Anyone running wipers bigger than 16" oem?

[AuroraGirl]

isnt the wiper size 16 or am i misremembering?
using larger wipers puts more stress on things, and would invariably be harder on the bayonet pin connection

 

[bucket]

isnt the wiper size 16 or am i misremembering?
using larger wipers puts more stress on things, and would invariably be harder on the bayonet pin connection

Stock is 16", yes. But 18" fit and cover more area. I know people often say that it will cause more stress on the wiper motor, but GM used the same wiper motor on cars with 18" wipers. Personally, I have not found it to stress the bayonet connection.

I believe it was @Turbo4whl that had maybe brought it up though, that the larger wipers have more wind resistance and the wiper arms may not be tensioned strong enough to combat lift at higher speeds. That can definitely be an issue if the tension springs are weak.

 

[SirRobyn0]

isnt the wiper size 16 or am i misremembering?
using larger wipers puts more stress on things, and would invariably be harder on the bayonet pin connection

Stock is 16", yes. But 18" fit and cover more area. I know people often say that it will cause more stress on the wiper motor, but GM used the same wiper motor on cars with 18" wipers. Personally, I have not found it to stress the bayonet connection.

I believe it was @Turbo4whl that had maybe brought it up though, that the larger wipers have more wind resistance and the wiper arms may not be tensioned strong enough to combat lift at higher speeds. That can definitely be an issue if the tension springs are weak.

The wiper arms were beyond shot on my truck when I got it and so was the motor. So both got replaced and the linkage was removed, cleaned and lubricated. 18" blade went on around 5 years ago and I haven't had a problem, other than they do cause more drag on the windshield like if the rain lets up and your slow to turn off the wipers. I'm not really sure if that is the extra 4" of blade overall or if it's the rubber compound of the wipers though.

Yes, I'm sure the 4 extra inches adds some drag and might increase wear a tiny bit but personally I think it's negligible and it's worked out well for me at least.

On the other hand if I had a neglected wiper system that could barely move 16" blades I wouldn't be putting 18's on until I went though the system.

 

[Mark80K15]

Thanks very much everyone, I'll check out the link @Turbo4whl provided. And I take it 18" aren't a problem based on comments earlier in the thread (I did see the comments regarding a weak wiper motor).

 

[Turbo4whl]

Wiper blade thread 7 pages, spanning 5 years!

In the 1970's Pop had a roll around wiper blade cabinet. In were a few tools too. The spring tension tool is the one that stands out in my old mind.

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Hard to read but it states, One ounce per inch of blade length. Somewhere hiding in my garage is one of these old spring gauges. Not as pretty as the pictures I borrowed from Ebay.

 

[Mark80K15]

I would have liked to get the ANCO adapter that @Turbo4whl suggested yesterday, but that website wants $92.57 USD shipping to British Columbia. Not doing it. ANCO customer support confirmed they do not sell these adapters separately.

ANCO's documentation for their 16'' 7mm Bayonet Beam Wiper Blade shows that they come with a J-hook adapter: https://ancowipers.com/media/pdf/anco-contour-beam-wiper-blade-installation.pdf - don't know if that adapter will work with any other blade.

Bosch website says Clear Advantage blades are N/A for 1980 GMC K1500. I asked Bosch if they provide a J-hook adapter. They didn't answer that, and instead suggested using their frame blades, which I don't want.

I'd still like to try the Clear Advantage, so then I found this store has the adapter available in Canada: https://www.myautovaluestore.com/anco/anco-wiper-blade-to-arm-adapters-anc-48-12

I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

[AuroraGirl]

I would have liked to get the ANCO adapter that @Turbo4whl suggested yesterday, but that website wants $92.57 USD shipping to British Columbia. Not doing it. ANCO customer support confirmed they do not sell these adapters separately.

ANCO's documentation for their 16'' 7mm Bayonet Beam Wiper Blade shows that they come with a J-hook adapter: https://ancowipers.com/media/pdf/anco-contour-beam-wiper-blade-installation.pdf - don't know if that adapter will work with any other blade.

Bosch website says Clear Advantage blades are N/A for 1980 GMC K1500. I asked Bosch if they provide a J-hook adapter. They didn't answer that, and instead suggested using their frame blades, which I don't want.

I'd still like to try the Clear Advantage, so then I found this store has the adapter available in Canada: https://www.myautovaluestore.com/anco/anco-wiper-blade-to-arm-adapters-anc-48-12

I'll let you know how it turns out.

you can also just put the later wiper arms and use the pin