

The 84 and below wiper arms are the ones that actually suck. I just swapped on some 85 and up arms on my suburban, they work great.

You don't have a selection because the windshields on squares aren't like new cars, squares have pretty vertical "short" windshields. New cars have slanted back, long windshields so they can fit much bigger wiper blades. This leads to newer cars having less blind spots in the windshield during snow or whatever weather.

It's just the way the cookie crumbles on this one. I believe I've been using the mid tier Michelin blades, the rain-x blades suck, the lower tier Michelin's suck.

I don't think that matters. The arms are spring loaded, they will self adjust to the angle of the glass.

The blades I can find are a skinny, one edge blade that only comes as an entire assembly. I don't need new arms every time I change them.

 

[Shorty81]

**** can it...buy an LS truck

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[PrairieDrifter]

I don't think that matters. The arms are spring loaded, they will self adjust to the angle of the glass.

The blades I can find are a skinny, one edge blade that only comes as an entire assembly. I don't need new arms every time I change them.

I'm slightly confused..

 

[PrairieDrifter]

So are your arms garbage or you can't find good wiper blades?

I only mentioned the windshield angle because the front glass is much larger on new cars, and the different shape makes it easier to clean more of the windshield. But that's also why almost all new cars have above 18 inch wiper blades, hence more selection. As I believe squares factory are 16 inches long, maybe could fit 17's

I'm just confused on what the problem is... I thought I knew but I don't.. lol