E450 Wiper Blades

I got mine at costco when on sale forget brand. Sometimes found at oriellys or autozone on sale also. Might be goodyear?

Only one brand and number will fit ours, so I don't have much choice.

Johno02 wrote:
Only one brand and number will fit ours, so I don't have much choice.

That's an E450 Class C????

Rain X blades. JMO

Replaced mine last year from WallyWorld. Don't remember the brand.

Go to the nearest auto parts store.
Get a set of the mid-priced brand that they carry, whatever that is.
Stop obsessing.

I have noticed, however, in the past few years that the "latch" mechanism that they are using recently really doesn't snap closed very tight and you need to check them every time you touch them to be sure the latch hasn't popped open.

Sam Spade wrote:
Go to the nearest auto parts store.
Get a set of the mid-priced brand that they carry, whatever that is.
Stop obsessing.

Obsessing??? I suppose I am a bit obsessive when it comes to the safety of my family. Over the years in many vehicles, I have had wipers that don't contour to the glass correctly, streak when brand new, a pain to install etc. No obsession here, just want to know what works on these particular vehicles..

Trico and Bosch are excellent wipers

I order refills as an Add-On Item from Amazon. For about $7 I refill both blades. Those who say "not refillable" mostly want to sell complete assemblies.

Anyhow, there are three form factors, depending on the shape and width of the "claw" the refill slides through. If it looks Trapezoidal, that's the 7mm intermediate width.

There's Square 6mm and Square 8mm and Length is Break-to-Fit. Our Jap vehicles use 8mm square on the driver side, which is longer than the shorter passenger side blade that's 6mm square.

The E-Series uses two equal sized (length and width) blades. Form factor of the refills depends on whether the blades have are original or replacements.

The OEM grade blades from Bosch are about $8, and there is probably an Anco replacement for under $10. A Ford service department will most likely try to sell a Motorcraft replacement blade for about twice the price of the Bosch, and at least 1/4 hour labor to put them on.

I think the last time I bought blades for the motorhome or E-series van, I used standard-grade Rain-X, $10-12. I buy these because my wipers are seldom used, so I need to replace them once or twice a year for UV hardening and oxidation.

There are premium blades of various types: frameless beam style for low-profile, with or without airfoils to hold them down, and different rubber compounds for different blade life. Then you'll find winter blades with flexible boots to help shake off ice, that will matter if you drive in winter.

If you drive in the rain a lot, look for a blade compounded or designed to reduce the rate of wear (one type has a teflon wear strip). For driving in sleet, snow, freezing rain, get a booted winter blade.

Bosch Icon is a frameless blade listing at $35 each that is usually highly rated in most applications. Rain-X Latitude is an all-season winter blade listing at $25. You can find them for a bit less online.

I would rather buy a less expensive blade (like OEM Bosch) and replace it more often, for my pattern of use. Particularly for the motorhome, which spends more than half its life sitting in a shed.

(after)

Looking at Ryder Fleet Products, which retails to fleet operators the parts they buy to service their own trucks, Ryder uses Anco blades. The 20-inch blade they use on E-series costs under $3, their most expensive deluxe frameless blade is under $10, through Ryder. I'm not sure what is the purchase quantity to get that price, as shipping could be several times the cost of a pair of blades.