Wiper Blades

Wiper blades fall into one of three categories, conventional (also known as frame), flat (also known as beam) or hybrid design (euro style). Conventional wipers are the old school type that are held against the windscreen by a rigid metal reinforcement system that applies force to the wiper blade at several points along its length with metal claws.

Flat wipers on the other hand integrate a semi-rigid rubber blade which connects directly to the wiper blade arm. Hybrid wipers combine the two, with the semi-rigid part of the wiper blade acting as a spoiler which harnesses the wind to hold the wiper blade down onto the windscreen when at speed.

In all but extremely rare edge cases you will be able to utilise our vehicle part finder guide to take the guesswork out of the task of finding replacement wiper blade(s) for your vehicle, however if you drive a particular rare vintage or low-volume imported vehicle it might be necessary to determine what type of wiper blades and attachment mechanisms your vehicle needs in order to find a suitable replacement.

The primary determining factor of what type of wiper your vehicle currently wears is likely its age. The older it is, the more likely it used conventional rather than flat or hybrid type wiper blades. Just because your vehicle might be a bit long in the tooth and feature old style conventional blades it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to keep it that way. It is possible to upgrade your conventional wipers to the newer flat or, preferably, hybrid type wiper blades for increased performance and improved aesthetics.

Hybrid wipers are always the best choice if you can fit them because they offer far superior performance in a wider range of weather and driving conditions. Wind has a huge impact on the performance of your wiper blades, however most conventional wiper blades are not designed to overcome this challenge. Strong winds can lead to uneven pressure along the length of the blades, which can degrade performance and in extreme cases cause the wiper to lift away from the windscreen altogether. Hybrid wipers are designed with an integrated aerofoil designed not only to overcome wind lift but also to harness the force of the wind to apply more pressure to the windscreen, providing increased performance in conditions that would degrade that of convention or flat type wiper blades.

Once you’ve determined what type of blade you need, next you need to identify what type fixing mechanism is used to attach them to the arm. Most vehicles utilise a variation of the straight or hook type fixing to attach the wiper blade to the wiper arm, but there are several others.

Understanding what type of fixing your vehicle utilises can be a bit tricky. Some look very similar but are distinctly different, as there are multiple shapes and sizes of each main type. Fixing mechanisms are usually operated by clamping a pair of actuation tabs between your thumb and forefinger, or by flipping a simple latch, in order to release the wiper blade from the arm. Be sure to consult the instructions provided with your replacement wiper blades to make sure you understand how the mechanism works.
The various types of windscreen wiper fixing mechanisms can be loosely categorised as follows:

Sometimes it can be a better solution to simply fit a set of wiper refills instead of replacing the entire wiper blade(s) to renew your windscreen wiper(s). This involves replacing only the rubber blade that contacts the windscreen, while keeping the rest of the wiper assembly intact. It is a great solution in instances where the integrated wiper assembly remains in good nick and cannot be easily sourced, or where the age or rarity of the vehicle necessitates working with what you have.

The most important thing to know here is the width of the backing strip. 6 and 8mm are by far the most popular sizes however 7.5mm and 10mm are also available. It is critical to gauge the applicable size accurately, so always helpful to measure the original refills prior to ordering new replacement(s). Note – It can be extremely difficult to accurately measure the size you need without the factory fitted items, so we strongly recommend you measure twice and order once or seek guidance prior to finalising your purchase.

If you are not sure please feel free to use the ‘check my parts’ feature available via the shopping cart, which will allow our product specialists to check and confirm the part you have selected in suitable for your nominated vehicle. It is also worth remembering that fitting refills can be a particularly fiddly challenge, especially if the plastic clips are old and brittle. Be extremely careful not to damage your factory blades when fitting the refills, otherwise you might end up buying a new set of blades after failing to fit the refills.

Most windscreen wipers pivot from a linkage located immediately below the windscreen and rest there when not in use, while some cars have wipers that pivot from the outer corners of the windscreen and rest in the A pillars when not in use. Most wiper blades can be serviced or replaced when in the rest position, however some that conceal the wipers when at rest must be placed in a service position. Consult your service manual or jump on YouTube to find out how to your vehicle works in this regard, and how to set your wiper arms into the maintenance position if required.

While most wipers are designed to suit only one type of fixing mechanism, some feature a multi-fixing solution which can be adapted to fit several different fixing mechanisms depending on which of the supplied adaptors you install. If you select a replacement wiper blade with the multi-fixing solution, compare the supplied fittings with those already on your vehicle to help correctly identify which of the supplied adaptor attachments is required to fit your vehicle.

At Automotive Superstore we stock a broad range of wiper blades and refills to suit just about every vehicle in the Australian carpark and budget. Those looking for the best should seek a variation of the Aerotwin from Bosch, which is the premium choice where applicable and the closest match to the factory items on most late model vehicles. Bosch fills out the bulk of our wiper range, with nearly 600 models on offer, so should probably serve as a look here first for those after the no nonsense choice. If you can’t find what you are looking for from Bosch then Trico should be your next port of call. Exelwipe is a great choice for conscious buyers looking for the budget solution that offers exceptional value for money. Tridon is a great choice for wiper refills designed for each standard, some are metal backed with natural rubber while others are plastic backed with moly graphite infused natural rubber, providing superior UV resistance to Australia’s harsh Aussie sun.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to our friendly and knowledgeable staff here at Automotive Superstore if you require any assistance at all finding the right wiper blades, refills or arms to suit your unique requirements.