Front Wiper Arm

Fig. 12 Wiper Arm:

The front wiper arms are the rigid members located between the wiper pivots that protrude from the cowl plenum cover/grille panel near the base of the windshield and the wiper blades on the windshield glass. The wiper arm has a die cast metal pivot end. On the underside of this pivot end is a large internally serrated socket formation with a small, movable, stamped steel latch plate that is secured loosely under a small strap that is staked to the pivot end.

The wide end of a tapered, stamped steel channel hinges on and is secured with a hinge pin to the pivot end of the wiper arm. One end of a long, rigid, stamped steel strap, with a small hole near its pivot end, is riveted and crimped within the narrow end of the stamped steel channel. The tip of the wiper blade end of this strap is bent back under itself to form a small hook. Concealed within the stamped steel channel, one end of a long spring is hooked through a hole in a small stamped steel strap on the hinge pin within the die cast pivot end, while the other end of the spring is hooked through the small hole in the steel strap. The entire wiper arm has a satin black finish applied to all of its visible surfaces.

A wiper arm cannot be adjusted or repaired. If damaged or faulty, the entire wiper arm unit must be replaced.

The front wiper arms are designed to mechanically transmit the motion from the wiper pivots to the wiper blades. The wiper arm must be properly indexed to the wiper pivot in order to maintain the proper wiper blade travel on the glass. The serrated socket formation in the wiper arm pivot end interlocks with the serrations on the outer circumference of the wiper pivot driver, providing positive engagement and finite adjustment of this connection. The latch plate on the underside of the wiper arm pivot end locks the wiper arm to the wiper pivot driver when in its installed position; and, when in its unlocked position, also serves as a blocker to hold the spring-loaded wiper arm off of the glass to facilitate removal and installation. The spring-loaded wiper arm hinge controls the down-force applied through the tip of the wiper arm to the wiper blade on the glass. The hook formation on the tip of the wiper arm provides a cradle for securing and latching the wiper blade pivot block to the wiper arm.