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I need new wiper blades on my old girl and can't seem to find the Trico or similar ones that have the short metal arm/nub going up the just a hole in the middle of the wiper blade/arm (see pic). I'm searching web and not finding much - can anyone tell me what they've done to replace blades? Also curious, on the passenger side (and maybe drivers side one is missing( but there's a small ...circular "retaining clip"(??) that maybe holds the wiper blade on the arm/nub. How do I get that off - and should there be one on the drivers side too?
I replace the inserts and never even remove the blades. Rock Auto ahs excellent pricing on the wiper blade refills, but shipping is a bit pricey, so I buy refills for all my vehicles at the same time - usually 10 pairs at a time.
Go back to NAPA and tell the person behind the counter to get up off their lazy @$$ and pull out the paper catalog. There you'll find the Trico classic wiper line.
I replace the inserts and never even remove the blades. Rock Auto ahs excellent pricing on the wiper blade refills, but shipping is a bit pricey, so I buy refills for all my vehicles at the same time - usually 10 pairs at a time.
That's a bummer that the folks at NAPA were no help. My local NAPA location is generally pretty helpful but their prices are so high I mostly shop at O'Reilly's.
That's a bummer that the folks at NAPA were no help. My local NAPA location is generally pretty helpful but their prices are so high I mostly shop at O'Reilly's.
Sadly my local NAPA is neither helpful nor affordable...
Go back to NAPA and tell the person behind the counter to get up off their lazy @$$ and pull out the paper catalog. There you'll find the Trico classic wiper line.
My local Napa was sold to new owners about 10 years ago. They promptly “replaced” the experienced counter help with a bunch of kids, and threw out all the paper catalogs. Their thinking was computers take up less space, and nobody needs the outdated catalogs.
Now there are a bunch of inexperienced counter help that know how to use a computer but know nothing automotive. It infuriates me, if I need something other than late model common replacement parts I either have to find the part numbers myself, or call the smaller Napa in the farming town 20 miles away.
My local Napa was sold to new owners about 10 years ago. They promptly “replaced” the experienced counter help with a bunch of kids, and threw out all the paper catalogs. Their thinking was computers take up less space, and nobody needs the outdated catalogs.
Now there are a bunch of inexperienced counter help that know how to use a computer but know nothing automotive. It infuriates me, if I need something other than late model common replacement parts I either have to find the part numbers myself, or call the smaller Napa in the farming town 20 miles away.
Are you sure? Even my less-than-helpful NAPA still has a paper catalog under the counter.
Are you sure? Even my less-than-helpful NAPA still has a paper catalog under the counter.
Very sure. My favorite counter guy was one of the old timers who was replaced. He started working there while he was in high school (probably around 1975ish?) and never left. He worked there 35 years. He said kinda figured his days were numbered when he saw all the catalogs gone, he would have like to have had some of them for himself.
That particular Napa had a machine shop, when the owners sold the business the new owners promptly sold off all the machine shop stuff. A couple years later they sold the land the machine shop was on. A few years later the moved across the street to a much larger building, but surprisingly they have NO INVENTORY. Probably twice the retail space, but half the inventory.
On the positive side, if you need floor mats, cell phone chargers, air fresheners, cheap speed parts, or the kind of common parts you can get from Autozone, this particular Napa probably has it in stock.
I replace the inserts and never even remove the blades. Rock Auto ahs excellent pricing on the wiper blade refills, but shipping is a bit pricey, so I buy refills for all my vehicles at the same time - usually 10 pairs at a time.
I haven't seen wiper blade REFILLS around here in close to 20 years. NOBODY stocks them. If they can even order them it's about as cheap to buy the whole blade assembly.
Always preferred changing only the rubber refill vs changing the whole blade, especially since some blades have really weird and aggravating attaching methods. If I buy blades I make the parts store people change them.
I haven't seen wiper blade REFILLS around here in close to 20 years. NOBODY stocks them. If they can even order them it's about as cheap to buy the whole blade assembly.
Always preferred changing only the rubber refill vs changing the whole blade, especially since some blades have really weird and aggravating attaching methods. If I buy blades I make the parts store people change them.
Yep, the parts stores stopped selling pairs of refills and started selling the blades individually because new cars had different sizes for left and right. My Jeep has 13" wipers, and that was the first size the stores dropped. Now days, even RA stopped selling the 13" inserts, but I just buy longer ones and trim them to fit. Most recently I bought 19" inserts for $1.50 a pair. The shipping was $9.99, which is why I bought a batch of 10, which made the total price $25 for 10 refills, or $2.50 per pair. Still MUCH cheaper than blades at the parts store, and I can trim them to fit three of my cars, both front and rear wipers.
I feel no mercy for chain stores not selling much. Stock something I NEED and I'll go there. Auto parts stores are like best buy, stereo stores, gun stores, and the typical record store; although I am seriously into those hobbies, you don't carry anything I need. Only the most generic of useful part is stocked.
