steering wheel spinner installed
 

OK, it might be a temporary thing, but I installed a large steering wheel spinner on my E53 yesterday. I have to drive it quite a bit tomorrow (maybe 30-40 miles, but some in traffic, and more on winding two-lane roads with sharp turns and switchbacks). Doctor visits and shopping trip.

I seem to be falling apart, with decrepitude at all four limbs (my wife says five); specifically, lately, my sprained left wrist with hyper-extended thumb can't grab the steering wheel tightly enough, nor am I able to make large/sweeping steering motions using my right arm (longtime rotator cuff injury now much worse). So, I'm going to try using a steering wheel spinner, like my Granpa used on his '52 Chevy (war injury), and my mother did on her '54 Ford (she was weak & small), back in the day.

Normally, I love the tight steering of my X5, but last time I drove it, my rotator cuff gave me problems on tight turns, and has grown much worse since then. I don't want to have the wife drive me everywhere in her Lexus, like an old man (I am old, a BOOMER1, 14 years older than she is, referred to as the "old Fart" by her snotty GENX friends), so I'm going "old school" with the spinner.

We'll see how it works tomorrow, and if it helps a lot, it might remain installed. It fit nicely/tightly over the steering wheel cover I use (to protect the factory leather wheel), and looks OK. For $29, it's worth a try, at least until/or if my left and right arms improve. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNCKK74D...fed_asin_title
Attachment 85053

Haha, don't show her the box or you will get comments about Large head and big knob! :) Too bad you couldn't get an old school chrome one with the naked lady pic under the cap! ;)

not gonna go there
 

If I did get one, she might retaliate by getting a "WNBA floor decoration" device to replace her shift knob on the Lexus.

We're both too old for those things.

:rofl:

Nothing like attaching an XL driving knob to your car :rofl:

I hope it works out mate and you improve ASAP :thumbup:

I think we used to call those suicide knob semi-officially a "Brodie Knob".

When visiting friends with a dairy farm noticed that they had on not just the tractors but the trucks and prob their station wagon as well.


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Hope your new knob helps with your trip :thumbup:

He got it so he can play with his knob while he’s driving :-)

His "XL knob"

in all seriousness, I thought it wasn’t legal at least in some states but apparently it is even with some restrictions so hopefully it’s helpful


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I think it'll stay, even if my arm gets better
 

I'd never used a spinner before (the ones my Granpa and Mom had on their cars were in the 1950's, so I wasn't driving yet...I started in 1965), so this was my first time to use one. I tried it, maneuvering back out of my 90 degree driveway, and it was so easy, I just had to use it for all turns today.

I think it helped me track smoother around some switchbacks, at higher sppeds than usual, and it made parking at Sam's Club better too. It's a keeper. It may look funny, but I've always prized function over form (for instance my tablet on the dash for running Torque Pro while driving, and the motor speed controller on the console, that controls the aftermarket electric fan).
Attachment 85058

It's mounted on the left (bad wrist and thumb side), so I can grab it with my cupped hand and hold it much better than trying to grip the steering wheel itself. I put on a thicker wheel cover awhile back, to see if I could grip the wheel better, and that helped, at least until I sprained the wrist.

The Doctor gave me pills for my rotator cuff injury (right side), and some exercise instructions to follow, but I suspect my right arm will never be as good as before, and I might throw balls like an old man, from now on.

P.S. I never fondle my automotive equipment, so there!

Same here, however the left shoulder is coming back to form...still a little tender.
I thought about using one briefly.
Don't need it just yet...
I do plan on picking up a lubeguard product to help the steering function lighter.

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Ugh, yeah I get the shoulder pain thing; doc thought it was the rotator cuff but fortunately it was only a couple of bone spurs that he sawed off, so a quick recovery.

The pain was sudden and so bad I'd just hunch over and breathe fast until it passed. I feel for ya. Probably up there with the worst pain experienced in this life, so far (63+).

it'll only get worse, so prepare for it
 

I'll be 75 next month, and have so many pains from so many areas, that sharp acute pangs are commonplace to me. Along my life's journey, I think I've broken about everything, at least once, because I've been regarded as reckless, a mad dog, "never-lift" (at the dragstrip), and a "kamikaze", due to my early life's approach to danger or never realizing my limitations.

Even after I did calm down, becoming a mild dog not a mad dog, in my 50's, I still try lifting more than I should, and never accepted backing away from physical challenges (I now face days or weeks of painful recovery when I exceed those limits). Bad old habits, literally "die-hard" habits, remain with me.

Though I very rarely have ever used one, I now have canes, walking sticks, and a homemade shillelagh placed strategically, with two in my X5 (moving them to my other vehicles, if I'm out and about, solo). With two bad legs, sciatica also in both, trick knees, peroneal tendinitis, also in both, I never know if/when I'll need one (but false pride has kept me from using foresight, and carrying one in public, so far). Maybe next month ??

OOF. Welcome to the club where the secret passphrase is "OWOWOWOW F*****CK!!"

I've been in that club for years; I started having knee problems first, at 50, and everything that can hurt, followed suit.

It's become so bad, I have to rest up after carrying in groceries, especially if there's a bag of pet food at 45-50 lbs. Working underneath a car ruins my knees & back for days, and therefore I make sure I take all parts and tools with me, so I don't have to get up many times.

Getting old is hell, but it beats the alternative.


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To the OP; just beware that steering wheel spinners are outlawed, or require medical authorization (to be provided to the DMV) in some states! Don't want you getting a ticket if a cop were to..ahem...see you holding your knob while driving...

Nope, not a problem here
 

Actually, they're not explicitly illegal in any US state, even the Blue ones. In fact, while no permit is required, the California Highway Patrol notes the California DMV's Senior Guide for Safe Driving recommends their use for drivers who need assistance with steering, especially with power steering.

California-Specific Rules
No general ban: According to the Orange County Register and the California Highway Patrol, there is no Vehicle Code section in California that bans the use of steering wheel knobs on private vehicles.
Mechanism requirement: California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 1593, states that a steering knob cannot be attached unless the steering mechanism prevents the handwheel from spinning from road reactions.
Mounting requirement: The knob must also be mounted within the periphery of the steering wheel.
Recommended Use
Senior Driver Aid:
The California DMV's Senior Guide for Safe Driving suggests using a turning knob if you still have trouble steering.
Mobility Assistance:
Steering knobs can be a vital aid for individuals with limited hand or arm mobility, allowing them to operate their vehicle safely and comfortably.
Key Takeaway
Steering wheel knobs are legal to use in California, provided they meet the mounting and mechanism requirements outlined in the California Code of Regulations.
They are a legitimate assistive device for those who require them, rather than a universally prohibited accessory.

Here in Texas, the spinners may be regulated in commercial vehicles, but not in privately-owned vehicles. It is recommended to not use spinners that stick out past the rim diameter (like on a projecting arm), which could catch on a sleeve or something, but min is mounted almost perpendicularly atop the wheel rim, and doen't stick out but maybe a 1/2". I hardly ever wear loose sleeves, anyway.

I'll probably remove the spinner when/if I recover more mobility in my right arm, and/or my left wrist/thumb gets better.

I've had to use on/off since my mid 20s.

IDGAF what somebody else might think, do what's best for you.

I rarely use a cane anymore since i use a mini Segway for mobility.

My knee pain rewound a decade when i started using it and it's helped immensely with all mobility like stairs


–awr–

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Andrew - if you have similar problems with your knees as I do, and you're still working on BMW 's a lot, do you find yourself having to "rest & recover" after every repair job?

I do, and that makes me not likely to even initiate automotive projects anymore, and put off maintenance until the last minute (oil changes, brakes, even checking tire pressures). I no longer want to spend most of my waking hours "working on it" (whatever the project might be).

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I've had CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) since 1989. I need r&r after going up a flight of stairs.

When working on cars i break up a big job in two hour shifts over days usually.

If i push though a 4-6 hour job I'm spent for 3-5 days of recovery. Still satisfying to succeed.

My next big job is an engine swap. And then rod bearings.


–awr–

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