Steering: what to do with thumbs?
 

When I steer, I sometimes use a false grip so that there's no chance of getting my thumbs caught if I have to countersteer quickly. One time I was offroading in an old Toyota, and I stubbed my thumb a bit when I hit a big rock with the left tire. The truck didn't have a steering damper, and the wheels had a large, positive scrub radius, so it really moved the wheel.

I think you answered your own question? ... :iono:

Well in the old days driving big trucks with no power steering you learned real quickly to keep your thumbs out of the way of the spokes of the steering wheel. Big old dumptrucks had high ratio steering gears and that wheel would spin once in a while if you hit a rut in the road.


Now it seems these days from the posts I read on the forum about using both feet to drive an auto and other ridiculous bullshit that the cool thing might be to learn how to double clutch with your thumbs...

You need this.
http://www.complete-strength-trainin...ripmasters.jpg

Well, it seems to me, while driving my FR-S down the highway, if the steering wheel rotates far enough to whack my thumb .......I would be heading off the road at about a 90 degree angle ....... and a sore thumb would be the least of my worries.

So, since I'm not off roading or driving a dump truck, I allow my thumbs to help hold onto the steering wheel......:popcorn:

Now, back in the day ...... crank starting a machine ..... was when you DIDN'T want your thumb wrapped around the crank.

Who can tell me why ..... and how did you find out .......?? :confused0068:


humfrz

Is that like kick starting a big bore thumper or twin using the ball of your foot instead of your heel?:confused0068:

Back when I was learning to drive military vehicles off-road (MLVW/LSVW/HLVW/LUVW/etc.) they taught to not have your thumbs wrapped around the wheel for that very reason. Didn't want someone getting a booboo on their thumb and filing a hurt feelings report. When I drive my car, I don't notice what my thumbs do. Sometimes they wrap, sometimes they don't.

I never used to pay attention to where my hands were until my HPDE class. Now I'm always practicing "doing it right."

Because when those things kick back they hurt like a sonofabich and at best leave a bruise that lasts for weeks. 1952 Fordson tractor.

.........:lol: ........ sort of, with one you can hurt your leg/foot ..... the other, your arm/wrist ...... :respekt:


humfrz

Yep, ol Tcoat has been there.

My first experience was crank starting our old Oliver tractor.

Weighing in at about 65 pounds (soaking wet), standing on a 5 gallon kerosene can, set the crank (NO thumbs), jump up, then jump off the can ..... at the end of the throw(fall), pull the crank back out of the notch and dodge the steel wheel.

Repeat as necessary .......... :thumbup:


humfrz

Our Oliver was so hard to start that my dad made up a sort of clutch assembly attached to a 5 horse Briggs engine. Worked pretty well except every one in a while the facing material (I have no idea what it was but would have been free) would explode and fly off at a startling velocity. His safety measures consisted of "listen for a pop and move".

Oh and we about 5 tractors but did not live in a farm. They ranged from about 1940 to the "new one" at 1954.

:lol: ........ yep, that made us "quick" ...... :D

OK, I give up ...... why did you have 5 tractors and not a farm ..... ??


humfrz

Supposedly for snow plowing but really just because he liked tractors. And old in repairable cars, and dump trucks that never hauled anything, and just about anything he could get for free and pile up in the fields. He was the king of the Canadian rednecks to his dieing day. Hell we even had a school bus with no wheels and a 1942 road grader at one point.

"Where to place thumbs" says and found old stories thread

You're going to put your eye out.:thumbsup:

That's the way we roll.. :respekt:

WOW! ......that must have been a fun "play yard" for you when you were a youngster ...... :)

Was the road grader a "motor grader" or did it need to be pulled ..... ??


WHO started this thread and WHY ......... :slap:


humfrz

OK, to get back on topic (steering a car) ........ anyone remember this ...... ??

It had several names including a spinner knob, necker knob, granny knob, suicide knob ...... and at least one other name.

Can you name the other name for it ..... ??

And, why was it sometimes called a "necker knob" ....... ??


time fer ma mid day meds ...... humfrz

It was a fully functioning motor grader that had been used by the US in the Pacfic during WW2. How and where he got it I do not know but we had it a few years. We had 5 acres of land and it was usually so full there was no place to park the rare working vehicle that showed up.
The only time I saw the dump truck (a 52 or 53 if I recall) work was once when he wanted to move the garage. Backed the truck in, lifted the box, picked up the garage and drove away.

:lol:

Now THAT painted a picture made my day ....... :thanks:

A true redneck at work ......... :D


humfrz

We called them Brody knobs but I have no clue why. Still have them on forklifts here.

BINGO! ........ ol Tcoat beat ol @Ultramaroon to the answer to the old trivia question of the day ..... :thumbsup:

Wiki tells me:

The "spinning knobs" once commonly bolted to the steering wheels of farm implements and trucks prior to the advent of power steering were referred to as "suicide knobs" and, by association, "Brodie knobs," as their misuse could lead to loss of control of the vehicle.

(referring to Steve Brodie)


humfrz

Had to go look up who Steve Brodie was. Strange how that name would spread for a knob. We spell it wrong though.

I was too busy stressing myself to death today. Uggh.

I only knew them as suicide knobs, anyhow. Guess I need my redneck card revoked.

That's what she said.

I must confess that the only reason I knew the name is from 30 years of performing forklift training. We usually just called them "knuckle busters" on the tractors.

That is what she DID.

Nah,......you just need it renewed...........:w00t:

I remember doing "browdies" out in the cow pasture, back on the farm. My dad would get upset with me ...... then I explained that I learned in FFA, that roughing up the turf actually improved it by increasing aeriation to the roots and increased water penetration ........ :D

So, @Ultramaroon ..... what was stressing you today ...... trying to drive with no thumbs ..... ??


humfrz

Hahaha.... DOH!

Oh, I get too wrapped up in actually trying to accomplish stuff at work. I'll never understand the culture that values deflection of accountability over actually getting shit done.

Alot of the "poorer" locations in Philadelphia tend to have people who own used police crown victorias or chargers and literally every one of them has some ghetto dude who added that to the steering wheel. I got bored googled how legal they are here in the U.S. and it turns out they're legal almost everywhere :lol:


http://www.suicideknob.net/state_laws.html

So stupid. They made sense when you had to crank the wheel a few revolutions to make a sharp turn.

My standard steering 58 Chev required a few revolutions to make a gradual turn. Apparently watching me parallel park was hilarious to my buddies.

Oh, after many years of supervising people in the military and the civilian workforce, I discovered that half of them need a hug and half of them need a smack in the face ....... I suggest you just put them all into one of those two groups and ....... carry on ..... :cheers:


humfrz

Well, we're all easily amused. I would've joined in on the joke.

Sage advice.

This thread has satiated my need for old stories.

I'm good for 2 weeks now.

Just never miss the two groups up or things can go badly fast.