Had to leave '99 Disco (142K) in NC at my parents (after a full service check up with while away on business for the past month. My retired dad (!) is keeping busy "trouble shooting" issues. (this is itself is like disciplining someone else's child without permission, but he's my dad trying to be helpful so....)The latest is one I've put off, but getting ready to move it with me to Charlottesville. Found a great shop and a few Disco friends already, but here is his take on a persistent wiper problem.

"I took a really close look at the spindle that the wiper arm mounts on and it does have some splines that bite into the metal at the base of the wiper arm to make it turn.
If you continued to let it run (i didn't) the little splines wallowed out the metal on the wiper arm and now it cannot be tighten securely enough to get a grip and make it operate. (knew that part)
The fix should be simple (insert "sure!" from me), Replace the wiper arms.
Can you find a used one or buy the part? I can do a simple repair once the new arm is securely tightened on the spindle. "

I'm not there to see it, but the nut could not be tightened enough to hold the wiper though I'm not sure SillBlades would make any difference given his "report."

In Blacksburg traveling back to Charlottesville tomorrow (any many more times in the next few weeks) and thought there was someone near Bristol with a LR parts shop, If not, any suggestions for ordering as I might as well replace both
(Also any ideas on the black rear window gasket-truck was garaged most of last 12 years, but left out last summer and suddenly seems to be crumbling following a detail guy using Back to Black (I think) on it...Would that cause it to start crumbling or just aging.

 

If you can go without wipers get a set of D1 blades online. They're a MUCH simpler design and accept standard blades instead of the LR specific ones.

If you're in a REAL pinch pm me, I have family that owns an auto salvage yard in Blacksburg.