Can anyone describe how they managed to get the rear silblade properly installed?
I have tried and tried, broken and replaced a wiper arm. I have managed to snap it
in, but proper clearance is still an issue.

Silblades suck! There are those here who've had better luck with this half-assed company, but they've been nothing but a disappointment for me. Crappy products and crappy customer service. My advice is to box that lousy, over-priced blade up and send it back. Get a $6 Bosch instead.
Probably not the answer you were looking for, I realize.

The front blades work great! I put the 19" on the driver's side and the 18" on the
passenger side as someone else advised and they work great! Now, if I could only.........

Front silblade...what's the trick?

Just like stovepipe, I got some Silblades, and they are lousy! No matter which (18" or 19") blade I put on the fronts...the remaining 3 or 4 inches(tip) of the drivers side wiper do not touch the glass...which leaves a big long line of water when its rainy, or gross road crap on nights like tonight.

They have this 5 year guarantee if they fail...does this count as failing? We both got ours around Christmas I think...maybe they botched some of them.

I got silblades for my windshield last week and they work great for me. Much better than the stock wipers that came with my S, especially when it snows. I read other threads where installing the silblade on the rear was a real pain so I decided to pass on that. Still have the stock wiper on the rear.

Dan

'04 brg S

Hi Guys!

Front silblade install = no problem
rear silblade = suckfest. I called and had them send me a new one 'cuz I thought mine was defective. It turns out after closer inpection there is a simple fix that will make the rear blade work beautifully! It is just a bit too snug for the MINI wiper holder/arm in the rear, so you need to take a pair of plain old pliers and flip the blade around like you're going to snap it out, then give a little squeeze on the outside edge of the metal wiper arm - where the blade goes into the wiper assembly (this would be the thick part of the wiper arm heading down toward where it attaches to the hatch) We're talking just a pinch as wide as the plier head. I did this today and it was all the wiper blade needed to move freely in and out of the wiper housing. If it's too snug (which mine - and probably yours too) was- the wiper doesn't touch the top third of your rear window and leaves a grimy, crappy mess that no amount of washer fluid will remove! Now I get a wonderful wide arc of clean. Bear in mind that you will need to use more washer fluid with the silblades as the silicone drags a lot easier on dry glass. My description may be difficult to understand, but think of it this way - you have to get the wiper arm to move freely back and forth in and out of the rear plastic wiper housing. If your silblade wiper arm "sticks" then the plier squeeze trick will make you one happy camper! Good luck everybody - Kurt :lol:

hey they are covered under warranty! lol. if i feel they are not working right i stop buy the dealer and have then put new ones in. and if they brake a part they have to fix it. yes there are better blades ou there, but these are free for the three years so why not use them i guess.

Herby, I also have had problems with the "clearance" of the rear silblade, that I don't think above suggestions will help (although I'm willing to try anything and will try the pliers later today). I called the company shortly after I got the blade and tried to describe the problem, then emailed them pictures to better illustrate what was going on. I've heard NOTHING back from them since then, and that was about 3 weeks ago. I really don't understand why the rear wiper works on some cars and not on others... to me that suggests a problem with Silblade's quality control.

Kurt.........Thanks for the info on installing the rear blade. Unfortunately, I already
broke the arm again and have re-ordered it. However, I tried the plier technique
and can see that it will work with a good arm. Thanks!
:wink:

VAmini....I hope you are successful.....if so, let me know if you learn anything that you think would be helpful.