Windshield Wiper Blade Length | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Windshield Wiper Blade Length

sapacif

Member
Joined
March 16, 2005
Messages
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City, State
San Antonio, Texas
Year, Model & Trim Level
98 EB
My apologies if already covered.

I have replaced the read wiper 14 inch blade with a 16 inch blade. In a closed forum, I saw the suggestion to use a 20 inch blade on the drivers side and a 19 inch blade on the passenger side. Thanks to the forum here for that information.

Does anyone know if these wiper blade lengths are appropriate or not? Thanks.
 



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wherever you purchase blades from they usually have a book that states which wiper...i usually get the ones 1" over for mine, on both wipers...i think they call for 17" normally and i get 18"...i hope this helps...:D
 






Twenty inches works fine on my 1998 EB Explorer which is the correct size wiper for the wife's Expedition. In measuring, 22 inches will also fit well on the Explorer windshield, both sides. The original wipers I had were 18 inches.

I don't know if the larger size would cause motor problems? The Expedition would accept 26 inches without any problem, I believe.
 






double checked mine and they are 19"s...so what you read about 20" driver and 19" passenger sounds about right...with sizes over that you have to start working about wiper skip and on the passenger side it might lift and hit trim :scratch:
 






The rear wiper is more likely to reach and scratch the hatch, as well as to park on it. I first used a 15" blade as the larger choice, my 98 often will park the wiper slightly above the bottom, interfering with the hatch glass, plus adding scrathes to the hatch.

I have a 14" blade on my 99, it works much better. I have a 2003 Sport hatch glass, which I will install on my 98 when I get to doing the wiring. The later Sport hatch has the wiper in the glass entirely. Good luck,
 






I use 18s all the way around. IIRC, 16s were on the front from the factory, and a 14 on the rear.

-Joe
 






The rear wiper is more likely to reach and scratch the hatch, as well as to park on it. I first used a 15" blade as the larger choice, my 98 often will park the wiper slightly above the bottom, interfering with the hatch glass, plus adding scratches to the hatch.

I have a 14" blade on my 99, it works much better. I have a 2003 Sport hatch glass, which I will install on my 98 when I get to doing the wiring. The later Sport hatch has the wiper in the glass entirely. Good luck,

Good point. I will check for this on my rear glass.

I now have 22" driver side and 20" passenger side with no problems driving around town. I do need to check highway driving at speed.

BTW, I am in San Antonio, Texas and today (28Jun07) it is really raining! Reportedly 3-4 inches an hour now. Good day to test!

Thanks for everyone's input on this issue.
 






The rear wiper is more likely to reach and scratch the hatch, as well as to park on it. I first used a 15" blade as the larger choice, my 98 often will park the wiper slightly above the bottom, interfering with the hatch glass, plus adding scrathes to the hatch.

I have a 14" blade on my 99, it works much better. I have a 2003 Sport hatch glass, which I will install on my 98 when I get to doing the wiring. The later Sport hatch has the wiper in the glass entirely. Good luck,

Sorry to bring up an old thread, but did you end up installing the 03 sport glass? There are plenty of newer sports at the local junkyard and it sounds like an interesting mod, as long as the wiring isn't too different where the wiper motor and rear defroster connect.
 






My apologies if already covered.

I have replaced the read wiper 14 inch blade with a 16 inch blade. In a closed forum, I saw the suggestion to use a 20 inch blade on the drivers side and a 19 inch blade on the passenger side. Thanks to the forum here for that information.

Does anyone know if these wiper blade lengths are appropriate or not? Thanks.

Stock length for windshield is 18". You'd have to check to see if anything longer would work w/out running off the glass. Using a 20" blade would add 1" to both ends of the blade's swipe. A 19" would add a 1/2". I really don't see the point of going longer than 18". Going longer than stock also adds stress to the wiper motor and linkage.
 






Sorry to bring up an old thread, but did you end up installing the 03 sport glass? There are plenty of newer sports at the local junkyard and it sounds like an interesting mod, as long as the wiring isn't too different where the wiper motor and rear defroster connect.

I'm sorry I haven't done that yet. I've had to change vehicles for the project, and it's my mail truck for the moment. The 2003 and late 02 hatch glass has the wiper built into it, the hatch wiring would be needed too. A couple or others have finished that mod, and wiring it to the switch is the only interesting part. One member had it working but it would sweep the glass twice each time.
 






I'm sorry I haven't done that yet. I've had to change vehicles for the project, and it's my mail truck for the moment. The 2003 and late 02 hatch glass has the wiper built into it, the hatch wiring would be needed too. A couple or others have finished that mod, and wiring it to the switch is the only interesting part. One member had it working but it would sweep the glass twice each time.

The switch must be internally different on newer sports. I didn't expect Ford to change the harness and pins much on the two models. I don't see why they would, unless the sports have more intermittent speed settings on the rear wiper. Interesting.
 






Actually the only issue is the motor itself, and the three or four wires used from 1991 to those 03's. The 91-94's use four wires I believe, 95-01's have three, and the 02/03 Sport wiper has only three again. The wires are used differently for that one circuit, I read someone list the functions of them. But it's about getting the needed wiper circuits to function with the different switch wires. The switches are the same though, same varying resistances etc. Since the 02/03 Sport results in the same functions, it should be possible to produce the same in the older trucks.

I bought the hatch wiring along with the glass, I noticed enough of a difference to figure it would be easier to swap that than to modify the old one. We'll see, it won't be hard to do.
 






Actually the only issue is the motor itself, and the three or four wires used from 1991 to those 03's. The 91-94's use four wires I believe, 95-01's have three, and the 02/03 Sport wiper has only three again. The wires are used differently for that one circuit, I read someone list the functions of them. But it's about getting the needed wiper circuits to function with the different switch wires. The switches are the same though, same varying resistances etc. Since the 02/03 Sport results in the same functions, it should be possible to produce the same in the older trucks.

I bought the hatch wiring along with the glass, I noticed enough of a difference to figure it would be easier to swap that than to modify the old one. We'll see, it won't be hard to do.

Looks like 4 on 98-01. Here's the motor that I replaced yesterday. I'm guessing one wire for high, one for medium, one for low and one ground. I'd have to test them for current but I already put the hatch trim back on and I hate removing it :D
03847A18-769D-46DF-876D-5D9622F0225E.jpg
 






Okay then, the 91-94's have three wires, as do those special 02/03 Sports.
 






I'm running 18s both sides up front and a 16 on the rear.
Edit:
The 16 on the rear is a just little too big and rubs on the hatch a little. I think a 15 on the rear would be ideal next time.

I just double checked by watching mine run from outside. The 16 is perfect and just clears the hinges and lift handle and does not causing a problem in parking the lever. It does not rub on the hatch, except while parking, and is not marring the paint in doing so.

Any longer would cause clearance issues with the lift handle and probably the passenger side hinge.

----------------

I've tried runnig 19s and 20s on the front, but they gave me trouble on the highway, so I'm back to 18s.
 






I modified my rear wiper arm (by cutting 1/8" off the stops) to achieve full blade coverage on the glass. Afterwards the blade would sometimes get stuck in the gap between the glass and lift-gate. I found using a 16" Bosch Icon blade on the rear eliminates the getting caught in the gap and the Icon blades last for 2-3 years, which is a good thing because they ain't cheap. I also use the Icon's on the front. Best blades I ever used.
 






I modified my rear wiper arm (by cutting 1/8" off the stops) to achieve full blade coverage on the glass. Afterwards the blade would sometimes get stuck in the gap between the glass and lift-gate. I found using a 16" Bosch Icon blade on the rear eliminates the getting caught in the gap and the Icon blades last for 2-3 years, which is a good thing because they ain't cheap. I also use the Icon's on the front. Best blades I ever used.

Cutting the stops is how I made my Wiper get the entire back window, and thankfully it doesn't get stuck between the glass and the door! Too bad the front and back washers are broken, or I could brag that it's working perfectly...
 






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