I remember the suicide knobs and even used them when I was in hi-school (in
the 50's). The reason they were called suicide knobs is because they were
poorly made and would tend to slip around the steering wheel and in some
cases actually break off when under stress in hard cornering. In those days
power steering was pretty much an unknown quantity. The knobs attached to
the steering wheel with a clamp like a radiator hose clamp which is why they
tended to slip either around the circumference of the wheel or more likely
around the wheel like a ring on your finger so that suddenly the knob was in
the same plane as the wheel and not sticking up perpendicular to the wheel.
The most serious problem is that they were so poorly made that the knob
would come off in your hand and you lost control of the car. Most people
tired of them pretty quickly as even when not in use they were in the way
and would catch on shirt sleeves or other pieces of clothing which
interfered with you ability to control the car. They were "neat" like dice
hanging from the rear view mirror so the kids put them on until the states
started banning them because of their inherit danger.
Dave 72 B (with no suicide knob)
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