I don't know about the 88 and up wiper arms either, but the removal tool is only a few dollars at the auto parts stores. Yes, I do think it is a pain that the wipers don't lock in the open position, but I have learned to live with it. (I think Keith submitted an engineering change on this when he was at Flint Truck Assembly but it was not approved.
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Regarding the wiper blades, here in the desert southwest wiper blades don't last very long. I have been experimenting with soaking the blades in 303 protectant overnight and then installing the blades. So for, it seem to be working well. The problem we have is that the blades just fall apart in the desert heat - the rubber, silicone, etc. just disintegrates and falls apart in pieces. I have used $25 wiper blades and $2 wiper blades and the result is the same.
So, I bought a bunch of $2.50 blades from Rock Auto on clearance and if my experiment does not work I can change them every couple of months.