Whats everyones take on curb feelers? Not as a "lowrider" type asthetic, but more from a funtional stand point. With the price to chrome a bumper and the cost of wide whites Ive been considering a curb feeler on the right front to "protect" my investment. Would it just be out of line or is it a good idea?
From Wiki Curb feelers or curb finders are springs or wires installed on a vehicle which act as "whiskers" to warn drivers that they are too close to the curb or other obstruction. The devices are fitted low on the body, close to the wheels. As the vehicle approaches the curb, the protruding 'feelers' act as whiskers and scrape against the curb, making a noise and alerting the driver in time to avoid damaging the wheels or hubcaps. The feelers are manufactured to be flexible and do not easily break. <TABLE class=toc id=toc><TBODY><TR><TD> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><SCRIPT type=text/javascript>//<![CDATA[if (window.showTocToggle) { var tocShowText = "show"; var tocHideText = "hide"; showTocToggle(); } //]]></SCRIPT> Hotrods Curb feelers are still used on some hot rods when a 1950s look is wanted. They are especially popular for cars with whitewall tires, which easily lose their white coating when scraped against the curb. Sometimes curb feelers are found only on the passenger side of the car, since that is most commonly near the curb when parking. Sometimes they are added only next to the front wheels. Some curb feelers have a single wire or spring, while others have two to increase the area that can be protected. Any particular car may have just one curb feeler installed (as on the pictures) or more if attached near the front and rear, as well as on both sides of the vehicle.
Used to have them on my lowrider. They make a loud scraping noise, kind of like nails on the chalk board, easy to here. For me--they scraped on the ground more than on curbs. Gravel roads played hell on them, couldn`t keep them on.
if your car has a radio or a non stock muffler you wont hear them, and you have to buy them in bulk cuz they vibrate loose a lot. never again for me
you can always mount one of those huge mirrors out front like they have on the school bus so you can see how close you are to the curb. that will look way better. or just stay two feet away from the curb and risk alot more than your whitewalls from passing traffic on the driver's side. so you're going to scrape up your chrome and tires because of what alot of guys here think? DILLIGAF i always say go ahead and use one. you can always remove it if you're going to be parked in a lot where you might run into some snooty hambers.
If they save yer bumpers/fenders etc why not?? Of course here in New Zealand if you have a 'real' 'merican car it will be left-hand steer -so ya won't need no Curb Feeler 'cos we drive on the left side of the road!!
Whilst they might not be the most aesthetically pleasing Kustomaccessory, they certainly don't suck either. And if you're using them for the purpose they were intended, i.e. to prevent damage to your ride and not and not just as some bolt on bling then why not run them. You certainly can't argue that they're not traditional, and it's not like you're fitting reverse parking sensors or anything stupid like that. Did they use them back in the day? Yes. Do they serve the purpose? Yes. Will they bring you peace of mind? Well, that's your call, but I certainly wouldn't be afraid to run them myself. Good luck with whatever you decide. Paul
Where's the "it's your car do as you want" contingent? I can see them on a custom, I don't really dig them, but I don't gag when I see them.
Use em, just don't get carried away and put 4 on each corner, with lights on the end! It CAN become a disease. peace
I've never put any on my car (even back then) but depending on your style car they do have a nostalgic feeling for me. My buddy has a set on all his cars. (They are not HAMB type cars). He gets a lot of comments about them from people that notice and remember them. On the right car I could live with the single wire type but the bigger coil spring type would have to go. I feel the same about gadgets like a dash mounted compass. They bring back old nostalgic images but not right for my hotrod. When I was scraping the floor pan under my 56 I discovered the remnants of one still clamped to the rocker panel. The wire was long gone. I had the car for over a year and never noticed it. When was the last time that you had to parallel park?
I used to have them on my high school car because the rocker was lower than the top of curbs. I used the single wire kind, not the wound spring kind. Not really noticeable. I vote YES for your car. Bring back the long forgotten accessory.
If you have a scaped whitewall you can claim your wife/girlfriend did it. If you have a curb feeler on your car there's no one to blame but you.