body and interior How Do I Remove Wiper Arms?

[peterschop]

I need to remove my wiper arms from the spline but do not see how they come off. The Haynes manual states "the small spring retainer which locks it to the spindle is first pulled aside with a small screwdriver". How do I do this? It is hard to get a screwdriver in there and how would I pull it with a screwdriver?

 

P.S...I tried the search but could not get it to work.

 

Peter Schoppelry

'74 2002A

[bnam]

I do the following:

1. Lift up the wiper blade arm away from glass

2. Use a small screwdriver to lift the spring clip, while I keep pulling upwards with the wiper blade arm

3. Use a large blade screwdriver on the other side to lever the wiperblade hub off the spindle

 

Byas

[bill.in.mt]

Be careful with the screw drivers that you don't farm up the soft metal of the wiper arms. It is easy to put dents and scratches in them

[xferboy]

I had good luck with a pair of small curved needle nose pliers (made for electronics)

 

simular:

http://www.harborfreight.com/4-3-4-quarter-inch-bent-needle-nose-pliers-40698.html

 

I put them against the windshield gasket (it's old and I don't care about it, you might want something soft in there).  One of the tips of the pliers will push on the clip, and the other will put equal pressure on the other side.  The arms came off with less force with this method than prying from only one side with a large-ish screw drivers as the arm is being pushed strait up with no binding (I think).

 

your results may vary, good luck.  Once you have one off it will make more sense.

[peterschop]

I finally got my wiper arms off. I ended up using a door panel clip remover. It looks like a large screw driver except the end is wider and curves up. I put a small piece of wood next to the wiper to cushion the body and just pried the arm off with a little force. No need to release the spring clip.

[02fanatic]

Don't feel bad, this is one procedure that I always seem to struggle with on any car!  I think the problem is there are so many styles of clips and blade/wiper arm holders, plus you basically need to envision the parts from the opposite side looking upside down...everything is backwards!

[jgerock]

As John mentioned ^^, there are different styles.

 

My 69 wiper assembly has the "release the clip and pull" type on the driver's side and a combination clip/pin type on the pass. side.

 

Driver's side

Passenger side

 

[peterschop]

Both sides on my '74 were of the same design, like JGEROCK's passenger side. This allowed the PO to install the arms on the wrong sides. That was the main reason to remove the arms.

 

Peter

[Cartorious]

I've taken off my Wiper Blade Arm, and the round Gear that fits on the spindle in this picture seems to be stripped on the inside of this outer-gear that fits on the spindle.

 

     -Does this gear come off the Spindle, and if so how?

 

Also is there a place to order a replacement piece?

I need to know soon as I live in a rainy area and cannot drive without this wiper blade functioning.

 

Thanks,

    -Carter

 

P.S. it's a 1975 BMW 2002