New windshield wipers and questions

[gizmopt2002]

Ok so i searched and got no pertaining results. Currently i have 24"and 22" on there. Ive used tripleedge, Rain-X (best so far) Michelin, and Anco. What I am wondering is, does the blade size affect anything? Also is there and pretty good barnds of wipers out there beside PIAA?

 

[toto]

The longer the blade, the more drag it puts on the wiper motor. I don't know how over-engineered the motor is, so I don't know how much extra length is OK.

Crazy as it sounds, I've found that OEM blade refills are very good. The price at my dealer is pretty reasonable, so they're only a little more than the cheap blades like Anco. The OEM blades last longer than the cheapies, so I think they're a good value.

 

[jeober]

The OEM has gone to great effort to maximize the wiped area of the windshield and has optimized the blade length for this and, as mentioned previously, for the wiper system power.

I found ANCO refills to be noisy. Don't bother with the other gimmicks like triple edge. Some cheap blades have fewer supports point in the structure (called a wiffle tree, fyi). Metal is superior to plastic.

 

[nated05]

I bought replacement blades from Autozone (Prob. ANCO) a few months ago and I am not impressed at all. Very noisy and they always leave streaks. I have found though that a good application of RainX helps with the noise. I guess ill try OEM blades next time.

 

[Mark86]

I learned from a writer at Lexus that there are two kinds of OEM blades. There are plastic ones that the dealer usually stocks or metal ones that can be ordered from Japan. I happened to mention to him that my wipers were chattering and leaving streaks. He told me that he knows the problem and to give him a few weeks. A few weeks later, he calls me up and I pick up my metal blades. Let me tell you, what a difference they make! They are very quiet and actually clean th window perfectly! Next time you are ordering OEM blades from your dealer, ask for the metal ones that have to be ordered form Japan.

 

[toto]

The original factory wiper assembly (which is metal) can be reused. I buy the blade refills (the rubber part) at the dealer. The rubber part slides out, and you also reuse the original metal strips that run along the spine of the blade to help maintain its shape.

But it's interesting that the dealers stock a plastic replacement should you need the whole thing. I would certainly wait for a metal version to come from Japan.

 

[gizmopt2002]

Also, is it just me going crazy or when you replace your wipers from the ones that came stock do they seem to be smaller than the stock ones?

 

[Uneek]

Also, is it just me going crazy or when you replace your wipers from the ones that came stock do they seem to be smaller than the stock ones?

Is this the width of the refills inside the blade assembly brackets/arms or the length of the refills?

I'm not sure about the 4Runner since they're all built in Japan, but for my Camry there are two types, one of US built and another type for Japan built. A possibility the dealer sold you incorrect length or correct length, but for a US built Toyota?

 

[gizmopt2002]

Its the length of the wiper.