Little Known Car Facts # 6 Brodie knobs / Suicide Knobs / Neckers Knobs

[Greg Myers]

Found this http://www.suicideknob.net/ and these https://www.google.com/search?q=suicide+knobs&espv=2&biw=1600&bih=799&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=LkEVVJmTEqK5igKXt4HwAQ&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg the thing is you just don't see em on model cars. I wonder if any kits have them?

[chunkypeanutbutter]

My dad used to have one on his Mustang II drag car.

[southpier]

I use a 2 mm bead and set it at about 10:oo o'clock.

[bbowser]

The rumor was that most places banned them during the "safety conscious" 70s because you might hurt yourself on them. I remember seeing them a lot in the late 50s and 60s.

[1930fordpickup]

My lawn mower has one on it, does that count? We call them a Barney knob, just local slang .

Around here if you are Handicapped you can have one on your car. They say with the power steering you don't need it and when steering wheel come back to center fast the knob can hit your hand and break it . Not sure if it is true about breaking your hand but that is what we were told in drivers ed. I do know that when in the field on a tractor it hurts when you get hit by one.

[DonW]

You still see them on autotest cars and on drift cars today. Not for me!

[Modelmartin]

I have heard them called "Necker's knobs".

[crazyjim]

We called them spinners.

[Greg Myers]

My lawn mower has one on it, does that count? We call them a Barney knob, just local slang .

Around here if you are Handicapped you can have one on your car. They say with the power steering you don't need it and when steering wheel come back to center fast the knob can hit your hand and break it . Not sure if it is true about breaking your hand but that is what we were told in drivers ed. I do know that when in the field on a tractor it hurts when you get hit by one.

[Ramfins59]

I've put them on several of my Custom models. I usually carefully drill a small hole or depression in the steering wheel and glue on a round headed shirt pin head that I'll either leave chrome, or I'll paint it a color that matches the interior.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I've put them on several of my Custom models. I usually carefully drill a small hole or depression in the steering wheel and glue on a round headed shirt pin head that I'll either leave chrome, or I'll paint it a color that matches the interior.

Cool tip, and thanks. I have just the place for one...

We called 'em "necker" knobs, without the s.

It's been a while, but I seem to remember that necking with a pretty girl while driving could be significantly more distracting than texting.

Edited September 14, 2014 by Ace-Garageguy

[Greg Myers]

A shop teacher once told me, " If it's worth doin', pull over and use both hands."

Edited September 14, 2014 by Greg Myers

[bob terry]

We call them knuckle busters around these parts. Back in the day, I had one on the fork truck I drove.

[wisdonm]

Many fork trucks come with them built in.

[slusher]

Lowes sell them and you can put them on yourself also..

[southpier]

un-leted

Edited September 15, 2014 by southpier

[sjordan2]

The 1/16 1928 Mercedes SS Kabriolet has one on the steering wheel. Through a large amount of research, though, I've never seen a picture of one on the 1/1 car.

Edited September 16, 2014 by sjordan2

[Greg Myers]

Heard a discussion at my wife 50th High School reunion about these.  

[StevenGuthmiller]

In my new life as a Valet at a local medical facility, I have seen a couple of these on modern cars in the past few months.

Used in "handicapped" applications.

Personally, I don't like them.

They just seem to be "in the way".

 

Steve

[High octane]

On 9/14/2014 at 2:29 PM, Ace-Garageguy said:

 

Cool tip, and thanks. I have just the place for one...

 

We called 'em "necker" knobs, without the s.

 

It's been a while, but I seem to remember that necking with a pretty girl while driving could be significantly more distracting than texting.

Yes driving and necking at the same time is very distracting. Wow, the "good old days."

[Greg Myers]

1964 .High School shop teacher told us, "If it's worth doing at all, pull over and use both hands"

[espo]

17 hours ago, Greg Myers said:

1964 .High School shop teacher told us, "If it's worth doing at all, pull over and use both hands"

He got that right. When these became popular it was acceptable to drive with your left hand on the knob, remember no power steering back then, and your right in a head lock on some innocent young damsel who's trying to grab the door handle on the right so she can escape.     At least that's how I remember it.

[kitbash1]

On 1/20/2018 at 5:44 PM, High octane said:

Yes driving and necking at the same time is very distracting. Wow, the "good old days."

Yes, but no car was complete until you had the "  Purple Sin Lights and the Fuzzy Dice " .

[High octane]

27 minutes ago, kitbash1 said:

Yes, but no car was complete until you had the "  Purple Sin Lights and the Fuzzy Dice " .

Yep, I had colored lights under the dash also.

[Mercuryman54]

I have one on my 1954 Mercury. I'll try and get out to the garage tomorrow and get a picture of it. Back in the day some of them had flippers, they would actually flip down out of the way.

Dennis