Any recommendations for wipers that are sun/dry rot resistant?

"DC3 LS, Fuck Hyundai, now and forever" (eg6)
10/26/2020 at 18:35 • Filed to: None

When I got my current car (6-9 months ago) the wipers were horrible and I replaced them right away with Bosch wipers, which is what I usually use. However they’re already streaking again, and it only rains about 6 times a year here.

I don’t have covered parking at home, work, etc so I’m assuming the rubber just dry/sun rotted from the sun. I’m in Texas so it’s pretty hot, although it’s nothing crazy like Arizona, but I’m still convinced it’s the problem.

DISCUSSION (20)

PowderHound > DC3 LS, Fuck Hyundai, now and forever
10/26/2020 at 18:40

I’ve had PIAA Super silicone on my car for the past 5 years or so and they still work great but they have slipped out of the holder a bit

VincentMalamute-Kim > DC3 LS, Fuck Hyundai, now and forever
10/26/2020 at 18:40

I think all you can do is treat it as a yearly consumable. Unless someone makes a wiper blade made of steel?

The Snowman > DC3 LS, Fuck Hyundai, now and forever
10/26/2020 at 18:42

If it only rains 6 times a year just suck it up lol. On a more serious note if it's uv nothing is going to help short of little uv proof wiper condoms you can take off when it rains.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > DC3 LS, Fuck Hyundai, now and forever
10/26/2020 at 18:54

Bane of my existence in the SunBelt-- just did the Land Cruiser again. Swear I only got a year out of those Michelins.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > DC3 LS, Fuck Hyundai, now and forever
10/26/2020 at 18:59

I've got the same problem here in Socal. It seems that wipers are "single use only" with how infrequently it rains. Wipers on both of my cars are totally trashed right now. Miata I don't care, I will never drive it in the rain (or on a day with greater than 10% chance of rain). The Subaru though I take to places with snow so I kind of need the wipers to work. But I usually just replace just before the first real storm of the season, usually November. I do the same with tires too. It's only sketchy when wipers get bad in like March. Odds are I won't see precipitation that I have to drive in after that. And I don't want to replace them and then they are already bad come November. So my advice is just replace yearly with the cheapest possible set right before the rainy season. And ignore how bad they get in between.

HammerheadFistpunch > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish
10/26/2020 at 19:11

just change then when you change front rotors!

Urambo Tauro > PowderHound
10/26/2020 at 19:25

Another vote for sili cone here. Cu rrently have the Rain-X ones on my car; so far so good...

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > DC3 LS, Fuck Hyundai, now and forever
10/26/2020 at 19:44

When I lived in SoCal and parked in a garage at both ends of my commute, my wipers lasted like 6-9 months, too. I don’t know of any that did better than that. I replaced them pretty much any time I needed them, it rained that rarely in San Diego...

Longtime Lurker > DC3 LS, Fuck Hyundai, now and forever
10/26/2020 at 19:44

If it rains so infrequently, keep a junk set on the car and have a second nice set that you keep out of the sun (trunk or house). Just switch them around depending on the weather.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/26/2020 at 19:47

I used to buy a new set in like September or October and toss them in my trunk so I had them to swap in when it finally rained.

Up here in the PNW (where cars last forever and the rubber/plastic parts outlast the metal), they last a long time as long as you don’t get debris in them, around 4+ years for front wipers and 7+ for rears. We also use them a lot here, so you’d think they would wear faster, but they don’t really wear much from use.

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > DC3 LS, Fuck Hyundai, now and forever
10/26/2020 at 19:56

Bosch Icons.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > HammerheadFistpunch
10/26/2020 at 20:11

heh. Yes, you would know...

The FZJ now has a slight “tick-y” noise from up front when I’m braking-and-turning. I think I’m in for more than “rotors” this time.

Aremmes > DC3 LS, Fuck Hyundai, now and forever
10/26/2020 at 20:23

My experience with Bosch wipers is that they work great when new but deteriorate quite rapidly. I’ve had better luck with Michelins, particularly the beam-style ones.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > Eric @ opposite-lock.com
10/26/2020 at 20:28

This is what I did in NM. I had my “everyday” wipers and my “shit it’s gonna rain” wipers, which usually lived in my trunk.

DipodomysDeserti > DC3 LS, Fuck Hyundai, now and forever
10/26/2020 at 21:25

There aren’t any, but I’d stay away from anything German.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Eric @ opposite-lock.com
10/27/2020 at 01:24

That just makes me mad. How on earth does rubber in such an exposed place last that long? I have to replace my wipers every year here in Georgia and the non wear item rubbers like the roof panel join usually turns to dust after 10 years. Mine are getting pretty bad.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > DC3 LS, Fuck Hyundai, now and forever
10/27/2020 at 01:42

Nope. I just buy whatever is available from a local name brand every year or so ...and nothing has lasted. Not even the expensive silicon things. C urrently running some AC Delco branded beam blades on the VW but they are approaching bin time after 14 months.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
10/27/2020 at 02:51

The magic of the PNW. Less sun due to clouds & latitude , rarely very hot or cold, no salt, little freezing, etc. Cars just last forever.

Wipers usually get replaced here when they start chattering or streaking excessively, usually due to the aforementioned debris (like tree bits and sap). They also eventually curve just from age and sitting in a position, which is what tends to cause the back ones to get replaced .

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Eric @ opposite-lock.com
10/27/2020 at 09:08

Kinja'd!!!

This rubber steering wheel in my brother’s Fusion was 6 years old at the time. Imagine trying to wipe your windshield with that! Rubber and plastics simply do not last all that long here if the car is stored outside. Though a lot of people never replace their rear wipers and they curve in position like you said. Though unlike California and the desert states mentioned here it rains often so you actually need wipers in all seasons.

razorbeamteam > DC3 LS, Fuck Hyundai, now and forever
10/27/2020 at 09:11

Silblade is supposed to be the “longest lasting wiper”. People swear by them. I’ve never actually tried them because they’re pricy but apparently worth the price.