Can You See Me Now?

WIPER BLADES

Can you see me now?

So you're driving on I-70, heading to Kansas City for a Miley Cyrus concert.  But you notice darkness in the sky off in the horizon.  And then it happens.  A single raindrop splats on the windshield.  Then, out of nowhere, buckets upon buckets of rain start to deluge your '79 Lime Green Chevy Malibu wood paneled station wagon.  Oh no!  In a time like this what are you to do?  Turn on your wipers of course.  But as they begin to swipe across your windshield things go from bad to worse.  They're not swatting away the rain as you had hoped, instead, they're just smearing all the bug guts you've been collecting since the 60's all over your windshield.  So, in an effort to make it to the concert on time, you're forced stick your head out of the driver's window and continue to K.C. in true Ace Ventura style...

Don't be that guy.

It is recommended that you, not just check, but replace your wipers once a year.  But, not all wipers are the same and when the rain and snow comes you'll be glad you choose the right blades.  It's not just a matter of convenience, it's a matter of safety.

In today's market place, there are two main types of wiper blades:

photo courtesy of www.tricoproducts.com 

They both work the same right?

Nope, not even close.

Traditional wiper blades are also known as multi contact blades.  They use what Trico is referring to in the left picture as pivoting blade claws to apply pressure to the rubber wiping element as it wipes across your windshield.  Because of this design they do not apply even pressure across the blade and they are notorious for streaking as they age.  The problem gets worse in icy conditions because if ice or snow builds up in these "blade claws"  they won't apply pressure at all, essentially making them useless.  The one advantage, if you can call it that, is that the rubber element can be replaced without replacing the entire arm, saving a few bucks at most.

Oh boy, with savings like that, I can finally afford more concert tickets.

Thankfully, engineers have built a better mousetrap when it comes to the modern wiper blade.  The beam style blade, on the right, utilizes a solid continuous backbone to apply a consistent even pressure along your curved windshield.  This results in superior performance compared to traditional wiper blades.  Another advantage of this design is that it does not allow for snow and ice to build up between the blade arm and rubber element, allowing for constant even pressure in these conditions.  And finally, typical beam blades are in fact aerodynamic, which allows them to handle much higher wind loads.  This means the wind is actually helping to push the wiper blade against your windsheild, further increasing performance.

Both blades however use good ol fashion rubber.  It is true that higher end blades use a premium silicone rubber but the sun's UV will still cause them to rot over time.  So, a vehicle that sits outside will need their wipers replaced more often, regardless of the style you choose.

In the video below it demonstrates how easy it is to replace your worn out and dangerous wipers.  So, no excuses!  Get er done.