I noticed several members asking for solutions to fitting smaller wipers on a chopped windshield. Today, I did it. My windshield is only 9 1/2" tall. Got a pair of 11" wipers/arms that are too long. Straightened out the u-turn the end of the wiper arm did (1st pic, the arm at the top. German type). Predetermined where the pivot point (center of blade) would be. Marked arm accordingly calculating for the curve required for the 6" wrist-type wiper blade. I then put the arm in a vice and put a 90 degree bend in it (pic #2). Then, carefully used vice, vice grips, channel locks to hold a 13/16" socket in place on the vice, and proceeded to make the arc for the blade's frame pivot point (center of blade). Cut off the unneeded arm length, after the arc (back to pic #1, second arm down from top). Slipped wiper blade on arm (pic #3), and mounted on windshield. The blade clears the windshield frame molding by a 1/4"(pic #4). Optional, in my case, is to weld a pimple at the end of the arm to help wiper blade frame snap into place on the arm. Plus the pimple offers addt'l security so the blade doesn't leave the arm. BTW, Do wiper arms experience the Ackerman principle?
Good solution. I took the rivit that holds the body of the arm to the arm out, shortened the arm, drilled a new hole and reinstalled a rivet, it worked good.
The Jalopy Journal
