Rear Wiper Doesn’t Sweep At the Top

[qcon]

Hi everyone,

is it normal for the rear wiper to not contact the glass at the apex of the arc, around from 2:00 to 10:00 position? Not a big deal, but kind of annoying.

‘13 Suburban.

Thanks!

Q

 

[Joseph Garcia]

That is not normal, IMO. First, make sure that there is no binding in the wiper arm, where it pivots on its pin. Use some WD40 in that area, to ensure that it moves freely.

If that does not resolve your issue, your spring in the wiper arm has probably lost some of its strength over time and the arm needs to be replaced. You can get a new arm and blade at Rock Auto for a very reasonable price.

Sometimes, getting the wiper arm off the motor's shaft can be a PIA. You may need to hit the arm/spline connection area with PB Blaster or equivalent, to loosen up the corrosion inside. In some cases, like mine, I had to use a gear puller to get the wiper arm off the motor's shaft.

 

[qcon]

That is not normal, IMO. First, make sure that there is no binding in the wiper arm, where it pivots on its pin. Use some WD40 in that area, to ensure that it moves freely.

If that does not resolve your issue, your spring in the wiper arm has probably lost some of its strength over time and the arm needs to be replaced. You can get a new arm and blade at Rock Auto for a very reasonable price.

Sometimes, getting the wiper arm off the motor's shaft can be a PIA. You may need to hit the arm/spline connection area with PB Blaster or equivalent, to loosen up the corrosion inside. In some cases, like mine, I had to use a gear puller to get the wiper arm off the motor's shaft.

Thanks. I see a GM replacement arm on Amazon for $40, and a puller for $14. Not my truck, but this is what the sweep looks like.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Thanks. I see a GM replacement arm on Amazon for $40, and a puller for $14. Not my truck, but this is what the sweep looks like. View attachment 268926

You may want to confirm for yourself, but this is what I see in a quick search on Rock Auto for a 2013 Suburban rear wiper arm. They even have a puller tool there for little cost. And, you get a 5% discount for being a member of this Forum.

 

[OR VietVet]

If you get those cheap arms from RA, be prepared to deal with the paint coming off soon on them. Dorman is another bad one. If there are salt on the roads the salt will eat that paint off on cheap arms. I also recommend using Bon Ami on a wet w/s and cleaning the glass and then rinse thoroughly. The contact below there can also effect the upper contact if there is crud on the entire glass. If you really want to save some money, bend the stem just a little just below where the blade attaches but you should also check the blade itself to see that it freely flexes while the arm moves that blade across the glass.

 

[drakon543]

x2 on the cheaper arms with the paint as PNW VietVet said. i usually go back over the arms with scotchbrite and recoat the arms myself. i always keep a can of good automotive black around for stuff like this. if your just fixing a problem or just trying to spruce the vehicle up slightly the extra shine from that cheap paint makes the arms look wierd. so you would detail all the trim pieces and deal with that cheap paint later. making the arms look good but and not so blaring brand new you can recoat them with a flat black or a semi gloss so it looks more like the age of the truck. to me a brand new exterior part can be just as annoying as a dent. so i either buy exterior parts in pairs or try to get a better appearance out of the new part.