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Wiper efficiency?

Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2026 11:43 am
by aluncm
Both my old 4 door and now, my new traveller has wipers that 'skid over the windscreen' so do not take a lot of rain away. We all know they're not the greatest of wipers but how can I get them to stay 'firmer' on the screen?

Re: Wiper efficiency?

Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2026 11:50 am
by stuffedpike20
aluncm wrote: ↑Sun Sep 13, 2026 11:43 am Both my old 4 door and now, my new traveller has wipers that 'skid over the windscreen' so do not take a lot of rain away. We all know they're not the greatest of wipers but how can I get them to stay 'firmer' on the screen?
I think 'wiper efficiency' is an oxymoron....like 'military intelligence'.
I asked on here some years ago if anyone knew where I could get some clip on vanes that catch the wind when you are driving, and push the wiper blades onto the screen.
I was ridiculed for asking. People compared them with furry dice, and go-faster stripes etc.But I had a minor with weak wiper arm springs in the 80's ,so I fitted some of those vanes...and they worked brilliantly.
I still don't know where to get some from though.

Re: Wiper efficiency?

Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2026 11:54 am
by King Kenny
I have not had a decent set of wiper blades for years, both for my Traveller and for the Mrs's modern car. I think that they make them without proper rubber nowadays. In the past I used to buy one 20inch blade and cut it in half and rethread my old arms.

Re: Wiper efficiency?

Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2026 12:17 pm
by myoldjalopy
Try bending the wiper arms a bit so that the wipers are pushed against the screen more firmly?

Re: Wiper efficiency?

Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2026 1:59 pm
by Bill_qaz
If you google wiper aerofoil there are lots of options

Re: Wiper efficiency?

Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2026 3:40 pm
by stuffedpike20
The ones you could get in the 80's had three square 'fins' each and clipped perfectly onto the upper part of the wiper arm.
They really did work.

Re: Wiper efficiency?

Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2026 4:08 pm
by geoberni
I bet any Minor 1000 has wipers at least 100% more effective than flat screen MM/Series II ones.
They are probably no improvement over the wipers on a 1920s vehicle; wobbling around on their rubber peg.. :roll:
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Re: Wiper efficiency?

Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2026 5:08 pm
by exlkrs
Bend the arms. Rubber blade has better contact with the screen then.

Re: Wiper efficiency?

Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2026 5:31 pm
by svenedin
exlkrs wrote: ↑Sun Sep 13, 2026 5:08 pm Bend the arms. Rubber blade has better contact with the screen then.
Yes. Spray some water on the screen, operate the wipers. Work out what’s going on with the contact patch on the screen and bend both wiper arm and wiper blade as needed. Takes repeated bends. A bit tedious. Maybe 10 minutes per side but makes a huge difference.

S

Re: Wiper efficiency?

Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2026 7:54 pm
by exlkrs
svenedin wrote: ↑Sun Sep 13, 2026 5:31 pm
exlkrs wrote: ↑Sun Sep 13, 2026 5:08 pm Bend the arms. Rubber blade has better contact with the screen then.
Yes. Spray some water on the screen, operate the wipers. Work out what’s going on with the contact patch on the screen and bend both wiper arm and wiper blade as needed. Takes repeated bends. A bit tedious. Maybe 10 minutes per side but makes a huge difference.

S
That's exactly what we did at the dealerships when they were new!

Re: Wiper efficiency?

Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2026 9:59 pm
by aluncm
Gosh I'm not the only one. I'll try the bending arm thing I guess given no other thoughts!

Thanks

Re: Wiper efficiency?

Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2026 8:19 am
by Wes
I've done the bending arm thing but still poor. I'm surprised after all these years on one has made a better blade/rubber profile that's still in keeping with the period look.

Re: Wiper efficiency?

Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2026 9:00 am
by svenedin
Wes wrote: ↑Mon Sep 14, 2026 8:19 am I've done the bending arm thing but still poor. I'm surprised after all these years on one has made a better blade/rubber profile that's still in keeping with the period look.
It's not just the arm you need to bend. You have to bend the metal blade holder as well. Otherwise there tends to be only contact in the middle of the blade.

Stephen

Re: Wiper efficiency?

Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2026 9:27 am
by philthehill
Fit arms which have spring tensioners. For my 1957 Minor I can use Landrover Series wiper arms.
In reference to the wiper windage attachment above - here is my Minor fitted with them attached to the wiper arms and they did work even at low speed.
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Re: Wiper efficiency?

Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2026 9:55 am
by stuffedpike20
philthehill wrote: ↑Mon Sep 14, 2026 9:27 am Fit arms which have spring tensioners. For my 1957 Minor I can use Landrover Series wiper arms.
In reference to the wiper windage attachment above - here is my Minor fitted with them attached to the wiper arms and they did work even at low speed.
img031.jpg
TAHNK YOU PHIL ! :tu1:

Re: Wiper efficiency?

Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2026 11:19 am
by philthehill
Here is a modern version for the Minor and others:-
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/202428565691 ... R9Lt3vaTaA

Also available in black:-

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/206171455624 ... 65P8CTNGEZ

Re: Wiper efficiency?

Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2026 11:44 am
by stuffedpike20
Expensive.
If only we could find one of the originals, and then a 3D printer.......

Re: Wiper efficiency?

Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2026 1:15 pm
by 59Elva
Not sure what £31 buys you over there but it sounds pricey in comparison to dollars here. A bit of bent tin. I can picture one guy with simple tooling banging these out in his garage or more likely contracting them out to China. Maybe the cost of low volume manufacturing.

Re: Wiper efficiency?

Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2026 5:08 pm
by Bill_qaz
Or tension springs for £1.25 :)
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Re: Wiper efficiency?

Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2026 8:30 pm
by philthehill