Those things ruined a lot of steering wheels by cutting grooves in the rim when really tightened down!
My Dad is a one-armed aputee from WWII. He had one on every car he owned. My Mom judged what was an appropriate picture!
I bought one about twenty or so years back that I have never come across since. It has a spring in it and will jump back into the rim of the steering wheel when you let go of it and keeps it out of the way when not in use.
I still have two from my dad's stuff. He ran a Richfield gas station from late 1940's into the late 1950's. No manufacture name. One had a nude with saggy tits. I remember them being called Necker knobs. One arm around your girl and the other on the knob
My Mom called 'em 'titty-knockers' !! She said driving our car and making a sharp turn....she would loosen her grip on the steering wheel and let the wheel rotate back-to-center...quickly. "That darn knob would smack-my-titty every time it went around !! She never was one to minced-her-words... She was Cool ! 6sally6
Actually, those things do the best job of ruining a steering wheel when they're loose. Yank on the ka-nobby, steel band tips and the sharp edges cut into the plastic steering wheel real nice. Over and over and over again.
My one arm uncle had the same thing in California...also said auto trans...but... like said...he hooked his shirt sleave on it and near crashed , that ended that..... I got a rzr couple months back from a one arm guy... it had one on it..got my shirt cuff locked up in it and almost went sideways off the trailer... they look cool on bicycle handle bars...
Got this from my old boss/mentor (RIP Ron) It's been on for 5 years or so plus a cheapy swap meet one for 2 years before that. Never caught my sleeve or wrist but that's just me.
“wheel spinner?” Hello, We saw these as cool items to have. Our neighbor owned an old Ford truck for his business. He had a “spinner” on his steering wheel. He liked to drive with one elbow out and grab the wheel at the knob. Then in 1964, he got a greenish silver El Camino and promptly bought another “wheel spinner.” There was no suicide nomenclature attached to the swiveling ball strapped on to the steering wheel. But, like in all of hot rod or custom car culture, folks make up their own names and think that is what they should be called. In his daily driving in the old Ford truck and 64 El Camino for work, he never got into an accident and he liked the car/trucks in his family. But, his always had a “spinner” attachment. Our neighbor’s son got one for his first mild custom car. It looked nice and he enjoyed his own way to drive down the road… We liked it because we could turn the wheel, looking like diesel truck drivers cruising down the highway. We also saw plenty of those guys coming to and going away from the trucking industry down in the Long Beach and Los Angeles Harbors. We also saw them on the custom cruisers with all sorts of steering wheels and those, “wheel spinners.” Jnaki As the culture grows, the names and possible incidents are responsible for names such as “suicide spinners,” and other names. For those that drive with the steering knob, turn a corner and let the wheel go back by itself, well... it does whip around, depending on speed, etc. So a daily warning is good. But, most folks we knew never let go of the wheel or spinner knob and were under control the full time the car is turning a corner, etc. Daily driving for a job allows one to adapt to your own direction and if a “spinner” makes driving easier, there you go… You are what you are… YRMV
The Jalopy Journal
