I asked before and haven't been able to resolve this.
My 2008 TCH's wiper blades are whisper quiet when there's only a light mist, but like a jack hammer once the windshield is wet or if there's a heavy rain. The blades clean streak free and were replaced (a few times), so they're not excessively worn. I've cleaned the blades with vinegar on a rag, Windexed the glass, etc.
Is there any cure for noisy blades?
Is it due to the shape of the windshield?
I still have the OEM blade holders and have only changed the the rubber blades.
Thanks!

 

and I might have responded before...
your windshield was Rain-X treated somewhere in the past. As a result, you have a waxy film on the windshield that creates a high friction surface. Unless you have a solid liquid layer, lubricating that surface, after few sweeps, blades start dancing on the glass.
I am VERY familiar with this as I do rain-X my windshield regularly. Thereafter, I simply do not use wipers, but let water flow off the glass.
That YOU never used Rain-X or similar products means nothing. They pre-treat wiper blades with that compound on some refills. OR, where you are not allowed to fill up at gas station, but it has to be done by a station worker, also tells them to wipe your wiper blades with a Rain-X cloth. I learned this the hard way and from that on was in habit of telling them not to touch my wiper blades.
Or, you simply have a natural tar build up on the windshield, coming from all that stuff that a car in front of you shoots out of its exhaust.
I had several windshields ruined before with exhaust this way. It takes a lot of elbow grease to remove, as it bonds to the glass and normal cleaners simply do not work on it. What does work, after about 1.5 hr labor, is scraping windshield with blade and de-greasing it with MEK or ether. Acetone is oily, so it does not help much. It needs to be strong, oil free solvent. MEK.

 

haroldo, also, do a simple check. make sure your blades sit plumb on the glass. as in perpendicular to it. if they are not, arms might have bent some, causing angular blade position. you may look into adjusting - yes, bending - arms to accomplish plumb blade position.

 

The car is four years old with the original wiper blades (only replacing the inserts). Might the blades be 'going' (or gone)? Do they go?
Hate to spend money to replace something if it works, but if that's it, I'll replace.
Any tell tale signs? (other than jack hammer noise)?

 

Jack-hammer sound could only result, IMMHO, from the end travel reversing and taking up of the "slop"/slack in the drive mechanism. Typical problem here in the NW at those miles.

Begin by replacing all the bushings in the drive linkage(s).

 

I'll try the low cost route (first)...
I'll replace the blades (not just the inserts)

 

ohhhhhh....

well, that's cheap... I thought I was cheap... sorry, frugal.

your wiper blades armature is bent. this is beyond any doubt for a 4yo wiper blade. that's what I said - blade has to sit plumb to the glass, or it will 1. not wipe right and 2. bounce.
now, I am talking about wiper blade armature, not wiper blade arm.
I understand west's position but, once again - as I use Rain-X constantly - bounce is very relevant to its presence on glass. Sometimes I even tell myself to stop using it, but then again, I really like watching them water beads roll up and off the glass. Also, I am very annoyed by wiper blades sweeps. Just me.

 

he-he-he....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHTjwpC44zo

 

sounds like a line from an old Honeymooner's episode...The armature sprocket is causing interference, which in turn causes the combustion line to interfere with the flow in the Dynaflow....when asked what that meant he replied, "I don't know")
blades on order from Amazon, so I didn't swap them yet

 

Op says "the blades clean streak free"

I don't think that would be an ap description if the blades were "juddering" across the windshield.