Trico Force Wiper Blade Adapter - 2024 Chevrolet Trax and Other GM Vehicles

Background

If you own a 2nd Gen Chevy Trax ('24 and ‘25), or any Chevrolet with their new propreitary wiper blade connector, and you've run into the same problem where aftermarket windshield wipers don’t attach correctly to the wiper arms, welcome to my post! I understand your pain, and I empathize with you. While I don't own a Trax, I did find out about this problem while trying to replace the blades on my girlfriend's Trax, and realized it was a MUCH bigger issue after investigating online.

At first, I tried installing Rain-X Latitude wiper blades and after attempting to install them, they didn't sit correctly in the connector and I ended up returning them. Then, I got the Trico Force wiper blades instead and discovered they have the same problem as the Rain-X ones: the connector doesn't attach properly with the adapter. Finally, I tried to look into getting the OEM wipers but they are completely sold out. And they are not available in auto stores or general stores, nor were any dealerships near me in stock with them. I started to realize that this was a major problem.

Dejected and upset, I came close to giving up completely and was planning on returning the wiper blades. But then I had an epiphany: I have a printer, I can just CREATE a solution! So, I kept the Trico Force blades I purchased and set off on my journey to make them work. And that is how we got here.

Details

I don't believe the problem applies to all Trax vehicles, but the issue is because the Push Button for the arm is in the wrong location on the arm. It follows the same standard as the the Push Button Narrow (PB Narrow), but instead the button hole is closer to the end of the arm on these models (see these two images below).

Push Button Narrow (left) and Push Button (right)

What is on the Trax

Source for Pictures: Imgur [Link]

Not to mention, the design of the attachment requires the blade to be firmly secured in place by its connector ‘track’. GM designed the arm and blade to interlock. When you insert the OEM blade, the connector tab has to be lifted up, slid onto the arm, then folded back down to fully secure the wiper. The length of the ‘track’ is ~4mm and is positioned towards the front of the arm. This design seems deliberate to make using aftermarket wiper blades harder to produce, and introduced yet another challenge to tackle with this project.

Reference for OEM Mechanism:

My solution applies specifically to the Trico Force wiper blades, but could apply to other variations that Trico offers (at a glance, it seems this could work with the whole family of Trico wipers. The new design of Trico Wiper Blades has a similar piece to this, but labeled ‘BC’). This printed part replaces the hinging connector part on the adapter labeled ‘K’. We have to remove the existing piece from the housing and then snap in this printed part. That's all there is to it! Removing the original can be a bit difficult, but it is possible. It just requires some careful leverage and patience.

Sequence for removing ‘K’ part:

EDIT: After investigating online, it appears this adapter will also work the same way on the newer Trico model blades that have the ‘BC’ adapter that hinges on a similar-looking plate! The process is nearly the same as above. We just need the plate it was hinging on to attach our adapter to. It should function the exact same!

Update on Performance and Wear

After utilizing the wiper blades for nearly 6 months, it was time for us to replace them. For anyone with concerns over the design or the material I used, this is what the attachments look after 6 months:

Could've definitely lasted longer, but the wiperblade itself got worn out first. These wipers went through temps ranging between -5°F to 95°F in that timespan, and there were no issues to report!

Material Recommendations

This part needs to be printed in nothing less than PET or PETG, but I would recommend ABS or ASA for their heat resistance and mechanical properties. Remember that the wiper blades are constantly exposed to sun and the elements, and this piece is the only thing connecting the wiper blade to the wiper arm. So PETG, ABS, ASA, Nylon, or any other high temp, high stress resistance, and high UV resistance material should be usable. ABS and PETG are just more widely printable by the community.
 

Print Settings

• 0.4mm nozzle, 0.2mm layer height
• 12-20% Infill, Gyroid or Honeycomb pattern (you could do 100% infill. I just don't think it would be worth it)
• 2 walls, 2 top/bottom layers
• Raft/SimpleRaft for bed adhesion (this worked for me WITHOUT an enclosure)
• Supports for angles 75° or greater
• Zig-zag support infill, support everywhere, horizontal expansion set at 1.0mm, enabled support roof interface (for easier removal)

I successfully printed it on my Ender 3 V2 using SUNLU ABS from Amazon. Believe it or not, I was able to achieve printing this WITHOUT an enclosure at all, and using the stock hotend! Had no layer adhesion or warping issues in all my testing/printing. Only upgrade I have installed is the Capricorn blue PTFE tube. These settings worked for me in my setup:

• 250°C Initial Layer temp, 245°C Printing Nozzle Temp
• [Glass Bed] 100°C Initial Layer Temp, 95°C Printing Bed Temp. Used Elmers Disappearing Glue Stick for bed adhesion (worked just enough for me, on a clean bed at least!)
• Swapped in a brand new 0.4mm nozzle before starting with ABS filament.
• 50mm/s printing speed.
• 0% Fan Speed for the first 7 layers, set max fan speed to 30%, then minimum layer time to 10s before fan starts incrementally. Most of this printed using 0 fan input at all.
   

About the Model

I designed this with some tight margins, and oriented the model in a way that it would be printed with the best structural rigidity possible right off the plate. It will be a tight squeeze fitting the adapter in the connector on the wiper arm. It is meant to be pushed in fully as far as it will let you. The push button won't snap in right away, but as soon as you fold the connector down, it will push up the ‘locking’ pin under the button and snap it into place. It should have little to no play when you try to slide it around.

The locking pin I referenced has 2 purposes. First, it pushes the button up to secure it when installing. Second, it prevents the button from being pushed down while the wiperblade is in its intended orientation.

I personally did not anneal or seal my print with epoxy. You can do so if you'd prefer to! But I don't think it will be required due to the nature of the design and its use. Only time will tell on whether it holds up. Living in the Mid-West, we will have every type of weather thrown at us until the next wiper blade replacement. Any issues I encounter I will make sure to address here and hopefully resolve!

Here is an image of the packaging for the blades I had specifically based my design off of.

Until I can get my hands on a different variation of the adapter or if someone else can confirm for me, I cannot endorse it for use with any other variations of the Trico blades. I just want to be as transparent as possible!

Final Thoughts

I hope this doesn't end up needing to be a long-term solution. In fact, I should have never needed to make or post this in the first place! General Motors has created quite a mess with this, and made it very frustrating for thousands of new car owners. I've seen countless people online saying they are facing the same issue. So I hope those people can find this part.

I do also plan on creating an adapter for the Rain-X Latitude wipers, as Rain-X and Trico are the 2 primary aftermarket brands I use for my vehicles. A link for that will be here once it is completed.

UPDATE: Link to the NEW Rain-X Latitude wiperblade print can be found right [here].

Finally, if anyone wants the source files I used to try and create an adapter for other types of blades, please reach out and I'd be more than happy to provide!

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If there ends up being enough demand for it, and you are someone who does not have access to a printer, I might consider making it for purchase on an eShop! If that ends up happening, a link to one or more places will be here.

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UPDATES:

[01/22/2025] Added an EDIT section beneath ‘existing part removal’ steps to clarify that this adapter should work on the newer model/design of Trico Wiper Blades if they have the BC connector that hinges in a similar fashion to the one this model was created for. They both look to function the same.

[03/10/2025] Included an image of the packaging of the exact model of blades this part was designed for. I've had only one other person express issues with compatibility of other models, so I wanted to make sure I could reference the ones my design is based on.

[05/26/2025] Updated post to include link to the Rain-X Latitude version to utilize that brand/model of wipers. Also included an update on the wear of the wipers after being used for 5-6 months!