It's a Team's Life

Taking Care of the Windshield Wipers

By Bob Caffee
Posted Mar 7th 2015 3:05AM

Windshield wipers are probably one of the most overlooked and abused items on a vehicle, a car or a truck no matter. From pushing mud, trying to clear bugs to attempting to push wet snow off the windshield these blades do the hard work so we don't have to stop when it gets ugly outside.

I have never heard of any maintenance that needs to be done to the wiper system other than replace the blades and keep the washer reservoir full. We don't seem to think about them until we need them and then we are trying to use them worn out. Wiper blades are very simple to change and a truck driver should carry a spare set in the truck always, in my opinion. The reason I carry a spare set is you never know when they are going to wear out. Worn wiper blades can scratch and otherwise damage the windshield, aside from not doing a good job of clearing the rain from the windshield.

There are many products on the market that will coat the glass and give you a false sense of security because the rain is repelled from the glass. You still need a good set of wiper blades out there working for you. Safety is your most important job and a clean windshield is necessary for good vision.

A good pair of sunglasses is part of the safety equipment we use daily. Most trucks have tinted glass, from the factory, and this tint is the maximum allowed by the FMCSA, see FMCSR regulation 393.60(d). So before getting tint-installed use a meter to see where your glass is in the tint range.

Back to wiper blades...... There are many different types and brands of wiper blades, its almost scary to think about. From the old standard multi-jointed metal frame to the new high tech blades that claim to follow the curve of the glass better for a clearer swipe. There are different materials wiper blades are made from, rubber to synthetic, there are also "winter blades" covered frames and heated blades and frames to prevent ice buildup. I have seen blades from $4.95 each to as much as $35.00 each, they all work but how well do they last. I prefer to stay with name brand blades and carry spares.

As I said blades are easy to change so this is how itâ€™s done. As always use caution when doing any work on your truck. Turn off the engine open the hood and find a good solid place to stand on each side before starting. Then we begin......