We live in a throw-away society. If it doesn’t work, we tend to toss it in the bin. Bike tire has a hole? Toss it instead of patching it. Oven stopped working? Get a new one. Wiper blades start streaking? Buy a new one.
Hold on there. Wipers are commonly tossed out in their entirety because the rubber is worn. As normal as it sounds, it’s akin to tossing your wheels and tires instead of only replacing your tires when they get worn. That doesn’t sound right does it? In combination with saving you money, you’re also reducing waste that that makes mother nature frown. Consider for once, changing your wiper inserts.
Some OEM wiper blades are more difficult to replace the rubber than others, but they are all mostly replaceable. I say mostly because the OEM Volvo beam-type blades simply weren’t replaceable due to the retention design of the blade insert. Aftermarket blades are usually easier to change. In this how-to, I am changing the blades on a set of Bosch beam-type wiper blades.
1. Choose your wiper insert
Surprisingly, there are not too many types of wiper inserts available. You also have to measure the width of your wiper blades. Most blades are 6mm in width, while blades larger than 24” are commonly 8mm in width.
2. Remove the old wiper insert.
Different blades have different techniques to disassembly. These Bosch blades only required a flathead screwdriver to pry apart the end caps. Once you remove the end caps, just slide out the insert. The ends of the wiper frame will be different. One end will have a cutout which allows the blade to slide out.
3. Cut the blade to length.
You can always order a longer blade and cut it to length. This is exactly what I did. With a simple snip of a pair of wire cutters, the blade was cut.
4. Reinstall blade
Just slide your new blade into place and reinstall the end caps. Reinstall on your wipers onto their arms to finish up. In no time, you’ll be driving without the worry of a dirty windshield. With the Volvo S80, the wipers snap in with two simple tabs.
