Trico advises that fleet operators check the wiper blades on their vehicles regularly and, where needed, replace worn blades with original equipment (OE) quality substitutes to avoid unnecessary downtime.
Worn blades also affect the driver’s visibility, which is clearly a safety concern for both HGV operators and their drivers. While blades in good condition ensure a streak-free view, and thus increase safety, it’s a different story when they are poorly maintained. Once the wiper rubbers are noticeably worn, they can leave stripes or streaks on the windscreen, severely restricting the driver’s visibility, and therefore should be replaced. If there is a chattering noise each time the wiper blades change direction, this also signals that it’s time for a change.
Heavy-duty wiper blades are up to 50% longer than most common passenger car wiper blades. Consequently, they need to be of a much more durable construction, particularly to avoid ‘fishtailing’ or warping across the length of the blade, which can be up to 1m long.
In addition, arm load pressure on heavy duty blades can be three times more than on a passenger car blade, again meaning they must be well constructed and able to deal with these increased pressures, without collapsing onto the glass or wearing prematurely at the key joints and rivets. This increased arm load also increases the rate at which the rubber succumbs to ‘permanent set’, as the pressure from the arm causes the rubber to ‘lay over’ slightly on the windscreen. Permanent set is the biggest cause of judder and noise on all vehicles and is a common occurrence with CV applications.
Worn or permanent set rubber can lead to increased friction on the windscreen, particularly on a dry screen, under light rain conditions – in extreme cases, this increased friction can put so much strain on the motor that it will burn out, resulting in the requirement for a full motor replacement.
For large CV windscreens, Trico recommends the robust Trico TX brand – a complete range containing 21 references, offering full heavy duty and LCV parc coverage. The range is said to deliver quality performance in demanding environments, is available in lengths up to 1,000mm, and includes all the necessary adaptors for the widest coverage.
Senior Product and Brand Manager, Sam Robinson, said: “Trico blades are manufactured to OE standards using the highest quality components and are specifically engineered for truck, bus and coach applications using heavier gauge rubber and thicker steel than standard passenger car blades.
“As a further recognition of Trico’s expertise and standing within the industry, we were recently awarded the Scania OEM business for the new Scania Global R- Series Truck for both the LHD and RHD wiper systems. The wiper system has been specially designed to be robust and respond to the challenges and requirements for this heavy-duty truck.”
Trico can supply the complete wiper system, from the blades and arms, to the motor and linkage, providing solutions for a vast array of heavy-duty truck, bus and LCV requirements.
