Wiper drive hubs.

[Modsqwad]

I just today noticed that both my wiper drive hubs (where they come through the front panel) are loose. The driver side is very loose
and I need to figure it out quick. Has anyone messed around up there behind the dash with this. I remember seeing a wiper motor
behind the glove box but thats about as much as I know for sure with no diagrams or anything I could find posted. The driverside
looks like a pain in the a__ with some cut knuckles to go along with it. Any help would be mucho apreciado. Gracias.
Andy Wilson
Cold&Wet in Victoria

[danfromvan]

Andy, I have the same problem but just on the passenger side. Haven't tackled it yet but Nathan at RJD Services was going to take a look at it. He said it's a bugger of a fiddle job to get at and could take several hours as you do have to go at it from behind the dash. He's on his own in the shop and very busy for the next month so asked if I could wait until his partner returns from, of all places, Mexico.

I think I'll give it a try in the meantime. The wiper still seems to function OK and it is getting a lot of work these days in the Lower Mainland. Not sure when I'll get to it though as I don't have a covered space to work and I'd rather do it when it's dry outside.

Anone else who's already dealt with this?

[Stewart]

Don't take your dash apart as they tighten from the outside. I tightened mine by prying up the rubber boot just under the wiper arm enough to see the nut and get a wrench on. It might be easier to take the wiper arm off first but mine are seized pretty bad and I didn't want to take the chance of breaking anything.

[Modsqwad]

Thanks thats good news about being able to do this from the outside. I am going to go at this today and I'll let you know how
I make out. I had the van painted recently and I suspect this results from the laminero's lack of attention to detail. Gracias.
Andy Wilson

[Modsqwad]

Don't take your dash apart as they tighten from the outside. I tightened mine by prying up the rubber boot just under the wiper arm enough to see the nut and get a wrench on. It might be easier to take the wiper arm off first but mine are seized pretty bad and I didn't want to take the chance of breaking anything.

Good tip thanks for saving me some time. It was an easy fix as every thing had already been apart and not retightened by the bodyshop
in Mexico. Saludo's.
Andy Wilson

[Stewart]

You're welcome.

Stewart

[danfromvan]

Yes, thanks Stewart. I'll do mine tomorrow.

[danfromvan]

I tried tightening mine today. The whole passenger side unit is pretty loose and I can't pry up the rubber boot enough to see any bolt or nut underneath.

Do I just apply force to get the whole wiper assembly off in order to tighten the base to the front of the body (still from the outside)? Or is mine maybe broken rather than just loose?

Thanks for any thoughts or assistance,

[Stewart]

Take another look. You're probably trying to pry up the saddle the nut tightens down on. The rubber boot should pry up easily with your fingernail or small screwdriver. Call me if you need more help. 604-985-9708

Stewart

[Modsqwad]

Hi Dan:
If you can get the nut off the wiper arm (not seized hopefully) then the arm will come off with a bit of prying from a couple flat
screwdrivers. Mine was really loose but tightened right up good when I could get at the big jam nut underneath the rubber boot.Good luck.
Andy

[danfromvan]

I'll try again in the daylight. The rubber boot just didn't seem to want to move more than a couple of thou and the blade assembly seems frozen on pretty good. I was a little worried about breaking something as the whole thing (saddle at the base) is very loose and flopping around. I wasn't sure what was under the boot other than a large nut of some sort. I'm actually surprised that the wiper still seems to function just fine as it is.

Thanks to you both. Stewart, I'll give you a call if it doesn't give tomorrow.

[danfromvan]

I finally got it. The rubber boot on mine was molded right under the cover so that's why I couldn't pry it up. I managed to (forcefully) get the wiper arm off and tightened the big nut underneath. While the arm was tough to seat back on the spline again, it's now comfortably tight and the wiper works better than ever.

Thanks for the help and the time saved if I had taken the dash apart only to find that it wasn't necessary,

[Erebus]

I didn't have a chance to reply earlier. But anyway, to get the arm off the spindle once you take the nut off, you can use a special clampy thing (that's the technical term) I saw at Princess Auto the other day.

Or you can use the tool most shops have, I can't think of the name. It is similar to the Princess Auto thing, but intended for different purpose ... brakes maybe? Anyway, it has 3 "C" shaped arms with a screw you tighten to have the arms move and it pulls the thing apart.

Much better than the pry bars I tried, and didn't work, but did dent the "hood".

Sorry I can't think of the name of the tool. Hopefully someone knows what I'm talking about.

[Green1]

Sorry I can't think of the name of the tool. Hopefully someone knows what I'm talking about.

I believe they are referred to as a gear puller

[danfromvan]

Yeah I've seen them at Crappy Tire and almost went to go buy one just before I applied enough hand/arm strength and it suddenly popped off almost throwing me to the ground. It was even harder to get back on. The gear puller is similar to a battery terminal puller, but with 3 grabbing arms instead of 2. That might have worked as well.

Anyway, I managed to get the job done with no scratches on the body paint.

Happy New Year everyone and thanks to all for keeping this forum so alive and relevant.