Rear wiper ineffective?

atalarico

atalarico

Senior Member
Hey all,

I've found a lot about rear wiper blades and replacing them, but I haven't found much in the way of making your rear wiper more effective (if there is such a thing) at completely wiping the area it should be wiping in the winter instead of leaving just a small slit in the gunk to see out of.

It's really only a problem in the winter with the spray that collects on the back windshield and the combination of cold temps. I replace the rear wiper insert/blade every Fall, but it doesn't last very long. I'm thinking the arm itself needs a new spring or can be bent just slightly to give it better contact with the rear windshield.

Any thoughts or does anyone know of a thread that covers this?

Thanks!
 
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I find it will clear mud and thick stuff OK, but not much better than that. I just use my side mirrors instead.
 
It may need to be lubed at the pivot point that flexes in an out with the spring. If it isn't free, the spring doesn't pull it hard enough against the glass, and it will leave entire dirty spots where the blade isn't making contact. Also, I've found that the only real blade that works is the OEM. Anything else, your just replacing the insert which doesn't seem to work as well. Camelback Toyota is cheaper than anywhere, even Ebay.
 
The rear wiper just sucks. bottom line. The best luck ive had with snow/ice conditions was a winter specific blade that was flat without the arch and it worked really well until it dried out.
 
It's pretty much useless. If I was more of a body guy, I'd do a rear wiper delete. It's just an extra spot for the liftgate to rust from.
 
JRZEE2000TR4LTD said:
It may need to be lubed at the pivot point that flexes in an out with the spring. If it isn't free, the spring doesn't pull it hard enough against the glass, and it will leave entire dirty spots where the blade isn't making contact. Also, I've found that the only real blade that works is the OEM. Anything else, your just replacing the insert which doesn't seem to work as well. Camelback Toyota is cheaper than anywhere, even Ebay.
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I'm going to give lube a shot (gutter joke). I only use the OEM inserts and I usually just pick a couple up when I go to restock my oil filter cache. Any lube in particular? I have silicone spray, lithium, etc.
 
Well, I would first see if the movement is restricted. If it is, I would hit it with some Rust Penetrate like WD, PB, Freeze Off ( my personal favorite) or the like. Lube it up then work it in and out (gutter joke back atcha) Then once it's moving better, use some silicon spray or some lithium spray - if you can keep it from going all over the place.
 
JRZEE2000TR4LTD said:
Well, I would first see if the movement is restricted. If it is, I would hit it with some Rust Penetrate like WD, PB, Freeze Off ( my personal favorite) or the like. Lube it up then work it in and out (gutter joke back atcha) Then once it's moving better, use some silicon spray or some lithium spray - if you can keep it from going all over the place.
Click to expand...

Ah, got it. I'm guessing that is it because the last time I looked it was pretty rusted, and I was thinking the rusty spring might be the issue. Thanks!
 
JRZEE2000TR4LTD said:
Well, I would first see if the movement is restricted. If it is, I would hit it with some Rust Penetrate like WD, PB, Freeze Off ( my personal favorite) or the like. Lube it up then work it in and out (gutter joke back atcha) Then once it's moving better, use some silicon spray or some lithium spray - if you can keep it from going all over the place.
Click to expand...

I would just add that it is key to do this while you have the blade removed. That way you can work the hinge PAST the point of blade contact with the glass. A lot of times you can lube the hinge up great but there is still very little pressure on the glass because the hinge has corroded right at the limit of contact, which is exactly where it needs to be free.
 
My original one never worked either. I determined the pivot point was corroded and no amount of penetrating oil would help. It seems the cast aluminum arm expands as it corrodes which tightens up the joint. My advice is to replace it with a used one that isn't corroded. Once you see how much spring pressure it should have it will make sense why it wasn't working properly.
 
spooky0512 said:
Why do you guys still have that useless thing on...2nd thing I did after removing the running boards.
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My rear wiper still works as intended, 18 years after I bought my 4Runner. I never wanted running boards, so I didn't buy them in the first place.

:)
 
spooky0512 said:
Why do you guys still have that useless thing on...2nd thing I did after removing the running boards.
Click to expand...

Yeah, why? I went ahead and removed the hub caps, the roof rack, and the bumpers too. Not like I need them all the time either. I usually drive the 4Runner by myself too, so I removed the other four seats.
 
Had the same problem with my rear wiper. When I bought the truck, it apparently never got used, so the pivots on the wiper blade frame were rusty.

Lubing these pivots helped, but did not give a 100% coverage, because the pivots still do not rotate as new, even after lubrication.

So I installed on of this http://www.amazon.com/SureWipe-Universal-Add-Pressure-Spring/dp/B00PB0YCDU to ensure a pressure strong enough to overcome the pivot resistance.

My window is now 100% clear when using the wiper.

Another solution would be to unscrew the wiper blade frame, and buy a new one from a scrapyard, that is obviously less corroded.
 
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Well, I hit the hinges with pb. Letting that soak. Is this bend normal?
e0a928d0aed64a5976ec50471d5b945f.jpg
 
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