Adjusting sweep of driver's wiper arm

[Wardy]

Something that's been bugging me for a while, and fitting a new set of aero wipers at the weekend reminded me...

They're the Bosch retro-fit set, same as the ones from wiperblades.co.uk - but I find that every couple of wipes I can hear the blade catching the driver's pillar. Gets annoying when I had the wipers on full for most of yesterday afternoon!

Incidentally, the Renault dealer sourced ones did the same. Thought this set might help, as the driver's side blade isn't as long, but no such luck...

So - what's the best way I can sort this?

Thanks,
Steve

[ric04vrs]

your going to have to move the arm round on the spindle Steve , it will be a pig to get off the spindle though, just don't move it too far round or it will hit the scuttle panel

[Wardy]

Thought that might be the solution, as much as I didn't want it to be

Fiddly, trying to get the adjustment between pillar and scuttle correct

Do you think a slight bit of pressure on the arm would make any difference? It's a couple of mm adjustment, really.

Cheers,
Steve

[skudmissile]

Easy peasy to get the arm off steve. i used a pair of vise grips on mine and they popped straight off. Just need to pop the cap off first then get a 13mm socket and ratchet and your away

[VRStu]

Originally Posted by skudmissile

Easy peasy to get the arm off steve. i used a pair of vise grips on mine and they popped straight off.

Don't you like the paint on them then??

To remove the arms I tend to remove the nut and then gently rock the base of the arm. If that fails and you get really stuck then a wiper arm removal tool can be bought quite cheaply.

[ric04vrs]

the problem you will have is when you pull the arm off , it will always want to go back on down a spline , so you will twist down to the scuttle , it will slide onto the next spline , and when you wipe it will hit the bottom

a new arm might be the answer , i.e. a fresh arm comes with no spline cut , this is cut when its tightened onto the spindle

you could bend it so it doesn't touch , but this tends to change the blade angle and will judder one way or the other

[Wardy]

Thanks guys - a new arm might be the way forward then, cost dependant

Cheers,
Steve

[skudmissile]

Originally Posted by VRStu

Don't you like the paint on them then??

To remove the arms I tend to remove the nut and then gently rock the base of the arm. If that fails and you get really stuck then a wiper arm removal tool can be bought quite cheaply.

Didnt even mark them

[Tom_vRS]

If the arm is very tight and wiggling it doesn't help, then I'd use a puller... they are only a few quid. I bought a 2/3 way puller from screwfix for about £12 IIRC, and very handy it is too.

A new arm should be under £20 Steve. I just paid around that for a new arm for the Passat, and it must have been under £20 or otherwise I wouldn't have bought it!!!