Art & Inspiration tech week wiper arm install

problem; wiper arms are not on your car, maybe you bought the car this way or maybe you just did a fresh paint job and you can't remember if the arms parked, both right, both left, both in the middle or both out. maybe you just tangled with repairing the crazy cable operated wiper linkage and am not sure you wound the pulleys right. maybe there is a crappy after market wiper set up in your car that parks in an odd spot so it moves the wrong way for the first inch of movement before wiping the window. putting the arm on in the wrong spot can damage paint or stainless trim.
i found, a long zip tie tightened around the wiper shaft in the position you think it should be in, will allow you to test the wiper motion without damage. most later wiper shafts are the same size so they can be slipped on and off. i keep them in my tool box. they can be seen from the drivers seat so you can watch it while you work the switch.
silly little tip, hope it saves a scratch from happening. pictures to follow.

 

You win,,,

 

The simple ideas can save a whole lot of cash for the repaint. Nice idea.

 

Ted,you silly wabbit,you should already know that Rain-X works better than tie wraps! HRP

 

Well, I'm going to go punch myself in the face now.....

 

A great tip. I have a new wiper motor on my Ford and I'll definitely try this one out before I put the wipers on. You can damage the motor itself (at least on newer cars) by jamming the wiper arm against something.

 

All joking aside,I saw this years ago in one of the hot rod publications and used this very same principal when installing the wipers on the Ranch Wagon. HRP

 

Thanks for the tip.

Gary

 

Great Tip DUH!!! the sound of my hand smacking my forehead for not thinking of this Jim

 

Excellent

 

Great tip, I hate removing wiper arms on a finished car.

 

thanks guys

 

Cool trick, must remember that one.

Similar applies for determining the travel of shocks in use (difficult with covered shocks!). Also to establish any heat issues anywhere - eg if the zip tie melts then the brake pipe it's attached to is too close to the exhaust.

Chris

 

zip tie is also good for smacking bugs before they land Do they come in red?

 

Used your method for years on the tri five stock wipers. Still takes four hours to get the cables right. Yes the zip ties come in Red.

 

Great idea! Zip ties the new duct tape!

 

two zip ties equal a bolt. three zip ties equal a weld

 

i love tech week

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/vote-now-tech-week-october-2015.995188/

Short time to vote

 

We use this regularly, also some masking tape folded over on itself is even a little less likely to scratch paint/chrome.
Basic but extremely useful info. Good post.

 

thanks, i used to use tape but it is hard to reposition.
any paint that a zip tie would scratch, deserves to be.