Difficulty Level

Tools/Supplies Needed:

• 220 grit sandpaper
• 400 grit sandpaper
• lint free cloth
• rubbing/isopropyl alcohol
• high build or regular primer
• paint
• hammer
• socket set and ratchet
• battery puller

Procedure:

• the wiper arms can either be painted on the vehicle or removed from the vehicle
• extra taping off will have to be done if you decide to paint the arms on the vehicle to ensure there is no over spray
• in order to remove the wiper arms, most are held on my a nut to a shaft on the cowl which can be accessible from under the hood of a vehicle
• in most applications there is a plastic cap covering the nut which needs to be remove to gain access to the nut
• once the nut is exposed, determine the correct size socket and loosen the nut
• sometimes the wiper arm will pop off, other times you will need a puller to remove it
• in this case, I used a battery puller to remove the arm
• leaving the nut flush with the threaded shaft, install the battery puller and tight until the arm comes free
• the battery puller may need a light tap with a hammer to jar the arm loose
• once the arm is removed from the vehicle, you can now remove the windshield wiper from the arm assembly
• scrape off any loose paint with a scraper
• continue to sand down the rusty or pealing paint areas with 220 grit sandpaper
• once satisfied, give the rest of the wiper arm a sand down with 400 grit sandpaper
• another option besides sanding would be to sand blast the arm assembly if you have access to one
• wipe the arm down with a degreaser such as rubbing alcohol and a lint free cloth
• now you're ready to apply a coat of filler primer or regular primer
• filler primer will help fill in any pitting from the rust on the arm itself if you decide to go with that route
• after the primer is dry, give the arm another sand down with 400 grit sand paper
• try not to expose any of the bare metal
• if you do happen to expose any bare metal, apply primer over the exposed area
• give the arm another wipe down with degreaser to ensure there is no contaminants on the piece
• pick your choice of color or finish of black
• in my case I used a satin black paint made by Dupli-Color
• you can paint the piece, apply two to three coats to both the underside and top portion of the arm
• normally I prefer to start with the underside of the wiper arm first and finish up on the top side at the end
• allow the paint to fully harden before you flip it over to paint the opposite side or reinstall it on the vehicle
• installation of wiper arm and windshield wipers in reverse order of removal/disassembly