Hello everyone. Here is another update of my section "Crazy Hands". And as usual, we will do everything with our own hands and in field conditions.
I am sure that many motorists have an idea of what wiper blades are (in common people - wipers), and the fact that they have plastic plugs on their sides that fix an elastic band that cleans windshield from water, snow and mud. It is this plug that we will repair today, or rather fix the rubber band, because the plug got lost somewhere along the way ...
Immediately I apologize for the quality, I had to take pictures with a tablet with a lousy camera.
It was like this, we drove out of town, lost a plug on the way, not a single auto shop in the neighborhood. There was nothing to be done, it was necessary to repair it from improvised means so that the windshield would not be scratched in the rain.
This is how the stub looks like:
And this is what we will be repairing:
As you can see from the photo, there is no plug at the end of the wiper blade (wiper), which is why the rubber band constantly runs away, and the "ribs" that should hold it are scrambling and scrambling, which can lead to unpleasant scratches.
The structure of the frameless wiper blade is extremely simple, and therefore its repair does not take much time. For repairs we need:
1. Stationery or construction knife;
2. ;
3. Self-confidence.
To begin with, I determined the place where the clamp will pass in order to fix the elastic band tightly with it. If you look closely at the photo, you can see that the "ribs" have symmetrical grooves. It is precisely at their level that we will make a through hole in the wiper's elastic band for tight fixation of the clamp.
It is extremely inconvenient to make a hole, because the elastic is tight. Therefore, we do everything very carefully, and it is desirable that the hole is not very wide. The wider it is, the easier it is to break the elastic by passing the tie through it.
Then, you need to thread the tie through the hole. Pay attention that the screed lock on the installed wiper is closer to the hood than to the glass. Otherwise, it can interfere with the snug fit of the wiper to the windshield and scratch it.
Pay close attention to how the screed runs. The rubber band of the wiper blade has, as it were, "gills". It was between them that I made a hole in order to preserve the cleaning properties of the wiper. Otherwise, the contact of the rubber to the glass would not be tight, and the repair of the wiper blade would only give a visual effect.
Have you done it? Wonderful. Now we carefully start tightening, not forgetting to tweak the screed lock. It must be tweaked very delicately so as not to tear the hole in the gum.
After tightening, we saw off the dangling end with the same clerical knife.
Well, actually, that's how I ended up doing it. In my opinion, it turned out not bad. Yes, and on a car, after installation, it is not noticeable, unless of course you know and do not look closely ...
Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of what the repaired wiper blade looks like on the car ... But I will say one thing that we got back in the rain normally. The brush retained its original function and did not scratch the glass.
I will not say that the repair of the wiper blade, which I described in this post, is ideal, but, as I wrote above, the repair was carried out in the field from improvised means. What I found, I screwed it up)))
Time spent at most 10 minutes. I strongly recommend that you use this method only in emergency situations and replace the wiper blade as soon as possible. Fortunately, the prices for them are not very high, and you can only spend money on one, and not on a set. Don't save money on your own safety.
That's probably all. All questions, additions and thoughts are left in the comments.
P.S. Do not forget to subscribe to my updates and, tell your friends about the project, leave detailed comments on the topic, do retweets, like, click on "I like" and ... Well, you yourself know everything)))
Thank you for the attention.
Since wiper blades are often used incorrectly or in unfavorable conditions, their rapid wear is far from uncommon. But if you drive on domestic roads in rain or snow with faulty wipers, this can cause a traffic accident.
If for some reason it is not possible to replace faulty parts with new ones in the near future, the motorist can try to restore the wipers on his own. To do this, you will have to carry out the restoration of the supporting frame, as well as replace the worn-out rubber elements. Almost everyone can restore the wipers with their own hands - it will not take much time, and as a result, the wipers will be fully restored.
Step-by-step instruction:
1. First of all, it is necessary to release the locking girth. This is done so that you can remove the removable rubber band.
2. Thoroughly clean the surface of the wipers, and after cleaning thoroughly treat it with a special compound. A multifunctional tool such as WD-40 grease or any other composition with similar functionality may well be suitable.
3. Using the pliers, correct all the backlashes in the hinges (if any, of course). If there are no pliers, it is quite possible to carefully use a regular hammer for these purposes. Under no circumstances should the hinges interfere with the free movement of the brush arms. If the rubber pads are in good condition, It's enough.
4. If the rubber components have served their time and need to be replaced, then you should not delay with this. Using the old rubber band as a template, adjust the length of the new rubber band. Just in case, be sure to leave a little for a margin: about 5-7 millimeters will be enough. In the future, the excess gum can be easily cut off. However, the "tail" of the elastic should be trimmed only after the wiper has been fully assembled.
5. Reinstall the new rubber piece with the adapter. Fix the entire structure with ordinary tape. Next, install the elastic in the bearing part of the brush from the side of the locking girth. Clamp the girth with pliers and carefully insert the rubber element to the end, fixing it in the remaining girths. Of course, you can buy rubber elements directly with an adapter at a replacement car shop, however, in order to correct such an element, you will have to use special scissors for cutting metal. If the motorist prefers to use old adapters that are practically not subject to wear, such a problem will not arise.
In bad weather conditions, traffic safety directly depends on the health of the glass cleaning system. Therefore, if the brushes leave stripes on the glass, it's time to think about restoring the performance of the wipers.
There are several ways in which you can restore the performance of the "wipers". The simplest, but costly, is the installation of new brushes. It is more affordable for finance to restore the supporting frame and replace the rubber element of the old brushes.
Criterias of choice
The range of wiper blades on the Ukrainian auto parts market is quite large. Such brands as Bosch, Champion, Trico, SWF DuoTec, Valeo, Klaxcar, Aldi, Alka, etc. are represented. Moreover, almost every brand can meet the needs of a large fleet of cars. The brush blades are silicone, graphite-silicone, Teflon and just rubber. All materials have different coefficients of friction and elasticity, so the characteristics of these products differ. Silicone ones retain their elasticity better at subzero temperatures, so they work well in winter and wear out less. Graphite and Teflon provide a low coefficient of friction, which makes these brushes durable and quiet.
Rubber elements (blades) are rare on the market. But if it is not possible to buy good "wipers", then using such a "repair kit" is the best way to solve the problem. It should be remembered that by installing new blades, a noticeable improvement in the quality of cleaning may not be achieved. The reason for this is the loose hinges of the supporting frame of the brush. The operability of the metal hinges can be restored by eliminating the backlash on their own, but the plastic ones are not repairable. This must be taken into account when buying new "wipers".
The resource of brushes depends not only on their quality, but also on compliance with the rules of operation. If they are violated, the durability of the "wipers" can be reduced by two or three times, that is, they will last not two or three years, but only a year.
In the hinges of some cheap windshield wipers, the backlash is increased even before installation, so it is advisable to check their "rigidity" upon purchase. If the question arises: to buy cheap new brushes or restore old ones with a good frame, the second option should be preferred.
Required adjustments
There are situations when even expensive brushes do not clean glass efficiently. This is because other factors also affect the operation of the wipers - for example, the correct adjustment of the washer nozzles. For normal operation of the wipers, the supplied stream of liquid should fall vertically, capturing 80 - 90% of the width of the cleaning sector. The nature of wetting is influenced by several factors - the angle of inclination of the windshield, the pressure of the jet and the angle of its supply. And since these indicators are different for all cars, individual adjustments to the washer nozzles are necessary.
In "Soviet" cars, the angle of inclination of the windshield relative to the vertical is small, and the pump is low-power. Therefore, when the car is at a standstill, adjust the washer jet so that it is directed above the middle of the glass. When moving, the air flow will knock it down below, which will ensure normal working conditions for the wipers. In streamlined foreign cars with powerful washers, the jet should be applied below the middle of the glass, since when moving, the air flow will begin to "lubricate" the liquid that has fallen on the glass upwards, and thus the entire cleaning sector will be wetted. If the glass of a foreign car has a small angle of inclination, the water will be blown away not upwards, but to the sides. To avoid this, the jet must be directed to the center of the glass.
In some vehicles, the cleaning sector does not provide the driver with good visibility - for example, one of the sides of the glass is not sufficiently covered. This can be corrected by resetting the lever to one or two splines. Cleaning is also impaired if the brush arm spring loses its elasticity. In this case, you can slightly bend the lever itself, making sure that its cross-section is parallel to the glass. In this case, it is impossible to "bend the stick", since excessive pressing force leads to deformation of the blade and deterioration of the cleaning quality.
Sometimes, when the wipers are working, the blade does not "shift", that is, it remains as it was directed in one direction. However, when moving in the other direction, it begins to experience great resistance, so its movement is accompanied by "jumping" and vibration. The reasons for this behavior may be the loss of elasticity of the blade, which is "frozen" in one position after prolonged inactivity, or helical twisting of the brush arm when its tip is not parallel to the glass.
We hope this article will help you to feel confident behind the wheel in any weather, having complete undistorted information about the traffic situation.
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Alexander Landar, Yuri Datsyk
Photo by Andrey Yatsulyak and Sergey Kuzmich
Noticing that the windshield wipers do not clean the windshield properly, many motorists decide to change the brushes immediately. In fact, there are several ways to fix wiper blades, giving your wipers a second life.
Reasons for replacing wipers Reasons for poor brush performance
Before proceeding with the repair of car wipers, you need to figure out what is the reason for their poor performance:
How to repair wiper blades
The method of repairing car wiper blades should be chosen, taking into account the reason for their poor performance:
How to change wiper blades
If the rubber band cannot be restored, and the wiper frame is still in excellent condition, then replace it. Removing this tape is quite simple:
- first bend the tape holders with a screwdriver
- using small pliers, spread the tabs on the tab so that the tape can be easily pulled out
- as you took out the tape, pull out the elastic plates from it, if they are bent, then pay attention to which side in order to correctly install the plates in the groove of the new tape.
- a new tape must be passed with a groove through the rocker arm clamps, if one of the supports of the clamp does not provide easy movement, or the belt is too loose in it, then expand the legs or vice versa, squeeze them
- after you have tucked the tape into the legs of the rocker arms, then squeeze the retainer with pliers and install the brush on the wiper.
Having correctly identified the cause of the poor performance of the brushes and correctly repaired them, you will get rid of the need to change the wiper. This will save you money and ensure your safety. The driver does not look through the dirty glass all the way, which can lead to very sad consequences.
Moscow Automobile and Highway State University, Moscow. Education level: Higher. Faculty: AT. Specialty: Engineer spec. Automobiles and automotive industry. Experience in the automotive industry (master consultant ...
12 commentsAnton says:
When it came time to change the windshield wipers, there was no way to tighten the rubber, as it simply did not fit. There were advice to cut it. But the possibilities of hot water turned out to be unpredictable. Not only is this a tool that is in every home, it does not require any financial investments at all. Or the same gasoline, always at hand, even if you need to put the wipers in order on the road.
Igor says:
Since his student years, the teacher advised, as a joke, to soak the erasers in gasoline so that they could wipe the pencil better on whatman paper. So I tried it for the windshield wipers. This turns out to be the best and most common method of extending the life of wipers. Moreover, gasoline is such a tool that is always next to the driver.
Oleg says:
Tell me which brushes for wipers are better - frame or frameless?
Valentine says:
Oleg, depending on which point of view to consider. Aesthetically, they are frameless, besides, they are better pressed against the glass, which means that they should be better cleaned of any dirt on the glass. In addition, it is almost impossible to find a replacement for the rubberized tape on them. And if you look at the replacement of frame wipers, then they are easy to use, even a girl can change a brush or tape. In addition, they are much cheaper than frameless ones and will last you longer.
Fedor says:
When asked which wipers are better for a car, keep in mind that you choose them not for yourself, but for the car. Therefore, they need to be considered and compared from a functional point of view. It is clear that they all have drawbacks. But from an objective point of view, frame wipers are better.
Mark says:
When it became a question of choosing wipers for a car, without the slightest hesitation, the choice fell on frameless. The main criterion was that they do not block the road view as much as the frame ones. About the fact that they are expensive and it is difficult to find a replacement for them. Yes, they cost a lot, but it's not a pity to give money for their versatility. You can find a replacement for absolutely any thing, but in skilled hands, it is possible to change both the brush and the rubberized part.
Gregory says:
Previously, the question often arose about which wiper blades were better. Tip - try both types in work. This way you will know all their work from start to finish. The decision came immediately - only frameless, since they are universal for any season and weather conditions. In winter, there are problems with frame wipers, sometimes they just break. And frameless, thanks to frost-resistant rubber and special fluids, will be able to clean the windshield of ice.
With your own hands and at least for a while. We use proven products and extend the life of the wiper blades.
Lubricate with gasoline
The effect is short-term, suitable for "dead" brushes, which are no longer a pity, and there is no time to buy new ones. Graphite spraying will not survive a collision with gasoline, but it is responsible for the quality of sliding on glass and the absence of a squeak. So it is worth soaking the "wipers" in gasoline only as a last resort. Again, after the gasoline evaporates from the rubber, the condition of the brush will be even worse.
Note! After moistening with gasoline, the brushes should be washed with warm soapy water.
Lubricate with silicone
The glide will get too steep like the world figure skating champions! Accordingly, the quality of glass cleaning, on the contrary, will sharply decrease.
Lubricate with "White Spirit"
Nice liquid and interesting effects. Only work with this solvent carefully, wearing personal protective equipment and in a well-ventilated area. Again, the effect will be short-term, and "White Spirit" will not turn old brushes into new ones.
Lubricate with glycerin
Ordinary pharmacy glycerin "knows how" to soften hardened rubber. Before application, the brush must be cleaned of dust and dirt, and then washed and dried. After applying glycerin to the surface, it is allowed to soak.
Wash in hot water
Water with a temperature of 50-60 degrees will remove the surface layer of grease from the rubber. However, it will take half an hour to keep the brushes in water, and the effect will not last long.
Restore the shape of the brush
If the working surface of the brush is worn out, then you can extend the service life of the accessory and restore the cleaning properties with sandpaper. Take a plate of non-bending material (strong plywood, for example), glue fine-grained sandpaper to it and gently process the rubber edge of the brush so that it becomes rectangular. The method has disadvantages: if the surface is treated unevenly, then wide stripes will remain on the glass.
Secret way from a mysterious grandfather
On the Drive2 car resource there is a post about a special old-fashioned method of restoring wiper blades. You will need White Spirit (thinner gasoline) and some cigarettes. You need to get the tobacco out of the cigarettes and shake it out on a rag soaked in solvent. Then wipe the brushes with a cloth. The author of the method assures of an unusually powerful effect from tobacco, but it is better to check his words again on old brushes.
