How to install frameless wipers with your own hands

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

The only direct purpose of car wipers is to ensure good visibility and visibility in difficult weather conditions. Until recently, their design was quite complicated. It used special hinged rocker arms, which often and quickly failed. Traditional windshield wipers were often seriously damaged not only by a slight mechanical impact, but even by strong winds or their work when the car was moving at high speed. Today there is a worthy alternative to the bulky, fragile and rather capricious traditional design - frameless elements.

Pluses of frameless mechanisms

Compared to traditional car wipers, these models have a number of advantages.

The main advantages that frameless wipers can boast of, when compared with devices of a traditional design, are the following:

• high wear resistance and durability;
• closer fit to car windshield and larger surface area;
• Efficient operation when driving at high speed.

Besides, due to their design features, car frameless wipers are not afraid of severe frosts that cause icing. Every car owner at least once in his life faced with a situation where on a winter morning you have to literally tear off the frozen wipers from the windshield, and then scrape off the ice formed from them for a long time. With frameless structures, such problems do not arise. Moreover, German frameless wipers (Bosch, for example) have a built-in heating system.

However, the built-in heating wire is inherent not only in the products of this company, but also in many brands of wipers from other manufacturers. In addition, some frameless windshield wipers have an additional water spray function in addition to the standard car washer. But, again, all these features make the cost of the device an order of magnitude higher than its counterparts (about $50-100 per pair).

Key design features

Modern frameless car wipers are a spoiler structure, in a plastic casing of which two metal guides are placed that hold a special rubber brush.

This design eliminates the needcreating a whole system of hinges and rocker arms. Which, in turn, makes such wipers much less capricious and much more durable. There are many form factors of such car accessories. Like traditional wipers, frameless wipers can be used in pairs or, conversely, be a single console, the working surface of which covers almost the entire area of the car's windshield.

The convenience of the elements we are considering also lies in the fact that the cleaning gum can be easily replaced with a new one. And although frameless wipers are noticeably more expensive than their traditional "brothers", they quickly pay off due to their strength and durability.

Which car fits frameless wipers

There is an opinion that such mechanisms have insufficient universality. To some extent, this is true. However, today manufacturers offer consumers such a wide range of car accessories of this type that they can be easily selected for absolutely any make and model of car. Answer the question: "Frameless wipers: which ones are better?" clearly impossible. Someone prefers the most concise designs, and someone likes "panoramic", and even equipped with a heating or spraying system. But the main thing to take into account when choosing this type of car wipers is their compatibility with a particular car model. Since these devices are quite expensive, when buying them, it will not be out of place to ask the seller which productssuitable for a particular brand.

Installation

Often, along with the question about frameless wipers (which one is better to choose), the car owner has another problem: is it possible to install such designs on their own?

Of course, the installation of expensive models equipped, for example, with a heating system, is best entrusted to highly qualified specialists who have not only deep theoretical knowledge and rich practical experience, but also an arsenal of all the necessary equipment and tools:

• firstly, many parts and elements of frameless wipers, including fasteners, are small in size and fairly high degree of fragility;
• secondly, if the devices are equipped with a heating system, it is necessary not only to have at least elementary knowledge in the field of electrical engineering, but also to know the intricacies of car devices.

True, contacting a service center or service station almost always means losing a certain amount of time, nerves and, of course, money. So it's up to you.

Installation of frameless mechanisms with your own hands

In most cases, the car owner himself can install such wipers. This allows you to save a certain amount of money and a fairly large amount of time. The following step-by-step instructions will tell you how to do this correctly.

Determining the place

Installing frameless wipers, of course, is best in a garage or inanother covered area. You should place the necessary tool next to you, which will not require so much - just a couple of screwdrivers.

It is best to install wipers in the summer or, if it so happened that it is already cold outside, in a heated room. Firstly, some parts and fasteners are very small. And secondly, when installing or replacing wipers, it will be necessary to flush the fasteners with water, which will immediately freeze in an unheated room in winter, which will significantly complicate the procedure.

Cleaning

Before changing the frameless wipers or installing new ones, it is necessary to thoroughly clean their mounts and the windshield of the car from dirt and dust. To do this, you can take an ordinary rag dipped in warm soapy water, but it is better to use a jet of water or compressed air. True, such cleaning may require much more space to accommodate the necessary equipment. However, for cleaning (or rather, blowing out) the wiper mounts, it is quite possible to use compressed air cans, which are used to remove dust from computer and laptop cases.

Removing old brushes

After the wiper mounts are cleaned, you can begin to dismantle the old ones. To do this, you must take the following steps:

• unscrew the fixing studs;
• carefully remove the brush body;
• remove the rubber plugs of the bolts;
• unscrew the bolts.

In this case, unscrew the bolts withmaximum care, since in the vast majority of cases they are connected directly to the motor that sets the structure in motion. It is necessary to damage this mechanism - and the best frameless wipers simply will not work! It is also necessary to take care of the safety of the sealing washers. Without them, installation can be very problematic.

Installing new ones

Now you can start installing new wipers. If they are equipped with a heating system, you will need to open the hood and run the electrical cords through the mounts into the engine compartment.

Regardless of whether new brushes are being installed or frameless wipers are being replaced, the wires must be laid in such a way that they do not come into contact with the working units of the car under any circumstances.

The wires of the wiper heating system themselves are connected to the terminal of the glass heating system. It is important to replace the special protective rubber casing or cap after connection.

Then you can proceed directly to the installation of the wipers themselves. The algorithm of actions will be as follows:

• laying a new rubber gasket under the base of the wiper;
• fitting the base of the new element onto the square pin;
• sealing the connection with the washer removed earlier when dismantling the old wiper;
• tightening the housing fixing bolt.

The same operations should be performed with the second wiper. Then you need to checkperformance of installed brushes.

Replacing rubber bands on frameless wipers

There is an opinion among motorists that frameless car brushes are disposable.

But it's not. Do not throw away the wiper if the rubber brush on it has become unusable. Such designs, among other things, are also good because it is quite easy to replace. In practice, replacing rubber bands on frameless wipers is as follows:

• determine the lower end of the mechanism;
• with a screwdriver very carefully pry off and remove the cap-lock;
• pull out the rubber brush towards you;
• insert new rubber band;
• return the cap-lock into place.

Thus, wiper blades (frameless designs) can be changed an unlimited number of times.

Which brushes are better to choose for your car

Choosing these elements for the car, any car owner seeks to get the most optimal combination of price / quality parameters. Traditional articulated wipers cost less than frameless wipers, but in return, the latter provide much higher reliability and durability.

In addition, modern designs are also reusable - just change the cleaning gum, following the tips above. And thanks to our article and the step-by-step instructions set out in it, installing or replacing frameless wipers becomes a matter ofsimple enough. And this process can be carried out not only by a qualified car service specialist, but also by the car owner himself.

So, we found out what frameless car wipers are, discussed their advantages and disadvantages, shared with you recommendations regarding the features of installing such structures and replacing them in case of a malfunction. Good luck!