Ford E-series Wiper adjustment?

[BrianBlair]

I recently installed a new set of wiper blades(Rain-X Latitude). My old blades were working fine but I had heard that the Latitudes were worth swapping out for.

Once I installed the new blades the passenger side is not making full contact with the windshield. It seems like there isn't enough spring tension to press the blade into the glass. The drivers side is great and works perfectly.

So, my question is this: Is there a spring tension adjustment on these? I couldn't find anything that looked like an adjustment could be made.

Thanks!

BB

[arctictraveller]

I"ve never seen an adjustment, but perhaps the spring that pushes the wiper against the glass is rusted and not moving freely? Check the wiper for free movement too. You could swap sides to see if the wiper or the arm is the problem.

[Bbasso]

I looked at mine earlier and while I didn't see any adjustments, there is a spring that could possibly weaken over age or possibly un-hooked some how...
Have you looked closely at the mechanism?
And try switching sides as mentioned above by Arctic Traveller .

[JWA]

Being in the auto/truck glass install biz this issue is something I've wrestled with repeatedly. While this sort of thing can sometimes be attributed to minor imperfections in the windshield itself nearly every other time its the wiper arm spring having become fatigued, no longer able to hold the blade against the glass.

For maybe 20 years I've searched for a solution other than replacing the entire wiper arm but so far no suitable replacement springs seem available. I have discovered companies like NAPA sell a good quality aftermarket wiper arm to fit most of our vehicles. With Ford's E-Series there is wide coverage model year-wise, the later years (2003 etc) being less expensive than '95-97 for some strange reason.

I've also bought OEM arms for right around $20 each specifying at least a 2000 year.

Another small trick is lubricating the swing joint with a grease as those are prone to rusting which reduces the spring's tension.

Small problem yet so darned annoying when a wiper blade is skipping and dragging across the windshield.

[dhally]

I have found that some of the "super-duper" wipers don't work as well as the OEM or cheap anco ones. Sometimes it is aerodynamics - the airflow lifts the arm.

Maybe just try a different blade?

[JWA]

Originally Posted by dhally

I have found that some of the "super-duper" wipers don't work as well as the OEM or cheap anco ones. Sometimes it is aerodynamics - the airflow lifts the arm.

Maybe just try a different blade?

Another great point---the "super duper" versions tend to be over-priced crap that barely work at all. Most likely those buying them do so to hopefully correct this situation, most probably also disappointed they're not as hyped.

I buy the OEM style, typically $10 or less each and don't expect them to remain effective past 4-6 months maximum. Ford's version seem to have slightly larger blades, are light in weight and worked very well for me over the past 7-8 years.

Your climate greatly affects wiper blade life too---not that you didn't already know that!