So I am on my way to Wal-Mart and it is snowing and there is a huge smear on my windshield right were I need to see the most. I walk to the opposite end of my superstore to find the windshield wipers, compare the brands and walk out with RainX Latitudes. Come back home and check what this post had to say and find out that I made an excellent choice, so I install them. Fire up the wipers (17" driver, 16" passenger) and they leave less of a smear, but not at all acceptable for $36 + tax. A few days later I head to a different Wal-Mart and find some Tripledge 17" blades for $5 each on clearance and try them out, they clear my windshield of the spots the Latitudes left and I pocket $26 + tax back into my wallet. About the rear wiper, my spray only sprays half the area the wiper wipes. Also, how idiotic is it that the wiper only does a 1/2 to 2/3rd wipe rotation in the first place?

 

I had the same problem that you did Vox, except my solution was pretty much exactly opposite of yours. I bought some new triple edge blades, which is what I usually buy for my vehicles, but they wouldn't wipe my whole window clean, there was still a streak. I took them back and spent the extra to get the rain-x latitudes and now I am streak free. I've already written off my back window as a lost cause. I just deal with the little bit of window my blade actually hits.

 

Actually my Rain X wipers have been quietly cleaning my windshield beit rain or snow, very happy with them, I forgot when I bought them.

The back window? I try to never use that useless wiper, I feel it will only damage the window anyway.

 

I have to admit that the only real test on the Tripledge blades is to clean the windshield one time and that was to clean what the RainX had left behind, but it did. I switched the size of the passenger side to a 17" blade and seems to fit perfect. 17" was all they had do to the fact they were clearing them out. Some major brands recommend the 17" for both the driver and passenger sides, so I figured it would fit. I'm thinking of trying a 1" larger in the rear to see if that helps out back there, maybe it will lye different and clean better. Would that be a 13"? Has anyone adjusted that spray nozzle on the rear blade? I asked the dealer service to look at the fact that it only sprays 1/2 way up the blade, and they checked it and said it was normal. If that's the case, then it is just a plain flaw in design.

 

My Rain X Latitudes work great, except for the top 1", on both blades, smears, and doesn't wipe clean. I'm thinking the top of the windshield must curve rearward a bit, at that point.


'08 Birch White Alpha

 

Not certain what is going on, I replied to this awhile back.

What I meant is that the windshield on the Hummer is almost flat, those new, highly contoured blades are designed for the highly contoured windshield. It says that on the package. They might work ok but my guess is they could be a bit high centered, pressure wise.

The RainX blades turned out to be a flop, they did not do well the first time it snowed. I took them back to Wally World. Have the cheap Anco winter blades on there now but also ordered a set of Silblades that I found online for 19 bucks each.

 

I purchased the ANCO winter blades in Dec they never worked great just better then stock. They froze with ice always and they left smears from the upper 5 inches of blade. Pure crap.
I am just now trying the ICON blades local store was out of the rainx blades.

 

I bought the Bosch Icons....they left approx 1" smeared at the top. Bought the Rain-X Latitudes.....same results. Must be those 'beam' type blades won't conform completely to the Hummer windshield.

 

i reset the hear blade to park up so it wipes evenly, centered so it looks like it makes more sense,,,if that makes sense!! i dont use it much.
also my regular curved blades do streak and im living with it till i get round to buying new straight as you guys said.
tom

 

Just finished a winter season with the Silblades on the H3 and they are as good as new yet. Admiral now has two years on hers and they still wipe better than a new factory blade.

I was able to order the exact size, I believe 17" on driver and 16" on passenger and had them in a day.

One thing about these blades is that the flat windshield wipes so well that it will start to squeak like a squeegee if the screen gets too dry. I find I need to leave them on a slower speed than the conventional wiper. They acted the same way on my Rubicon but not on the Subi.