Driver's side wiper arm slipping

[teamnash-rv]

The driver's side wiper arm is slipping. I have tightened the bolt as much as I can. Does any have a recommendation for fixing - another washer or ???

Driving through a rainstorm today I had to turnoff the wipers due to the slipping. We found a pull over spot where I tightened to bolt as much as possible but it's still slipping though not as bad.

[LETMGROW]

Chances are the splines in the arm are partially stripped. I have gotten by with cutting a section out of the side of an aluminum can and wrapping it around the stem the arm slips over then tightening the arm down.
If that fails, start looking for a new wiper arm.

[arcaguy]

I have to agree with letmegrow. Something you might try is cleaning out the splines in both sides with a pin or needle and see if that helps. Unfortunately I think replacement is in order. Good luck.

[amosnandy]

Originally Posted by teamnash-rv

The driver's side wiper arm is slipping. I have tightened the bolt as much as I can. Does any have a recommendation for fixing - another washer or ???

Driving through a rainstorm today I had to turnoff the wipers due to the slipping. We found a pull over spot where I tightened to bolt as much as possible but it's still slipping though not as bad.

Take it all the way off. See if it is a splined or a pressure fit. Some have splines that fit together. Normally the spline sticking out is steel and the arm is aluminum, or pot metal. Some are nothing more than a taper shaft that the arm fits down on and tightens as it is squeezed on.

Most likely you have the spline style. Look inside the whole in the arm and see if the splines are worn down.

If either yours is the friction cone or the spline and no longer tighten up, you have a couple options. The best is to by a new arm. NAPA should have them. Hopefully the splines are not stripped on the shaft coming out. That means replacing the mechanism.

The last resort, and I have done this when I knew I was going to need to do major work on the wipers anyway, get the wiper in the correct position, drill a whole and put a roll pin in.

You can put them together with JB weld also, but that takes 48 for the good stuff to cure and then when you do need to get it off it is a heat and beat project.

[ptw]

The barrel of the wiper arm is smooth when it is new. The arm is torqued onto the spline shaft and groves are cut into the wiper arm. If it is removed for any reason, like changing a windshield, it is extremely difficult to get it into the same grooves so the arm will strip out and need to be replaced. We had to replace our wiper arms six months after having our windshield replaced.

Once it is stripped the best solution is to replace the arms. I purchased them through Diesel Equipment. They were very helpful when I called. Be sure to get the wiper arm in the correct position the first time before torquing the wiper arm in place.

http://www.dieselequipment.com/files...echBooklet.pdf

[tom chelbana]

After having the same problem with our 18 LA we contacted Newmar. They said the wiper arm is keyed and will only go on all the way if the key way is lined up. After working on it for a couple hours we were able to get the arm to line up with key way and then using a new nut thread it on and we are OK now. Really a pain with tight space because the wiper are under the front cap on LA's.
Newmar Man

[ptw]

Originally Posted by tom chelbana

After having the same problem with our 18 LA we contacted Newmar. They said the wiper arm is keyed and will only go on all the way if the key way is lined up. After working on it for a couple hours we were able to get the arm to line up with key way and then using a new nut thread it on and we are OK now. Really a pain with tight space because the wiper are under the front cap on LA's.
Newmar Man

Tom,

The wiper arm pictured above appears to be the same as the wiper arm on my Freightliner chassis. Perhaps it is different on a Spartan, but there is no keyway on this wiper.

The best way to fix this is to buy a new wiper arm and follow the torquing procedure that comes with the wiper arm. As I mentioned, the arm has a smooth barrel that fits over the spline. When torquing it the spline cuts grooves into the wiper arm. I also used a knife tip to clean the soft metal out of the grooves on the post before installing the arm. Be sure to get the position of the wiper arm correct the first time. My wiper arms failed 6 months after they were removed when changing my windshield.

[ptw]

Here is the information Newmar has posted on Newgle about the wiper arm. Newmar says if the wiper arms are removed, they must be replaced. Also attached is the drawing of the wiper system from Newgle. The drawing mentions to torque the arm nut twice (note B**) to 65 ft lbs when installing a new arm. The Entegra procedure for the same wiper arm also mentions cleaning the spline of soft metal with a knife or wire brush before installing the new wiper arm.


Contents
This article provides wiper arm replacement and torque procedure for wiper arms (kits with part numbers 136633, 136761, 142760).

The wiper arms should be replaced if or when they are removed after the coach is shipped to the dealer.
Once replaced, the new arm should be torqued to 70 ft lbs. The wiper arm must be re-torqued to 70 ft lbs again between 30 and 60 minutes after the initial torque and before the wipers are used.
Any time the wiper arms are removed after the final torque, the arms should be replaced and the torque procedure should be repeated.
Source: The torque and replacement information was extracted from Newmar 2020 ECO 589.

[amosnandy]

Originally Posted by ptw

The barrel of the wiper arm is smooth when it is new. The arm is torqued onto the spline shaft and groves are cut into the wiper arm. If it is removed for any reason, like changing a windshield, it is extremely difficult to get it into the same grooves so the arm will strip out and need to be replaced. We had to replace our wiper arms six months after having our windshield replaced.

Once it is stripped the best solution is to replace the arms. I purchased them through Diesel Equipment. They were very helpful when I called. Be sure to get the wiper arm in the correct position the first time before torquing the wiper arm in place.

http://www.dieselequipment.com/files...echBooklet.pdf

In 50 years of working in the auto and truck industry, as a tech, advisor, shop owner, and now insurance adjuster I have never seen an arm that came smooth and went over the mechanism that was splined. They are either both splined or both tapered pressure fit If you put smooth tapered arms on a splined tapered shaft you force installed the wrong products.

Some splined arms/shafts are not tapered, but jus slip together, and have a little clip on the bottom to sheep the arm on the shaft. Some have tapered shafts that just pressure fit by tightening. But I have never seen or heard of an arm that cuts its own splines when your tighten them down. If you did that someone put two mismatched parts together.

[ptw]

Originally Posted by amosnandy

In 50 years of working in the auto and truck industry, as a tech, advisor, shop owner, and now insurance adjuster I have never seen an arm that came smooth and went over the mechanism that was splined. They are either both splined or both tapered pressure fit If you put smooth tapered arms on a splined tapered shaft you force installed the wrong products.

Some splined arms/shafts are not tapered, but jus slip together, and have a little clip on the bottom to sheep the arm on the shaft. Some have tapered shafts that just pressure fit by tightening. But I have never seen or heard of an arm that cuts its own splines when your tighten them down. If you did that someone put two mismatched parts together.

There are many references to this on IRV2 in several different forums. I changed the arms on my coach. You are not correct on this one.

[rfg9585]

I am currently having the same issue, but my wiper shaft broke on drivers side and the wiper is just dangling. Someone in the parking lot at Bass pro just told me maybe I could swap the pass with the driver side and complete my trip. Day 2 of a 36 day trip.

Heading out tomorrow am over i55 bridge b4 traffic build up. So I need help quick!

THANKS!

[LETMGROW]

Originally Posted by rfg9585

I am currently having the same issue, but my wiper shaft broke on drivers side and the wiper is just dangling. Someone in the parking lot at Bass pro just told me maybe I could swap the pass with the driver side and complete my trip. Day 2 of a 36 day trip.

Heading out tomorrow am over i55 bridge b4 traffic build up. So I need help quick!

THANKS!

If the shaft broke I don't see any to repair it without replacing the complete wiper transmission. You can't switch a wiper arm onto a broken shaft.
Buy a bottle of "Rain X" and give the windshield a liberal coating following the directions on the bottle to help clear the windshield if you get a surprise rain event and plan on getting off the highway and parked safely.
I carry a small bottle of "Rain X" in every vehicle I own including my John Deere Cab tractor.

[rfg9585]

Originally Posted by LETMGROW

If the shaft broke I don't see any to repair it without replacing the complete wiper transmission. You can't switch a wiper arm onto a broken shaft.
Buy a bottle of "Rain X" and give the windshield a liberal coating following the directions on the bottle to help clear the windshield if you get a surprise rain event and plan on getting off the highway and parked safely.
I carry a small bottle of "Rain X" in every vehicle I own including my John Deere Cab tractor.

Can I switch the shaft on the driver side with the one on the pass side?

Luckily I did do a good treatment of rainx before I left, made it thru the big storms this am. Now in OKC hoping for a lot of good weather rest of way if I can't find a fix.

[LETMGROW]

Have you actually called Newmar for parts availability? The part you need may be sitting on a shelf somewhere within easy reach if you had the part number.