Modified Wiper Sizes

General Discussion
1

So, for whatever reason, I’ve been thinking a lot about wipers. Just today, I thought: What would happen if I put larger blades on my car to increase the wipers’ surface area? So I stole the drivers side blade from our 2006 Odyssey (26") and I put it on my 2002 Accord drivers side (which is supposed to have a 24" blade). This did 2 things: It eliminated the little “triangle” where the wipers rest, and second, it clearly increased the surface area to be wiped, thus giving me better visibility. So what are your thoughts on this? Why do you suppose the designers recommend the smaller blade, when one only 2 inches larger seems to work better? Do you think using the larger blade will put extra strain on the wiper motor?

Thanks,
Max

2

I really don’t see a problem as long as the blades stay clear of each other. The larger blade might catch the wind more. Especially in the winter the larger blade might make for more resistance on the wiper motor, meaning more wear on the motor and linkage.

3

I had a different experience with this situation on my old car. I accidentally bought 2 of the same sized blades. The blade that was meant to be shorter, but got a larger one(18" vs 20"), kept coming loose on me and would nearly fling itself off when I tried to wipe my windows. I’m pretty sure I would have lost the blade altogether if I hadn’t stopped the wipers and readjusted the blade when I had the chance to stop the car. Thankfully I treated my windshield with RainX and didn’t need my wipers much

4

I say, “if it’s working, and not interfering with the other blade, go for it.”

You’re only talking about an inch on each end of the blade. It’s unlikely to hurt anything, and you now have better visibility.

Good for you.

5

There may be a problem with the length matching the contour of the windshield. Otherwise, it’s worth an experiment. I wouldn’t expect as consistent results in clearing from the engineered size on some cars though.

6

If it’s workin’ and it doesn’t ride up on the rubber, go for it.

Personally, I use slightly shorter wipers in the winter to compensate for the tendency of the rubber-booted wipers I use to lift and chatter in the highway.

7

The problem comes in the winter if you’re one of those people who doesn’t brush the snow off the windshield, but lets the wipers do it for you. If the snow is heavy enough, the extra length means it’s harder for the motor to rotate the blades, and you can burn it out. Pretty rare that that would happen, though.