Quick release windshield wiper ideas?

[MetroMPG]

My car's wipers are fully exposed to airflow.

I've been driving without the blades on the wiper arms in good weather, but I'd like also to completely remove the arms when not needed.

But I don't want to have to remove & reinstall the nut and get the wiper arm perfectly aligned on the splines each time.

I'm not willing to drive with just rain X and forego the wipers altogether. It works OK in certain conditions, but not all.

Can anyone think of how to rig a "quick release" to make this easier & quicker?

[cfg83]

Hi MetroMPG -

I was thinking about this too. I don't have a picture with me, but where the wiper pivots "up" for removal on my car, there is a pin that could be cut off and replaced with a cotter pin. Here is a website :

http://www.pivotpins.com/

For example, here is something called a Rue-Ring :

http://www.pivotpins.com/catalog/RueRing.shtml



The only problem I see is making it tight enough so that it wouldn't wiggle laterally (drag on your window). But maybe some washers would do the trick.

If done right, this might be a pretty quick job. The only problem I see is that on my car I think the "under-spring" is attached to the pin, so install/removal may be a pain in the ***.

CarloSW2

[MetroMPG]

I thought of that as well, but I have the same concern - about the tightness of the arm. Also, my spring is in the way there too.

I'll have to go have a look at the distance between the arm's pivot point (for sweeping the glass) and the "elbow" that lets you flip up the arm to clean the glass/change wipers. If it's long enough maybe you could cut it and fashion a quick release in there somehow without interfering with the spring and "elbow".

[Coyote X]

that picture is of a wiper cowl for a F150 or something. I thought of making something like that for the wipers and to help the air make the turn to go up the windsheild a bit easier than it is now. Plus the wipers would just work without having to stop on the side of the road to put them back together in the rain. Those things seem real expensive in most stores on the internet for a small piece of molded lexan though so I would recommend making one out of fiberglass using urethane foam to form the shape. Should be cheap and if done right could help the aero much more than just taking the wipers off.

[MetroMPG]

How do you know?

I taped "pads" on mine. Haven't hit the switch yet...

I don't want to have to use any tools to remove/reinstall. My convenience & laziness threshold sees that as too high a barrier.

[cfg83]

theclencher -

Originally Posted by theclencher

Shame your cars have nuts that hold those arms on. Mine are held on the splined shafts with a little clip, easily released with the aid of a small screwdriver.

I don't have any clever solutions for you guys except to make a dimple or slash with a pin punch or chisel, or use paint or permanent marker, to ease alignment and carry the socket or wrench that you need along with.

I wouldn't run the arms w/o the blades though; it's far too easy to bump that wiper lever and unless you've taped up the end or something, you will get a nice scratch on your windshield. Ask me how I know.

That's why I haven't done it. Hmmmmmmm, , but maybe I could remove the wiper fuse and thereby disable the wipers! To re-install, turn off car, insert fuse, turn on car !

CarloSW2

[MetroMPG]

Why just the blades? "Every little bit helps" is my thinking. Even if it's just a tiny bit. Flow is still disrupted, but not as much.

I like Coyote X's idea for adding a shaped deflector, but I can' see a way of doing that easily. I think taking the arms off will be simpler than making a deflector.

[Ryland]

fill one groove with jb weld, and file a spline off so you have a fool proof index, then with the jb weld out epoxy on a few rare earth magents on to the bace of the shaft, and the back side of the amr to hold it all together, then it's just a matter of sliping the arm over the shaft and it snaps in to place.
I'll look again, but our 2000 metro seems to have the area around the wipers pretty close to filled in as it is that a deflector doesn't seem like it might do alot of good.

[DRW]

On my other car I just rotated the wipers by one notch of the splines so they sit further down behind the hood when they're off. I also checked to make sure they still make a full sweep of the windshield when they're in use.
This didn't work on my Laser.

[rh77]

I have one concern -- For Example: It's a bright sunny day in Ontario, and you're moving along an Intra-Provincial highway and there's a muddy/wet spot in the road for some reason. Now the spray from the vehicles ahead cause your visibility to be dangerously decreased.

I like the idea of an aerodynamic sweep, for safety purposes. Is there a way to fabricate some plexiglas or cloroplast to fit the bill?

RH77

[tomauto]

I know for a fact rain-x works wonders for a windshield....above 45 mph.

[Coyote X]

http://fordtruckworld.tenmagazines.c...n-427496-pos-1

There is a quick search on google images for a wiper cowl cover. Looks pretty simple to install on a truck anyway

Not sure if it would attach to the hood or the plastic base under the wipers on a metro. It would take some playing around with some stiff plastic to get something that seems about right. If I rounded up some materials and had time I could probably make up something using either roofing tin or hard plastic. I probably won't actually get into doing it on my car though since it seems like rust is starting to eat away the unibody so the next major thing I do aerodynamically to my metro is probably put the drivetrain into a can am style kit car of some sort.

[cfg83]

Hello me -

Originally Posted by cfg83

theclencher -

(writing about wiper arms without wipers damaging window glass)

That's why I haven't done it. Hmmmmmmm, , but maybe I could remove the wiper fuse and thereby disable the wipers! To re-install, turn off car, insert fuse, turn on car !

CarloSW2

I just checked. My (25 Amp) wiper fuse is inside my car. I could make it even more slick by connecting a 25 Amp car switch wired into where the fuse is inserted. That way, I wouldn't even have to remove the panel to activate the wipers. Still have to be carefull, though. Maybe a "failsafe" covered switch to look even slicker.

Would a "switch" harm the function of the fuse panel? I ask because accidently turning on the switch would be the same as inserting a fuse into the panel while the car is running.

With the wiper/fuse switch option, I would be stuck with the wiper arms. At a minimum, I would cover the ends with vacuum plugs to protect the glass.

Hmmmmmmm. How about this? I *could* devise some sort of "aero-wiper-cowl" to cover the arms, and use the wiper blade connector to fasten them on. Ideally, the air would flow over the cowl in a clean manner. Worst case would be that the air stream gets under the cowl and pulls up the wiper arm. The goal is that the spring in the wiper arm would be strong enough to keep the cowl snug on the freeway. The definition of "snug" in this case would be maybe 80 MPH or less.

Random thought. Is this an opportunity for Vortex Generators on the cowls?

I am imagining "green leafy" cowl shapes in my head (long/thin, tapering on each end), but I am sure something else would be better. Maybe just black rubbery plastic cut and fitted to take advantage of where the wiper arm lies on the cusp of the hood/window.

CarloSW2

[MetroMPG]

Man, lots of thought going into this wiper question for probably un-measurable gains.

So far, I think the wing nut and full arm removal idea seems the simplest compromise.

I'm actually currently using the wing nut method to snug my alternator down, so I can de/install the belt without tools.

[Ryland]

something to remember, past the safty issue of hitting a mud puddle, and not being able to see anything, is that if you get pulled over for any reason (out of date plates, dim tail light, weird looking car) and they notice you don't have wipers installed, you will get a ticket.

[JanGeo]

use a strip of magnetic sign material to cover the wipers and deflect air over them - usually the air flow over the blades are minimal as the air damns up against that part of the windshield - try to park them lower or extend the hood over them.

[cfg83]

Ryland -

Originally Posted by Ryland

something to remember, past the safty issue of hitting a mud puddle, and not being able to see anything, is that if you get pulled over for any reason (out of date plates, dim tail light, weird looking car) and they notice you don't have wipers installed, you will get a ticket.

Well, that's just a kick in the teeth (metaphorically speaking).

It probably is the law in California that you must have working wipers at all times because of the possible road hazard issue.

Question : Is there a car today or in the past that has been able to hide it's wipers from the airstream?

CarloSW2

[cfg83]

JanGeo -

Originally Posted by JanGeo

use a strip of magnetic sign material to cover the wipers and deflect air over them - usually the air flow over the blades are minimal as the air damns up against that part of the windshield - try to park them lower or extend the hood over them.

That would probably be the way to go. Something that attaches to the hood that extends up and over but does not interfere with the wipers. functional and legal. In an ideal world you would be a ble to adapt one of those sunroof deflectors or bug shields like this :



The key is finding the bug deflector that is closest to your shape of where "hood meets window", so to speak.

PS - If there is enough clearance, over time you could add little "outside hood gauges" like they have on the old 1960's GTO's and stuff. They would hide under the deflector and give you real-time data on EVERY aspect of your car.

CarloSW2

[cfg83]

theclencher -

Originally Posted by theclencher

Lots of GM cars in the 70's had "hideaway" wipers that parked under the trailing edge of the hood. My buddy's '68 Vette has a compartment that holds the wipers; there is a lid that opens and closes over it- neat!

Just mount the driver's side wiper when the threat of that killer puddle may be present.

Ooooooh, yeah! There's another compromise that should also be close-to-legal. just remove the passenger side wiper. That would be a 50% aero-savings.

CarloSW2

[cfg83]

Ta-Dah!



Found it here :

http://www.pickupspecialties.com/lun...wiper_cowl.htm

There may be lots of "adaptable plastic" here for other projects. I wish they had specs on the shape of the plastics.

Gotta getta Lund!

CarloSW2

[MetroMPG]

Something to consider with the add-on cowls though, is the fresh air intake happens at the base of the windshield because it's one of the highest pressure areas on the car (not counting the grille). The cowl may interfere with that to some extent if you direct air over the intake slats.

[JanGeo]

Yeah and when the ice and snow gets in there good luck!! The air should still flow into the intake because of the high pressure against the windshield.

[rh77]

I recall one cold Winter day when the '77 Olds broke the wiper arm mechanism due to ice build-up (OK I was 17 and though it would bust through the ice/snow). Had to replace the whole crab-walk arm system on the splines in 20F weather.

The TSX has plastic airflow directors that direct, well, the air flow:



RH77

[onegammyleg]

How about some sort of light flexible cowling that completely covers over the wipers arms until they are turned on , then it flops down as the arm moves up.
When the arm comes down again the wiper rests above it.

Just means you have to manualy lift the cowling up and place it over the arms again later.

Might sound lame but if your using MS windows your used to having to manually reset things fom time to time.

[rh77]

Originally Posted by onegammyleg

MS windows your used to having to manually reset things fom time to time.

LOL -- dude, you should take your act on the road.

I'm running 3 Linux servers for:

The Stanford University Gene Folding Distributed Computing Project

etc., but Windows on the Laptop here for work

[onegammyleg]

Hi rh77 -¨The Stanford University Gene Folding Distributed Computing Project¨

I couldn't resist this one


I too run linux on my main machine here , but also have a mega-powerfull 500mhz machine to run the occasional win app that gets forced upon me from others.

Open Source

[TomO]

This might be a step towards the right direction.... more aerodynamic wiper blades to begin with: Valeo blades Tirerack has them on sale for $20 a piece AND a buy one get one deal.

These blades in conjunction with lowering the wiper arms down a bit would help with what you're trying to accomplish. I'm thinking of going this route since here in MN you always need wipers on your car.

[Ted Hart]

Hi, all!
I couldn't help but notice...as I read down these postings about those nasty WS wipers... there is something missing from the thought process here.
The windshield is slanted, right? Rather than have the wiper start its arc from the bottom of the w'shield...where it / they are "parked"... why not park them at the sides of the w'shield? The motors would have to be "redone", and perhaps the dead zones moved. But this is no big deal(remount / switch sides with the motors?) With all this body sculpting, suspension work, and engine mods that occur...a couple of DC motors need some kind of "redo"? This is difficult? Aerodynamics are much better; they stay cleaner, longer. And they're out of the line of vision! Hmmm....

[TomO]

you could always try putting some spacers/washers between the hood and it's hinges to raise the back of it up a tad, like this:



One thing might be to fabricate a metal insert to fill the gap on the side, or just use tape to cover the gap. I also wonder if the separation that is made would cause a slight vortex, which could theoretically reduce drag caused by side mirrors.

[cfg83]

TomO -

I have always liked this hood mod. Looks like a great chance for aero to meet style, IMO. Would it effect engine cooling/temperatures?

Wood the "crack" on the side be a place where some rubber/plastic could be inserted to maintain a surface for the air to travel over?

CarloSW2