Welcome to Classic Cars and Tools!

Website is new and will be frequently updated. Please bookmark and check every week for new blog posts and other updates. Follow me in Twitter: Classic Cars & Tools @Dne007

55-59 Chevy truck windshield wipers

Hi! dne’ here,

I’ve had a little trouble finding good wiper blade assemblies for my Apache! I’d like ones that don’t flop or look like they’ll come apart while the wipers are doing what they do, wiping the windshield! I have spent a great deal of energy on my windshield installation, even purchased a Newport wiper motor, and the last thing I’d want is a scratched windshield! For the life in me~ sigh~;)

 

wiper blade8

 

 

 

 

If you’re one of the fortunate people to have the originals, then this is not for you! This is for folks that have purchased aftermarket wiper arms and blades, paid good money, only to find out they flop, and look like they may fall apart while wiping! This picture below is the main culprit I do believe!;)

All that’s holding those two pieces together is that little nub and even once being inserted, it’s very loose!  Yes, I said a nub, it’s a nub for goodness sake! It slips into the wiper receiver, or the female part, and who knows what actually holds it in!

wiper blade7

 

 

 

 

 

With the NAPA part number WIP 601233, it comes with the wiper blade and the thing, which I’ll dub the connector! I just made that up but kind of fits it though!;)  You can see how the male end with the nub on it is 1/2″ away from the tip. When this is put together, it’s solid pretty much and will not come apart, plus has very little slop! I had to bend the tabs on the large piece to get it apart and broke the tabs off. This was an old piece anyway, but for conveying information, you get the idea.

wiper blade11

 

 

 

 

 

This is with the retainer spring where it’s supposed to be, note the little hole for the nub;)

 

wiper blade10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now you slide the male part into the receiver, ok ok the female part, and there is a subtle click (or not) but you’ll know it’s put together. Once together, it should really never ever have to come back apart anyway.

wiper blade9

 

 

 

 

 

First thing I had to do was straighten the end out. I put the end in a vise and squeezed it until it was flat, then took a hammer and made it straighter. Then I took my Dremmel tool with a cutoff wheel and ground off the nub closest to the end because I don’t need that one anymore. Then I drilled a hole to make a new nub. I think I used a 5/64″ drill bit, but you may not just have a perfect nail lying around like I did!

wiper blade

 

 

 

 

I had to search my garage for something to make a nub! dam! I finally found a finishing nail with a slightly larger head, but the head was too large to fit into that clip, or the hole in the clip. That’s what keeps it together and makes the connection rigid, otherwise if the nub is too small, there will be some slop when you snap them together.  I wound up taking the nail over to the bench grinder and shaving off some of the perimeter of the head to fit the hole. Then I hammered the nail as if a press fit, then took my Dremmel and cut off the excess.

wiper blade6

 

 

 

 

The first one wasn’t a perfect nub, but no one will ever know~ except you! 😉 Now I’m just about done!

wiper blade5

 

 

 

Now I just slide the male piece into the part into the other part, and I’m done! I did bend the 4 tabs with a pair of pliers to further enhance the crimp.  The only other matter was bending the long bar part to be parallel to the window rubber where it’s at rest. I would hope you can figure that part out.

wiper blade2

 

 

 

 

I actually haven’t tried it yet, but I’m confident it will work just fine! Besides, my truck will probably never even see rain!  Note: you know the wipers do not come back into their resting place like in the picture~ I put them there for modeling purposes! 😉

wiper blade8If you’ve found this to be helpful, would you let me know?;)  and maybe you can even subscribe to Classic cars and Tools~;)  I try to make it fun and interesting for YOU! 😉

 

 

IMPORTANT!! When removing the aftermarket wiper arm, DO NOT bend the arm back too far! The little hook can come unhooked, and though it can be put back together, it’s a PITA, the spring is very stiff and hard to get hold of!

wiper blade12

wiper blade13

Your car enthusiast friend,

dne’

4 Responses so far.

  1. Bruce says:

    Well done! Gutsy move grinding down the nail head on a bench grinder. I would have used my lathe, but if I had no lathe I would have cut the nail in half and chucked it up in my drill and used a file to turn down the head. I guess the bench grinder was a little faster and your nub does look perfectly round.. So did you coat your new nail nub with Loc-tite before hammering it home or are you relying solely on friction?

    • admin says:

      Good morning Bruce! I don’t know about being “gutsy”, maybe getting a little desperate? The way the aftermarket Taiwanese made wiper assembly was made was just poor! It has nice chrome, and looks nice, but functionality? As I think I said on the blog, if that wiper were to come loose and scratch my windshield? Grrrr! 😉 As for loc-tite, it wasn’t necessary, or I feel it wasn’t necessary. Once pushed together, and if done correctly, and then put a little squeeze on the four tangs, I can’t separate the two pieces by trying to pull them apart, whereas the way it was before, I could, or it may! I just want to remove all reasonable doubt that it will never come apart. My only regret was not at least coating the bare parts with something, rustoleum, and rust preventive coating? I don’t have a lathe, but sounds like fun! I’m sure that someone could probably make the nub the way it came from the factory, but for a DIY here, I did OK. You know working with very small parts is a pain! lol Thanks for stopping in and commenting Bruce! I appreciate it!

  2. Bruce says:

    Hi Dne’
    Maybe just a little clear nail polish (or nail hardener) to protect the bare parts?

    • admin says:

      Thanks Bruce, that’s a clever idea! I just happen to have a lot of clear nail polish! However, you wouldn’t know it by looking at my broken nails!;)

Leave a Reply