Wiper linkage - No longer made by Toyota

[kentsmudger]

The centre spindle on my wiper linkage has corroded / worn to the point where it rattles about in the casting when wipers are in use.

Unfortunately, my local Toyota dealer informs me that the part is 'no longer in production - not available'. It was unclear on the phone how much of the linkage constitutes the 'part', ie whether the spindles were supplied sperately from the link arms etc.

I am now in need of a way to repair the spindle (pics below) - Easiest would be a complete replacement of the linkage from a breaker / part-out, but that will still be a second-hand, partly worn out spare that could fail the same way eventually

As can be seen on the picture, the spindle is no longer held central in the casting but flops about - I cannot remove the crimped section just below the thread, but the washer below that is free - Does anyone know what is inside the cast cylinder (bearing of some sort?) and whether a practical repair is possible, or if a suitable replacement  can be sourced anywhere?


It does raise a larger issue - If Toyota have stopped making new spares for non-consumable items for our cars, maintaining one as a daily driver may no longer be practical...   

[Joesson]

If truly no longer available specific to our 2's it may be that a similar item is available to suit another Toyota model. Otherwise a breakers would be a source of a replacement that has had a less arduous life.
To see what can be done to repair what you have, I suggest that you find a nut to suit the visible thread and hold that in a vice to allow you to work on the crimped section. D
A file or Dremel could be used to remove that section. You could then assess whether a replacement bearing or similar is practical. To replace the crimped section, it may be possible to use the above mentioned but and bond with araldite or similar. I suggest this all depends on your abilities and tools available to you.

[lamcote]

It's always worth trying a different dealer, I find things are sometimes "out of stock" because the person who answered the phone is busy or even just lazy.

[Joesson]

It's always worth trying a different dealer, I find things are sometimes "out of stock" because the person who answered the phone is busy or even just lazy.

Harsh words but often true!

[Carolyn]

No major manufacturer supports models for more than ten years. It's just not possible or practical to carry on making and stocking old parts for decades.

So , bit by bit, the stock of parts for these cars will disappear.  For example PFL subframes are just about gone now, FL ones will soon follow suit.

That just means we have to join the ranks of the many enthusiasts who keep great older cars on the road, by being creative, by doing much more preventative maintenance and by fixing things we would ordinarily replace. There is no reason why a well protected subframe can't last for decades, as an example.

You wiper part is a piece of plate ally with a pressed-in bearing.  Just the type of thing that can be fabricated fairly simply.  Not a job for everybody, true, but not a reason to give up on these cars.

[kentsmudger]

Well, I dropped in to a different Toyota dealer, as I happened to be passing - Not only has the linkage been discontinued, it was over £200 when it was available.

This car is my daily driver, so I cannot take bits off it and cut them up, just to see if I can repair them somehow - If I don't have a repair / replacement that I know I can complete in a day, then I don't start it - I have a fairly healthy toolbox and experience for regular maintenance, but not a workshop where I can re-manufacture parts.

I am going to try and get a replacement mech from a breaker, but the only ones I've seen ones are older than mine!

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My car is a 2002 that has done 175k miles and it is really starting to show its age - I am thinking that I need to move it on to someone else, who can treat it as a project - I want to drive it not restore it! 

My current to-do list is as follows -
Loose floppy wipers, as above
Handbrake not holding well - Adjust / replace cable?
Slight bubbling on 2 arches - Properly investigate/ treat rust underneath
Fit the softer springs I have for the coilovers I fitted last summer - Ride is too harsh
Suspension bushes - Suspect these are not coping well with the demands of the coilovers
New soft-top - Little cracks, splits all over, not yet letting in rain !

Problems last year that ate the budget (time and money) for the above issues -
Power steering heavy / grinding - Fluid replaced
Broken flex section in exhaust - Under guarantee, but still required taking back to installer - Who discovered ...
(:< >  Rear crossmember cracked three-quarters through - Much welding required!
4 calipers either seized or leaking and discs & pads worn out - ALL of these replaced
4 spark plugs and coilpacks replaced to cure sudden misfire


None of this is insurmountable, or even unexpected in a car of this age, but it all impacts on its dual use as dependable commuter and fun weekend toy.

[Carolyn]

Can't argue with you! We may be reaching the point where older well-worn cars are not daily drivers.  It might well be time for you to move her on.  I'm sure you'll miss her.

Dean at Rutland MR2 will probably be able to supply the wiper linkage.

[JoeCool]

I had the same problem. I got a second hand replacement linkage in much better condition for £15 off ebay and that sorted it for now.

I did get as far as measuring up brass/oil-lite bushings so that you could simply press them in in the place of the goosed ones. It's not a complicated mechanism, and an easy fix to put a new spindle through the old bracket with a more solid bushing in place. I could make a replacement linkage out of mechanno at the end of the day. No biggie.