I replaced the wiper blades on my 2004 Outback Wagon with new blades that squeak and jump across the windshield. I replaced those, same problem. Any recommendations for quality blades that won't jump around?
Last week I got the "TripleEdge" (sp?) silicone blades Paul Harvey advertises. They worked well during this week's storm on all three cars I outfitted. About $7 per blade at Walmart. They are flexible and lay over the opposite direction with each reversal of the stroke, so the side edges do their thing... thus the "TripleEdge." Will their lifetime warranty hold up? Guess I'll find out, but I was not very happy with rubber blades. Dunno how well the other exotics I see at the auto stores would do, either.
Mike
You might want to try one of the "beam" type blades which don't have the conventional pivot points and maintain better contact with the windshield. Auto Barn recently started selling the Valeo Ultimate blades, they aren't cheap but they do work very well and so far mine have held up much better than the Bosch Micro Edge blades I had used previously. The Valeo blades are used as OEM by Mercedes and other manufacturers. Bosch is also now making their own version of these blades.
I have driven cars with these blades in the rain and they work very well on the OEM versions. I am wondering how well they work when retrofitted to a Subaru?
I first saw the Valeo Ultimate blades in the Skymall Catalog linked below.
I have "Michelin" on my Forester and they work well.
I'm using the cheapest blades they have available at AutoZone and these seem to work great, and I'm pretty picky about what level of wiping I expect from my blades.
Maybe try some Bosch or something?
- Justin
I hate to say it but over the years my best luck with blades is with OEM replacements. Experience over many cars including my Subaru.
My problem is always lift at speed. Right now I've got some snow blades on a used Outback I just bought and they are incredible. Hope I can find something similar for the summer.
Same here.
However, many "Winter" blades that are fully booted in rubber or vinyl tend to grab air and float over spots. I remove them as soon as ice season is over.
To answer your question, I liked the Tridon blades which as I understand it, are being marketed as Trico.
The fact that you have jumping blades, even after replacing them twice, leads me to believe that your problem is the winshield being greasy. Clean it thoroughly with detergent and a plastic scrubbing sponge.
I had this same problem, with a brand new car a few years back; the windshield did not even look greasy. I did all the wiper blade stuff and when I gave up, took it to the dealer; the guy came out with a bucket full of soapy water, did what i described above and the problem was gone.
Robert Rubenste> I replaced the wiper blades on my 2004 Outback Wagon with new blades that squeak
are being marketed as Trico.
me to believe that your problem is the
scrubbing sponge.
did not even look greasy. I did all
out with a bucket full of soapy water,
squeak and jump across the windshield. I
won't jump around?
I use the RainX windshield washer fluid and it helps a lot.
Jay M VA, USA '03 Baja
I concur on RainX fluid. I get the "orange" bug de-icer stuff they make and put it in both my vehicles and as mentioned, Rain doesn't "streak" or splatter when the blades hit it and at highway speed the air moving over the windshield even in heavy downpours is nearly enough to move the water away without wipers and a shot from your wipers won't chatter when wet.
Still in search of the "ultimate" blade myself, as well...
Dan
I used RainX for quite a while and was satisfied until I also washed the car (soon after applying RainX) with that no-dry car wash stuff by Mister Kleen. That day we were on the freeway when it started to rain, and when my wife turned the wipers on it looked like the blades were loaded with white paint! The incompatible polymers, one trying to repel water and the other trying to embrace it, apparently made a waxy film that was turned to something evil and nearly opaque by trying to wipe water off it. It was the very devil to clear away enough that we could drive - windshield cleaner did nothing at all - and it took literally hours of scrubbing with Soft Scrub and a power buffer to reduce it to the point where it wasn't a big problem. The windshield has since been replaced (unrelated crack) and I have never used RainX on this one.
I elected to stay away from RainX on the windshield because I was concerned that we might go to a car wash where the no-dry stuff was used. Shunning either sort of product is good enough. Too bad - RainX makes windshield cleaning so much easier, especially for removing bugs. Even ice doesn't stick well.
Mike
Use genuine rubber blades - not silicone! Anything with a graphite coating is usually crap too. If they cost twice as much as the cheapest set, they're probably good :-)
don't even need your wipers. When you do use
it, are being marketed as Trico.
leads me to believe that your problem is the
plastic scrubbing sponge.
windshield did not even look greasy. I did all
came out with a bucket full of soapy water,
that squeak and jump across the windshield. I
that won't jump around?
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