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Upsize your Rear Wiper from 15.75" to 20"

Discussion in 'Sponsored Commercial Sales' started by Areometer, Jul 1, 2005.

  1. Areometer

    Areometer Silver Business Sponsor

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    We now sell this JDM Steel Wiper Arm + PIAA 20" Super Silicone Wiper Blade to replace your US-spec. arm + 15.75" blade. Another benefit is that you can easily lift the wiper arm to clean your rear window. As you may or may not know, the stock US rear wiper arm cannot be lifted without first removing the snap-on black piece that is covering the hinge screw.

    [​IMG]

    The picture actually shows the JDM Wiper Arm with the PIAA 19" wiper blade, but there is room for a 20" if you don't mind a lil' bit of it cleaning out of the glass area.

    See also my short, silver & retractable antenna. Reception is substantially impaired though.
     
  2. flareak

    flareak Fleet Captain

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    how do you install it?
     
  3. Areometer

    Areometer Silver Business Sponsor

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    Very straightforward & easy.

    Remove the snap-on black piece, the bolt will be exposed. Unscrew it, the whole arm+blade assembly can then be lifted up & be removed.

    You can also decide its sweeping path when you intall the new JDM wiper arm. Like how low you want it to stop, etc.
     
  4. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    Let's see before & after photos of the area actually cleared by the two wipers.

    For the easiest-to-see results, sift white flour onto the back window then turn on the wiper.
     
  5. naterprius

    naterprius Senior Member

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    So, you say this is JDM? Is this the OEM wiper on the Japanese Prius?

    Nate
     
  6. Areometer

    Areometer Silver Business Sponsor

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    Nate, I am a lil' confused on the situation to be honest. Cos' in Japan, you can buy this steel wiper (pictured above) as well as our US-spec. one. As to which one comes on which model of Prius in Japan, your guess is as good as mine.

    So technically speaking, both are JDM wipers.
     
  7. Areometer

    Areometer Silver Business Sponsor

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    John, we are in the process of having a local gathering (hopefully) so I will try to take photos of 2 Prius equipped with these different wipers side by side. But it's really not hard to visualize how the oversized version cleans, right? Just look at the existing cleaning zone of your wiper, then add 2" on both sides of this half-circle. :wink:
     
  8. techogurl

    techogurl New Member

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    Is there going to be a group buy on this? If so, I'd be interested.
     
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  9. mikepaul

    mikepaul Senior Member

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    What I'd like better is a odd wiper path version, that sweeps over more. Maybe even like an accordion, where the motion of the motor would sweep the wiper completely from left to right.

    Anyone want to build one of those, I'll take one...
     
  10. ryogajyc

    ryogajyc Active Member

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    I'd be interested in a group buy as well.

    Maybe it would be possible to create a wiper that extends as it sweeps. I could see it being mechanically possible to create some sort of mechanism like that, but to actually manufacturer something nice and professional seems like it would be hard.

    I don't understand why the rear wiper motor wasn't simply centered and the wiper given a full semicircle path. It seems that would have gotten more window coverage with possibly a shorter wiper.

    I'm a bit confused on the JDM. Is just the wiper arm JDM, just the wiper blade, or both? Which length wiper blade is used in Japan?
     
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  11. T1H1X38

    T1H1X38 New Member

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    I'd be interested in the group buy, too! Count me in!
     
  12. Areometer

    Areometer Silver Business Sponsor

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    [img=right:4323a3a8df]http://priuschat.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/www.sigmaautomotive.com_jdm_prius_ext_rearwiperjdmup.jpg[/IMG]To mikepaul: I know exactly what we need. On my ’86 Mercedes E-class, the front wiper rests on one side when off & is barely short of the window rim. When I first looked at it, I thought to myself: no way this wouldn’t touch the top rim. Surprisingly, the mechanism renders the wiper to gradually slide down as it approaches the center portion, and as it leaves the center region, the wiper extends outward/upward again. So cool.

    To ryogajyc: The wiper arm is JDM as well as Euro-spec. The wiper blade is PIAA 20†Super Silicone (ie: aftermarket). This is the largest size that physical space permits without cleaning waaaaay out of the glass pane. Original wiper refill used in Japan is 400mm – which is the same as the US-spec’s 15.75â€. We chose the PIAA cos’ it lasts longer than OE many times. The pair on my SUV is 2.5 years old and they are still going strong. And I live in the snowy/rainy NE.

    To others: Group-buy huh? There is not a lot of markup on this. Plus I need to get special mailing tubes for the 20†wipers (PIAA packaging adds another 2-3†unfortunately). Let me give it some thoughts.

    NOTE: We are placing a new JDM order from Japan no later than 7-15-05, so if there’s anything that you would like to order, please take advantage of this & you should get your JDM parts within about 2 weeks, instead of the usual 4-5 weeks wait. Thank you in advance.

    P.S. This pic. shows how you can easily lift up the rear wiper so that you can clean the rear window freely.

    Edward
     
  13. ryogajyc

    ryogajyc Active Member

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    Thanks for the info. I think I somehow got the idea that the JDM wiper arm is a different length than the US one. If I'm reading this correctly now, it actually is the same length, and the the difference is the ability to lift it up completely without snapping off the black plastic piece around at the base of the arm. If I don't mind that minor inconvenience, is there any reason why I can't replace just the wiper blade?
     
  14. Areometer

    Areometer Silver Business Sponsor

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    You cannot upsize the wiper blade or the refill on the US-spec rear wiper arm. So you are stuck with the 15.75" length forever & ever. Look at it closely & you will see what I mean. 8)
     
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  15. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

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    I like the JDM Wiper Arm with the PIAA 19" wiper blade.

    How much will these cost?
     
  16. Areometer

    Areometer Silver Business Sponsor

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    Do you mind taking PIAA 20" super silicone wiper instead of 19"? Cos' I want to keep everything uniform so that in the future when you guys & gals ask for replacement wipers, I don't have to ask which size of wiper blades that you have.

    The JDM steep rear wiper arm + PIAA 20" super silicone wiper blade = $59 + UPS Ground. You can order from our site. If you insist on 19", I can deliver too.

    Thanks in advance.
     
  17. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

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    You said the 20" goes off the glass. I don't want anything that goes off the rear window glass area.

    I'll pass then and just keep what the car came with. It doesn't annoy me as much as it annoys others.
     
  18. ryogajyc

    ryogajyc Active Member

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    I looked at the wiper arm, and I may see what you mean. The wiper blade attachment to the arm looks non-standard/proprietary, but I wonder if there's another wiper blade that will fit it.

    It also appears that the black plastic piece can be modified to allow the wiper arm to lift by removing the plastic lock piece in the center of it.

    I'm of the same opinion as Godiva. I'd prefer the wiper blade not go out of the glass area. I actually kind of like the US OEM wiper arm since it angles out on the lower part of the arm, which seems to make it less obtrusive in the "off" position.

    It does bother me that the rear wiper seems to cover so little of the rear window, but I rarely am reminded of it b/c it rains only a few days of the year around here (though this year has been relatively torrential!).
     
  19. Areometer

    Areometer Silver Business Sponsor

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    If you want 19" instead of 20" wiper blade, please specify so in the Comments field during check out. I have 19" on and it cleans within the glass pane area.
     
  20. guido

    guido Junior Member

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    Areometer,

    Will standard refills fit the replacement wiper? I looked on your site but couldn't find any info on 19" and 20" refills.

    Dan