I need to replace the rear wiper - the motor and arm and everything are good - but I can't even tell how to get the wiper blade off...

It seems like rear wipers have changed quite a bit since this design. The back windows of newer SUVs in the parking lot all had a mechanism more like front wipers, where they just snap off and on.

Does anyone know of a step-by-step?

 

i promise you that its not rocket science... the wiper blade "body" snaps onto a pin on your wiper blade arm through a hole in the actual wiper blade "body"

mine didn't want to come off... so i measured the blade.. went inside the auto parts store to buy a wiper blade.. NOT a refill, but the whole blade, and i forced it to come off.. i literally broke the whole old wiper blade off... it shattered with almost no effort... found the proper hole on the new wiper blade.. and pushed it back on..

 

the new style you are referring to are j hooks... these are "pin" style... sometimes they can be a little stubborn to come off..

 

I'll take another look, but I replaced the pin-style front wipers with no problem.

The rear really seems like a different animal...

It looks like if I break the blade to get it off, I'll have cord (from the arm to the current blade) just left hanging...

 

pic? i think your over thinking it bud

 

I followed your advice and just broke the old one off. Seems to have worked well.

Thanks.