So the RH wiper isn't wiping clean so I think something is under it. I go to wipe of whatever's stuck under it and find the rubbers shot. Look it up to find it's 21 months old. Spend 45 minutes at advance auto looking for something that fits the 96 Roadmaster. Tried to use the $33 each Bosch but they don't fit. End up with some $15 cheapy "exact fit" brand. So they tell me wipers only last 1 year. Really? The wipers on my truck came with it 3 years ago and are fine. The wipers on my 70 Chevelle have never been changed by me and I bought it in 1979. I can just picture the raw materials bins in the Chinese plants. One says "metal like stuff" one says "rubber like stuff" and another "plastic like stuff". They suck at using materials that are actually meant for a purpose. No quality or pride in their work at all. Rant over.
i bought the best i could for my F250..lasted 3 months and then it was hit or mis if they would or wouldnt wipe..it was a mess... they told me my windshield was so pitted from road debris it killed the edge..theres vids of guy that made a tool online..he trims the edge..and they work....for awhile...them he trims the edge again
Don't know why they don't last, but there is definitely something to it. Same experience here, have the same on my Mach 1 I put on in 1992 or so. My trucks both are toast in a year or less, and I've tried cheapies and expensive ones. Just go with the $5 blades now since they'll be replaced next year anyway.
I’ve always been under the impression that you’re supposed to change them every 6 months. I’m not the best at it but I’m trying to get better. Just bought a set of Tricos & cost me like $45 Kyle
Funny thread; I have an original wiper on my nearly eight year old 2013 Taurus SHO. That blade remains viable even after 8 Sacramento summers. I wipe them all down with rubbing alcohol every couple of months.
I remember driving by a trico plant in buffalo as a kid. Im pretty sure it's closed now. Early failure might have something to do with wipers being at least 30" these days.
Working at Napa I use their cheapest o es and they last as long as the expensive Rainex we sell. I clean mine periodically also. I read somewhere there is a company making silicone blades that last a long time but are expensive.
I used to work at a junkyard in the mid eighties. I always used to remove the good anco/trico wiper blades made then never ever had to buy any. I had them for years before I ran out. Today's you are lucky to get a year out of a set. They are planned to fail with a shelf life.
Its all figured in . They figure you are not buying Spark Plugs every 5,000 to 10,000 miles so they figure they are going to make you buy Wiper Blades every 3 to 6 months . They have to make money somehow . I've had the best luck with Winter Wiper Blades . I use them year round . Rock auto has them for like $4 or $5 a blade . I buy then a dozen at a time because I have 3 vehicles that use the same 22 inchers
Trico Ultra are the ones I just took off. It's not that they lost an edge, the lip peeled away from the core in several spots. I do apply rainx original formula to the windshields once per year. Can't imagine that would cause the rubber to degrade. I also use it on the truck windshield and they have not failed. Both vehicles sit outdoors year round within sight of each other so they face the same conditions. Think I agree buy the cheapest you can find since they are not going to last anyway.
Only buy wipers at Walmart or online. Crazy premium at the local stores. Like others, I clean my wipers each time I wash car. Just soap and water with micro fiber... really helps. I find most of the issues are just grease on wipers or glass. Try a magic eraser if your glass is greasy...before you wash car, then rinse, then wash car. I like the Bosch icon wipers with no moving parts as they don't hold the snow.
RainX will cause some wiper blades to degrade, I guess it depends on the type of rubber they are made of. I put RainX on the windshield of my new GMC pickup back in '95 and the first time I tried to use my wipers after applying it, my wipers would not move. They were stuck to the windshield. I had to get out of the truck and pull them off the windshield. Both of them left a line of black rubber on the glass. I had to use a razor blade to scrape it off. I had been using RainX for years on our other cars and this was the first time something like this had happened.
I think its automotive rubber in general; something has to have changed. Tires and wipers go to hell much sooner than they should (and used to), while hoses and belts seem to last forever. Patrick
IMHO, Bosh is the only company making Quality wipers. The ones I have on my truck are I dont know how many years old and keep on working great, Always parked outside, they take the snow, ice, and sun great. The ones I will never use any more are trico and rainx. I had them and they sucked right from the start. didnt last too long either. Funny this came up because other threads I visit are saying how great it is that wipers are lasting longer now with the better rubber compounds. They are getting years out of there wipers as well. YRMV.
...quality is a moving target, can't rely on brand bought in past. The bottom line is all that matters, and quality is a factor. The list of appliances I've purchased that have failed in about 6 years is continually growing. Even food. Latest is ketchup. Been a long-time Hunts fan. Noticed it's been "out of stock" lately. It's back, with a new formula, and based on reviews, loyal Hunts buyers don't like new taste...
UV rays & poor quality rubber cause the wipers to deteriorate in not time at all. I purchased a pair of winter blades for my 2019 Buick Regal this past December. On the way to Florida a month ago, the passenger side wiper flew off as it was wiping! The driver side wiper, last week on the way back to Windsor began to squeak on the windshield while it was in use. Go figure? EL Junko!!!
When the wipers "park" the squeegee is flipped in the "down" direction and spends most of its time there. What I do to make mine work better is to manually flip them into the "up" direction while parked. Hope that makes sense.
Rock is way cheaper and I use them alot. But if I would have ordered the Bosch wipers they would have to be sent back as it appears Bosch does not make wipers for the 96 Roadie. At least the 2 types I tried at Advance did not fit.
