Suicide Knobs

[Lori19]

Anyone know where i can get a really nice chrome knobfor my Vibe? The ones I have seen are cheap plastic.

[KilrZ06]

Hey Lori those are illegal I think... I havnt seen any lately

[LocDog]

Define suicide knob......

[sharky]

i did a quick search on google.com and here are a few ....happy hunting http://www.go-kat-go.com/8balcasalspi.h ... m/spinners

[Lori19]

most excellent, sharky! thanks! Why would they be illegal? It's just gonna help with parking.

[LocDog]

Why so suicidal?

[Lori19]

I'm not sucidial! They are also called spinners. It's a knob that attaches to the steering wheel. It makes it easier to turn the wheel with just one hand.
[Modified by Lori19, 12:35 AM 8/27/2002]

[NovaResource]

quote:Why would they be illegal? It's just gonna help with parking.They got the nickname "suicide knobs" many years ago when they were popular. Back they, most cars didn't have power steering and trying to parallel park a car was very difficult. Also back then there were no airbags and many cars didn't even have seatbelts (seatbelts were optional well into the mid-60's). If you got into a crash you would hit the steering wheel and the "suicide knob" would go inside you causing even more damage to your body. Another problem is that most people drove one-handed with them and if the knob broke while in a curve, you would loose control of the car and crash. It's for those 2 reasons that most states made them illegal. They are probably still illegal today because they could interfere with (or puncture) the airbag and the part of them breaking in a curve is still possible.Today, most (if not all) cars have power steering. You shouldn't need a suicide knob to park a car. I easily spin the wheel while parking with the palm of one hand. If you need help parking with power steering, maybe you shouldn't be driving.

[ullbergm]

quote:If you got into a crash you would hit the steering wheel and the "suicide knob" would go inside you causing even more damage to your body.Ouch. I used to drive a icecream truck back in Sweden (before i moved over here) and i thought those knobs were great.But i can see why they would be illegal, that would do a lot of damage to you in a crash...

[NovaResource]

They are great for heavy vehicles with no power steering (I used them on forklifts in a previous job) but the Vibe isn't a heavy vehicle and it has good power steering. Today, the chances of you being "punctured" by a suicide knob are slim but it could puncture an inflating airbag. And the part about it breaking off while driving and causing the driver to loose control is still a possibility.

[Lori19]

quote:If you need help parking with power steering, maybe you shouldn't be driving.Thanks Scott, I really needed that sarcastic remark to make my visit to the forum more enjoyable.

[vibb]

Hi,If what you need is something that works with airbag wheels, check this out athttp://www.accessunlimited.com/whatsnew.html
[Modified by vibb, 7:48 AM 8/28/2002]

[NovaResource]

quote:Thanks Scott, I really needed that sarcastic remark to make my visit to the forum more enjoyable.Sorry you feel that way but it's just my opinion. It was not directed directly at you but more to the general driving public.If people think steering a Vibe is hard, try doing it on a 70's tow-truck with no power steering. I did it for a few years when I worked at a gas station while in college. Or maybe a 1956 Chevy with a big block with no power steering or power brakes (a good friends car). People have gotten soft when they claim new cars are hard to steer. Please, they don't know what hard is. I can steer my Vibe with one finger under one of the spokes or with just the palm of my hand on the front of the wheel.Cars have become almost too easy to drive. Cruise control, ABS brakes, automatic transmissions. All these things are great but they have turned the skill of "driving" into just steering the vehicle. They have allowed people who wouldn't have been able to drive before out into traffic with little or no skill. They are why real gauges have been replaced by warning lights. Most drivers don't have a clue to what the gauges mean or how to read them. "Just make a light come on for me when something is wrong." Why do you think they are called idiot lights? And if a car does have a gauge, it is usually a temp gauge with a blue "safe" zone and a red "danger" zone instead of numbers telling the actual temp.I wonder how many people actually know how to change a tire on their car or even check the air pressure? I should take a poll on that one. "Change a tire? Isn't that what roadside assistance is for?" What about checking oil, coolant, brake fluid, etc...Sorry about the rant. Again, it's just my opinion and you are welcome to disagree.
[Modified by NovaResource, 8:12 AM 8/30/2002]

[sharky]

(removed) quote:"Just make a light come on for me when something is wrong."

[LocDog]

I agree, i wanna know my actual temp, not some red and blue crap that means nothing, numbers helpBut hey, at least i have a tach. some people dont.

[LadyHwk750]

Lori,I noticed you said you have a handicapped parking tag in another subject posting. Is that why you are looking for the "knob"? I can see where that equipment would make life easier.
[Modified by LadyHwk750, 9:59 PM 8/29/2002]

[Lori19]

quote:Lori,I noticed you said you have a handicapped parking tag in another subject posting. Is that why you are looking for the "knob"? I can see where that equipment would make life easier.Hi Jeanne,Yes your right. That tag is for my hubby, but I am blind in my right eye. We live on a Main Street, where I constanly park in front of our house with the sidewalk always being on my right. I need to turn myself all the way around to see when I am backing into the space. I like to make sure I am very close to the curb to avoid getting side-swiped again like my Grand-Am did. I use the mirrors, but my depth perception is no where near as good as a person with sight in both eyes. It would be easier to hang onto the knob with my left hand while backing up. Thanks for noticing my other post!
[Modified by Lori19, 11:50 PM 8/29/2002]

[Yoda]

Lori - I know I've see spinner knobs at pep boys and Advance Auto, so they can't be that hard to find. Those that I saw were'nt as pleasing to my eye as the ones in the links posted above. I can't imagine that these are all illegal, with so many places selling them. They can't really be as safe as no knob though (air bag and head / torso punctures). I commend you on trying to make your car easier to drive. It shows that you have an understanding of what distracts you during your drive and are taking steps to minimize this distraction. Fact is that most people drive with one hand anyway. The spinner knobs give them more control over the steering wheel, given that they're only using one hand anyway. While I agree that cars are much easier to drive than before, I don't see this as a cause for concern. Designing controls to require extra effort or attention just to keep drivers more attentive seems like a ridiculous strategy. That said, some people actually prefer some involvement (ie: manual trans), so of course offering these things makes sense.

[Stands Alone]

Back in the early 60s I had an Uncle who drove out west from Michigan. Without the "knob", he said he wouldn't have been able to do it. Lost an arm in the war.

[Yoda]

That reminds me - holding your arm across an airbag as it goes off is a good way to break it. Then again, being able to steer fast without taking your one hand off the wheel might just keep that darn thing from going off...

[esjones]

quote:I can steer my Vibe with one finger under one of the spokes or with just the palm of my hand on the front of the wheel.I find the horn too sensitive to drive using my palm on the center of the wheel. Plus, I've heard from several sources that you don't want your arm or hand anywhere NEAR that airbag if it goes off. And while it is statistically unlikely to a very high degree, the thing CAN go off even if you're not in a front-ender.

[Lorin]

As long as we've mentioned parking, how about curb feelers? I know in Chicago and the inner cities, they are more of a decoration used to go along with the fuzzy-dice and white sidewalls. But in a situation where depth perception prevents one from getting full benefit from the mirrors, I wonder if they would help? I've been told that in "the old days" they were considered an important accessory for anyone who parallel parked some of those huge "beasties" w/o the benefit of power steering.

[Jethro]

quote:I can't imagine that these are all illegal, with so many places selling them.Yeah, just like all those clear tail lights and turn signals.Oh, wait, ... "apc fined 650,000 dollars!"http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=4162Hmmm ... maybe they could be illegal afterall, at least in some markets depending on intended use.Seriously though ... many states have outlawed these for general on-road use for the reasons stated elsewhere in this thread. However at one time you used to be able to go to the local DMV office and apply for an exception if for a health related reason.You might check into that, Lori, but I'd certainly look for one with a very low profile - and, of course, ALWAYS wear your seatbelt.

[joatmon]

Lori, You're last post on this thread was back in August 02. Did you ever get one of these knobs? Did it do what you wanted?For me, the Vibe is easy enough to steer without one, but if it helps you then that's great. Especially if it helps you not break the first rule of driving. (Don't hit anything)

[pmh013]

quote:I had my hand on the horn 1 time when I hit a deer and the air bag went off. Man, that hurt....... Nerve damage in my arm and shoulder to this day. When I took driver training, we were taught to grip the wheel at 10 & 2. Apparantly, now they teach 9 & 3, because the air bag can cause your hands to fly up into your face & break your nose if the air bag deploys when you use 10 & 2.

[scherry2]

that is the ugliest thing to put on a new car. makes it look like a steering wheel on an old john deere A. LOL