Wiper arm linkage bushing FRUSTRATION!

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Trevor B

Trevor B

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The only thing keeping me from driving this car is the lack of windshield wipers.
The only thing keeping the windshield wipers from working is that the bushings on the linkage on the driver's side disintegrated.

I bought the dorman part that is supposed to fit. With a pair of channel locks, I could get the plastic bushing over the little stud but no amount of cursing can help me get the metal arms to snap onto the bushing.

It doesn't help that this whole operation involves being upside down in the dark holding tools up over my head.

Any tips/advice? This can't be this hard!

Attached pictures are of the bushings on but not the arms.

I can't even get the top one off now in case it's the wrong size!
 

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You need to install the bushings into the arms first. You need access to a vise and a socket large enough diameter that the side with the tab can go inside it. Hold the arms with the bushings installed and sticking into the socket. Place it all into a vice and clamp it down until the bushing flattens against the arm, instead of sticking out of them as they currently do. Do the same thing with the other arm. Then, use a pair of vice grips and the same socket to push the arms onto the bracket and pivots.
 
Put outside of the bushing in the hole first. You can do it with pliers, channel locks work good. Use a socket on the other side as stated. Then put a little grease in the bushing or on the stud and it should pop in with a little squeeze.
 
So I need to remove those arms and do it outside the car? There's no room to put a socket onto at least the top one and the lower one is probably too tight.

Also, any tips on how to get the top one back off now? I'm having a terrible time with it!
 
I just changed all four in this Scamp the other day. The bushing goes into the rod first, once secure then take some lithium grease and swirl it around in the hole that snaps on to the stud. I used a good set of channel locks and to make it a little easier I removed the cluster and the glove box liner, it made the access a lot easier and I did not have to do it up side down.
Bob
 
If you can get a larger flat head screw driver in there and pry it up off of the stud. You might damage the bushing by taking it off but I don't think you will get the arm back on the bushing right with the bushing on the stud first. I picked up mine from Oriley's the were $2.99 for two. Good luck and take your time.
Bob
 
Trevor B said:
So I need to remove those arms and do it outside the car? There's no room to put a socket onto at least the top one and the lower one is probably too tight.

Also, any tips on how to get the top one back off now? I'm having a terrible time with it!
Click to expand...

Definitely easier to take them out completely, but you should be able to pull it down far enough if the other side is already on. To remove bushing from post, slide a wide flat blade screwdriver under edge and twist till it pops off.
 
I did mine while the Instrument cluster was out. Was fairly easy. They do need to be installed on the arm first.
 
I just did that job. I laid on my back and cursed for hours!

Then it occurred to me: Take out the wiper motor!
It's bolted to the firewall with three bolts. One bolt holds the linkage to the inside of the motor.
Take out the wiper arm pivots from under the dash cowl. Use a long extension. They are bolted on with two bolts each.

If you're a big guy like me it's worth the effort to remove the front seat(s) so you can lay on your back.

Remove all the linkages and you can then rebuild all the linkages on the workbench and press on the bushings.

The finished completed unit with all three linkages and the swivels can easily be fished in under the dash through the wiper motor hole in the firewall and bolted back in to the upper cowl. (this is a great time to replace the gaskets on the swivels to keep water from leaking on your feet)

Here's some more notes from my job: The Dorman parts don't all work. I bought the Mopar replacements that were used on Dodge trucks and vans through the 80's
http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-pcs-Dodge...Parts_Accessories&hash=item1e7d6a1e6d&vxp=mtr

As someone else suggested above, I pressed mine in by laying the linkage piece on a large socket (bigger than the grommet) and I used a socket extension (3/8" round end, I think) to insert into the grommet and tap it into place with a hammer. I think I used PB blaster as a lubricant. With the large socket underneath, it pops right through!

Again, I put all the linkages together on the bench and fished the completed assembly through the wiper motor hole.

Good Luck
 
Thanks All - got them in.
Two things helped me tremendously:
1) I had to stop when frustration and sore arm muscles started to make me really mad.
2) I put the bushings in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes, then fished them out with a pair of needle nose pliers. Then did the socket and vice grips thing. Softening them up in the water really helped!

Now the windshield wipers work - naturally it didn't rain today.

It seems, however, like they are sitting kind of high on the window when off. Is there any adjustment for this?
 
Trevor B said:
It seems, however, like they are sitting kind of high on the window when off. Is there any adjustment for this?
Click to expand...

You might try and take the arm off and relocate it. I don't think they have a master spline (one wider than the rest).
 
A couple of points on this in case someone else finds this thread.

- The plastic bushings need to be hot to avoid breaking during installation. - Luckily, most sellers on eBay are selling these in packs of 6, though I'm on second order due to breaking them during install. In boiling water, they were barely pliable for me. If you are doing this in the summer, set them out on your driveway.
- As advised, install on the arms first, I removed the entire bracket from the wiper motor then installed onto the motor.
- In my case it wasn't possible to install on the motor and then move the armature through the motor hole (got hung up on the dash, wiring, etc. and eventually broke the bushings)
- In my case I wasn't able to install the bracket back onto the motor, with the motor in park, so had to use ignition to "time" the motor position so I could get the nut on (otherwise, the nut is obscured by the wiper arm).
- I had to remove the wiper arms from the spindles to get everything aligned. At that point, I might as well have removed the wiper spindles... I had problems threading the whole assembly through the dash wiring, etc. so I had to assembly behind the dash (rather than assemble outside, and feed assembly through dash). Obviously assembling outside is much easier - but again, the bushings had a tendency to pop off or break on me but you might get lucky...
 
I ordered a set of these bushing for my 87 DT from a vendor on eBay and ended up wasting my money and time. The groove in the reproduction bushings was not cut wide enough to accept the thickness of the link material. Impossible to use.

Chrysler still has these available from the dealer and they work great. The part number is 3799089 and can be found online by "goggle search" 3799089 mopar. My local dealer quoted $14 each, which from past experience with them was the usual ripoff attempt.
Online, the factory part can be found for less $5 each.
 
Or 3 of them from Autozone that worked and fit perfect for 2.99 :D
 
66 CUDA said:
I just changed all four in this Scamp the other day. The bushing goes into the rod first, once secure then take some lithium grease and swirl it around in the hole that snaps on to the stud. I used a good set of channel locks and to make it a little easier I removed the cluster and the glove box liner, it made the access a lot easier and I did not have to do it up side down.
Bob
Click to expand...

This is the way I've installed them for years, many years.
 
Ok is there a picture of the whole unit minus the motor ready to install. My question is on the transmission rod and linkage Rod does the concave face the same way or do they go opposite each other.
 
Does anyone have a picture of the linkage, and how it goes on. My wiper linkage arms have all fallen off because those plastic bushings have deteriorated. I have the new bushings and seals on order, just need to know how to put it all together?
 
I have replace a whole bunch of those plastic bushings in my cars and trucks over the years. Trucks used it thru the early 90s. The last batch I bought at NAPA were made wrong and just would not work. I know very well how to install them, as they seem to be a common point of failure in our old mopars, but these pos wouldn’t work.
 
NeionDeion said:
Does anyone have a picture of the linkage, and how it goes on. My wiper linkage arms have all fallen off because those plastic bushings have deteriorated. I have the new bushings and seals on order, just need to know how to put it all together?
Click to expand...
what year and model?
 
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