Scrubber Blade

[TACTICALJEEP]

I'm not sure how you would measure it...you would need some kind of torque gauge mounted to the wiper arm/wiper transmission union to determine the force needed to swing the OE setup v/s the new wipers. maybe you could time the distance traveled/speed of one wiper from resting position-through range of travel-back to resting position on both types of wipers. if the speed/distance traveled is the same or close to it, then motor/transmission wear would be minimal...but to compound things, the windshield would have to be wet all the time to reduce/limit "dry drag" during the testing sequence.

It's not the brushes/bristles I'm worried about (that's not a lot of contact area), its the "double blade" set up that concerns me...

 

[Hilldweller]

I'm not sure how you would measure it...you would need some kind of torque gauge mounted to the wiper arm/wiper transmission union to determine the force needed to swing the OE setup v/s the new wipers. maybe you could time the distance traveled/speed of one wiper from resting position-through range of travel-back to resting position on both types of wipers. if the speed/distance traveled is the same or close to it, then motor/transmission wear would be minimal...but to compound things, the windshield would have to be wet all the time to reduce/limit "dry drag" during the testing sequence.

It's not the brushes/bristles I'm worried about (that's not a lot of contact area), its the "double blade" set up that concerns me...

Yeah, I thought about both of those.
My nephew did his master's thesis on a device to measure the torque/speed of bone-saw blades used on hip replacements; might call him and pick his brain. Or I could time it but I don't think I could even out the start/stop variable.
Also thought about measuring the load on the motor --- I've got a pretty good meter.

Anyhoo, the wipers are here and mounted. Weight difference is much less than I had thought. They're composite and the OE's are metal.

I'll be looking for buggy and muddy conditions this weekend.

 

[TACTICALJEEP]

sounds like they may have already worked out the drag/weight problem by their construction, i'm totally stoked to find out how they work!

 

[xkid]

I have a jk also and have never had so many bugs on my windshield before. I think It's just the angle of the glass. I have been getting out and cleaning it with paper towels. I also carry glass cleaner with me.

 

[Hilldweller]

Ha.
Round one: Had some epoxy-bugs on the windshield since Saturday when I cleaned it last. Typical week of commuting, humid, a few sprinkles but no real rain. Hot conditions. The bug guts had turned to cement and I had previously attacked them with level-3 windshield wiper ferocity that resulted in bug streaking.
Just ran to the grocery store and ran the wiper/wash cycle 3 more times with the Scrubber Blades. Removed all the streaks that were on there and about 75% of the dried bug mass. Nothing left but 3 or 4 bug nubbies about the diameter of a lentil.

Round 1 goes to the new blades on points.
I had sprayed the windshield with Protect-All on Saturday, btw. http://www.protectall.com/

 

[155mm]

I've tried a number of products on the windshields that promise to stay slick --- and they do for a bit.
But the atomic bug-juice, mud, rain, etc. wears it away fast. Especially on an extended trip.
This last boondoggle we were on was the worst in terms of bugs. From GA up the Blue Ridge Parkway, through the hills of VA, through PA, upstate NY. And then back. All along rivers and lakes, in spring. BUGS! On a flat-windshielded Jeep.

So these things will either work or not. The manufacturer seems pretty confident in them. I've seen worse ideas....
Figured it was worth the no-risk try.

Yup, I hear ya. In the driver's side door I keep a bottle of the spray and that's what I use to clean the windshield every other day or so. Takes an extra minute, but I really hate having a dirty windshield.

I also use the Rain-X fluid, like Erik N, except I get the orange kind with the lower freezing point since I'm not in Texas

This combination lets me clear the bugs with ease with the windshield wipers, as long as I give it the waxy coat every few days. Let us know how those fancy ones work though!

 

[Hilldweller]

What I'm eager to see is the way they work in the dark. A few years ago I bought a similar product, Scrublades, from Wil at Sierra. They streaked like crazy.
They did clear the mud and bugs in the daytime so I was going to keep them in the Jeep for use in particular situations... ...but then they fell apart in a week and went in the trash.

These things don't look like they're streaking. Totally different design concept and build.
Pretty interesting that you can re-blade them. The blade refills come with neat little protector gizmos.

 

[JamesW]

I find going over the windscreen with a razor does a great job,with a bit of polishing,it makes it super clean and smooth,which makes it a harder surface for stuff to stick to. If you look up "razorblading windscreen" you'll get a few instructions to doing it,and it makes a world of a difference. Good wipers make a nice difference too. The jeeps would be like a defender in the way that everything airborne on the road is going to land on the windscreen.

I find a small bit of MucOff for cleaning bikes can help shift the insects that seem to explode onto the window and leave a hard crust that is impossible to shift,wouldn't recommend using it all the time,but I'd have it in the boot and gave it a go. It would probably eat the blades if you did it a lot though

 

[digitaldelay]

Pretty tough to beat this series of videos when it comes to auto detailing, IMO.

http://www.ammonyc.com/detailing/car-glass-cleaning-polishing/

Jason

 

[Hilldweller]

Well, it was schvitzing out this morning and I was underwhelmed by the blades.
I've had worse but almost any blade refill does a better job keeping a clean windshield clear in a sprinkle.
They streaked. Not as bad as the Scrublade that I tried 5 years ago, but there were streaks. And the streaks play havoc with oncoming headlights, traffic lights, streetlights, etc.

I have to try them in more situations. Might take a long buggy ride tomorrow to really check out the scrubbing effect. And it would be convenient to have a real rain early tomorrow too ---- I go to the gym usually between 3:30 and 4:00 a.m. and count on my wipers/headlights.

 

[RMP&O]

Had "scrubber" blades on my 04 Tacoma and for a 15,000 miles trip down south. Probably had them on the truck 20,000 or more miles. Didin't care for them that much, didn't feel they scrubbed much at all and left a lot of smears. Went back to a normal blade after that.

Cheers

 

[Hilldweller]

Had "scrubber" blades on my 04 Tacoma and for a 15,000 miles trip down south. Probably had them on the truck 20,000 or more miles. Didin't care for them that much, didn't feel they scrubbed much at all and left a lot of smears. Went back to a normal blade after that.

Cheers

Were they this brand or the other one?

 

[Erik N]

Maybe they could be made better by routing the washer fluid up the wiper arms and into the blade? My older Burb has the squirters on the arms, works pretty well.

 

[Hilldweller]

I tried them again this morning ---- the streaks. Can't live with the streaks.
If you're going fast, they evaporate pretty quickly.
But I routinely data-log my driving and my average moving speed is 32-35 mph. And that's in a damp climate where the streaks tend to linger, catch light, and dazzle.

I could see these being useful for daytime highway drives though bug alley, or muddy days. But I wouldn't use them in the dark.

 

[luckyjoe]

Bill,

Like you, having tried multiple products, the only ones I can recommend are silicone wiper blades and Nanofilm Clarity Defender glass treatment. I am particularly fond of both when used together. I run this combo on all our vehicles, but unfortunately I have not been able to find silicone blades to fit a 1965 Land Rover...