Front Wipers

Front wipers
The two front windscreen wipers are operated by a linkage assembly and an electric motor located under the plenum grill below the windscreen. The linkage and motor assembly is handed for left and right hand drive vehicles. The motor is an integral part of the linkage and cannot be replaced separately.

The linkage comprises a pressed steel mounting plate which provides for the attachment of a wheel box at each end. The mounting plate is secured to the bulkhead with flanged nuts which attach to a stud plate located behind the bulkhead. A link arm is attached to each wheel box by a short link and secured with circlips. The link arm has an attachment hole centrally located along its length for the electric motor drive link.

The electric motor is mounted in a recess in the bulkhead below a sealed cover plate. The drive spindle of the motor protrudes through the cover plate and is fitted with a link. The link is attached to a tapered spline on the motor spindle and is secured with a lock washer and nut. The opposite end of the link is attached to the central attachment point on the link arm and secured with a circlip.

Each wheel box has a taper splined shaft which allows for the attachment of the wiper arm which is secured with a washer and nut. The shaft of each wheel box is passed through a rubber sealed aperture in the plenum. The wiper arm attachment to the splined shaft has a pivot to which the remainder of the arm is attached. The two parts of the arm are connected by a spring which controls the pressure of the blade on the screen to a predetermined amount.

The wiper blades are attached to the wiper arms with a clips that allow the blade to pivot. Each wiper blade comprises a number of levers and yokes to which the rubber wiper is attached. The levers and yokes ensure that the pressure applied by the arm spring is distributed evenly along the full length of the blade. The rubber wiper is held in the yokes by a pair of stainless steel strips which also contribute to the even distribution of spring pressure along the blade. The driver's side wiper blade is fitted with an aerofoil which presses the blade onto the screen at high speed. This prevents the blade from lifting off the screen and maintains the wiping performance.