Ideas for quick release windshield wiper arms?

[MetroMPG]

I think I liked Ryland's idea the most from the GS thread:

fill one groove with jb weld, and file a spline off so you have a fool proof index, then with the jb weld out epoxy on a few rare earth magents on to the bace of the shaft, and the back side of the amr to hold it all together, then it's just a matter of sliping the arm over the shaft and it snaps in to place.

Indexing, and magnets!

[MetroMPG]

Also like the big pin idea. I have an extra set of wiper shaft thingers I could experiment on from the red ForkenSwift car, which is quietly rusting away in Ivan's dad's bush lot...

(I really should go do my parts shopping before the blackflies come out.)

[cfg83]

Frank -

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

Didn't I suggest wingnuts years ago? They hafta be available in the right size.

And, I suspect you wouldn't be putting them on and off enough for worn out splines to occur.

Then you'd get WILD bennies from having the arms as well as the blades gone!!!

Oh yeah, those would work. I would use a "helical spring" lock washer to make it snug as a bug in a rug. You'd only have it on when it's raining, so who cares about aero?

CarloSW2

[evolutionmovement]

OOF! Yeah, that spring is pretty damn tight! I never had to remove one and of course they don't seem that bad when you pull them using the leverage of the wiper arm. Definitely not a job to do frequently. Forget that idea.

[Cd]

I thought it was concluded that removing the wipers on a modern car does nothing .

( Except making your car more likely to be ticketed. )

[MetroMPG]

They can't give you a ticket if there's no wiper to leave it under!

I don't think anyone concluded that, generally. Depends on the car - on this car, the wipers are sitting out there in free, high pressure, attached flow.

It's definitely small change though, and removing them is possibly (likely?) not detectable in speed, coastdown or ScanGauge testing.

[Silveredwings]

Originally Posted by evolutionmovement

You'd probably wear out the wiper arms far sooner as they're softer metal. What about drilling out the pin that holds the bending mechanism to the arm mount and replacing that with a cotter pin?

But not a cotter pin, a lynch pin:

[MetroMPG]

Pictures, as requested...

It's a 12mm nut. More below; click thumbs to open.

[Silveredwings]

OK, well, um, forget what I said. Those look to me like tapered splines that need the pressure of the nut to keep them from stripping. A little grease might help keep them from corroding too.

[MetroMPG]

I wonder if there is some way to fashion the quick release by leaving the nut & splines in place, but cutting the wiper arm itself. Making some kind of sleeve arrangement to slide it on & off the "stub" (and then lock it with a cotter/lynch pin)....



With two of these, one on each side of the arm, maybe could cannibalize hinges & hinge pins for the purpose...

Just thinking out loud.

And yes, I realize more thought is going into this than it's worth.