has anyone replaced their wiper arms with something more modern?

[Dan_Gyoba]

I still have the factory wipers on my 500,000+ km Mk3. The rubber has been replaced many times of course, but the actual wiper is still the factory unit. It is starting to show its age though, and some of the joints don't move the way that they are supposed to, but I keep trying to rehabilitate them. The guys at the local dealership don't want to sell me replacement rubber, they keep pointing me towards the generic replacement wipers, and I keep insisting on the refills.

 

[Silver MK3]

I've never used any wipers that worked better than the original factory ones. They fit the wiper arms properly, and the follow the contour of the glass properly, and they have very easily replaced rubber.

That being said there are some very nice U-hook to Screw-type adapters out there, you just have to find them. Most of them are cheap/crappy, but there are some nice metal ones. If that's what you're into.

Jeff

I agree. The Toyota ones are the best. When you compare them to the cheap Autozone ones you can see that the Toyota ones are heavier, have more rubber, and are built better.

 

[Poodles]

I replaced mine yesterday, I wanted to change to a modern arm with a hook end to use the flameless style wiper blades.
I got told these were no use as they would wear fast and be no good as they are made for "modern car, with modern glazing"

So I went to my auto parts store and just got 3x 18" wipers and am pretty happy with them... they came with the two screw mount adaptors with hook so I suppose they would work with hook on style blades also ?

Wait, what? The new monoblade wipers work just fine on older cars.

Wait, Supra blades don't drop down into the cowl a bit? I might be thinking my old SS that did that, or the LS400. I could have sworn the Supras did that too...

Anyway, on the subject of wipers, it really sucks being towed on a rainy day without wipers. Can't see sheet. :nono: Did find some sweet 80's tapes in the car, as well as about $5 in change, but dropped the change I think, can't seem to find the little coin holder thing that had it all inside. Oh well, belongs to the junk yard now I guess.


On the subject of Supra wipers, I've heard good things about the original ones fitting the contours of the windshield really nicely. If anything I would be happy with some heavy duty winter style blades, but I never found anybody who makes them for the Mk3.

MKII Supra retracts into the cowl. Heavy duty winter blades are more silicone and less rubber, so they stay flexable below freezing.

the only problem with the hooks which i didnt know werent stock is the auto places suggested me a wiper blade that that touches the window trim, im pretty sure mine are stainless steel and made by piaa (the hooks)

Adjust the arm.

I've never used any wipers that worked better than the original factory ones. They fit the wiper arms properly, and the follow the contour of the glass properly, and they have very easily replaced rubber.

That being said there are some very nice U-hook to Screw-type adapters out there, you just have to find them. Most of them are cheap/crappy, but there are some nice metal ones. If that's what you're into.

Jeff

But Jeff, you love everything factory

The mk2 Supra wipers retract. Always thought the mk3 wipers were a downgrade from the mk2.

I don't think they're a downgrade. The driver's side one is a serious pain, and the parts are getting rare and expensive to keep them running.

I agree. The Toyota ones are the best. When you compare them to the cheap Autozone ones you can see that the Toyota ones are heavier, have more rubber, and are built better.

I never buy cheap wipers. In Texas they don't work well at all (sun will melt them to the windshield in the wummer and the ice in the winter will make them fall apart)

 

[ryansmith]

Wait, what? The new monoblade wipers work just fine on older cars.

Thats just what I got told from the guy who sells windscreen wipers

 

[MNBmk3T]

I'm running Bosch wiper blades on my MK3 (which now has a intermittent wiper setting anomaly soon to be resolved) and they work great. Living in a rainy ass city like Vancouver, you need something that really cleans the oil/gunk as well as the rain off the windshield. Mind you, I've never tried OEM Toyota wiper blades.

 

[IJ.]

I replaced mine with 2005 Holden Commodore arms/blades, it wasn't a plugNplay job as I had to keep the rest of the car bolted to them

 

[Poodles]

I replaced mine with 2005 Holden Commodore arms/blades, it wasn't a plugNplay job as I had to keep the rest of the car bolted to them

:: ij. ::

 

[IJ.]

:: ij. ::

That's a disturbing fantasy you have about me P00... a little flattered but pass

 

[te72]

85220-3A050 - LH Wiper
85220-1A020 - RH Wiper

These are the wipers you want for a LHD A70, anything else (especially anything MVP or similar -- part numbers ending in YZZxx, etc. -- are junk).

Jeff

You're a scholar and a gentleman sir, thanks! I know what to ask for for my birthday now...

The stock wipers are good. What makes them and any wiper suck are unclean windscreens. You need to have at the thing once or twice a year with Bon Ami, similar, or an actual glass polish to get the road film off. Cerium oxide if necessary.

Nothing like spreading road grime and general crap all over your window with the wipers, huh? I tend to coat the windows with Rain-X at least once a year, seems to keep visibility as nice as can be expected with the winter weather.

The mk2 Supra wipers retract. Always thought the mk3 wipers were a downgrade from the mk2.

Maybe that's the car I'm thinking of. I have a Mk2, just don't drive it very often, and it has been a few years since driving it in the rain last (around the time I had the SS as well), so that might be the source of my confusion.

MKII Supra retracts into the cowl. Heavy duty winter blades are more silicone and less rubber, so they stay flexable below freezing.

Considering about 6 months of the year is below 30° where I live, that would be nice. Actually, I think the blades I picked up last year sometime are mostly silicone. Didn't need them though, since as it turns out, parking in a garage keeps your wipers from rotting away.

I never buy cheap wipers. In Texas they don't work well at all (sun will melt them to the windshield in the wummer and the ice in the winter will make them fall apart)

Same problem here, high altitude sunlight just COOKS rubber, so when you need the wipers in the winter, they're brittle and break. If you park outside, wipers are pretty much an annual fall maintenance item.

I replaced mine with 2005 Holden Commodore arms/blades, it wasn't a plugNplay job as I had to keep the rest of the car bolted to them

I'm sure a lot of people are thinking, "WTF is IJ on about now?" seeing this post. Even took me a moment, and I even slept well last night!


My biggest wish with wipers was that they wiped from left to right, rather than right to left. I'm a bit short in the torso, and like sitting as low as I can in the chassis, but it kinda sucks when the part of the window you look through the most is literally the spot where the wiper skips right over on the bottom of the windshield. I don't give two shits how clean the top half of the windshield is, I never really look through it anyway.

Ian, do your wipers wipe left to right, or are all cars right to left?

 

[Dan_Gyoba]

Left hand drive cars will leave the lower left corner of the windshield in that gap at the base of the wiper. Right hand drive cars will do the opposite. Some will have both arms come up from the center leavinh a triangle at the top center of the windshield unwiped, but it's almost exclusively minivans with huge windshields that I've seen do that.

This is because MOST of us need the top corner on the driver's side cleaned as well in order to have a safe driving experience, whereas the top corner on the passenger side is less vital.

Actually, I can't imagine a seating position where that small semicircle at the base of the windshield is necessary to safe driving. The dashboard would almost have to be in the way for that.

 

[te72]

Actually, I can't imagine a seating position where that small semicircle at the base of the windshield is necessary to safe driving. The dashboard would almost have to be in the way for that.

Sit in a Mk2 Supra when you're only 5'-8" and mostly legs, and you'll understand what I mean. The Mk3 it isn't so bad, but the Mk2, it's pretty ridiculous. Then there's the giant steering wheel in it (the Mk2), that gets in the way of your legs working the pedals, but if you scoot it up for clearance for your legs, it interferes with your vision...