 » Site Navigation | | | | » Recent Threads | | | |  |  |  |  08-22-2006, 05:13 PM | #1 | | Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Bristol UK Posts: 91 |  Ripping thumbs?
My father in law was impressed with my sports steering wheel - esp. the two thumb rests
he used to rally in the 60's and said they were to stop you curling your thumbs inside the wheel - where they could get ripped off or broken if the wheel span quickly.
true??? __________________
1997 Moreagrun |  |  | | 08-22-2006, 05:47 PM | #2 | | Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Quad Cities, Iowa Posts: 2,110 |
That would be a sweet one to send in to Myth Busters! It dosnt seem like that could happen but I guess its always a possiblity. If your father-in-law was a rally driver I guess he would know about those kinds of things. __________________
"Drive Fast and Take Chances" | | | | | 08-22-2006, 08:24 PM | #3 | | Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: SOUTH Jersey Posts: 1,085 |
true.. back then, most rally and performance wheels had metal spokes. A good hit and the wheel could get twisted in your hands and the spokes could make a mess of your thumbs.
I used to rally a Hyundai Excel in the local SCCA here. Get into the air and land wrong, and the wheel could certainly twist and squirm in your hands. As I raced in the Amateure, I had to run the stock steering wheel.. even those low two spokes were enough to whack you one in the thumbs if you were not careful. Even today, now that I no longer race, I still to not drive with my thumbs inside the rim.
Though thinking about it, I doubt those spokes would have ripped your tumbs off.. but I am certain they would have taken skin. | | | | | 08-22-2006, 08:50 PM | #4 | | Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Watford, herts, England Posts: 805 |
i used to do a bit of off-roading when i had my hilux, and one of the first things you are taught is to keep your thumbs outside of the wheel, cos if the wheels get whacked whilst moving through rocks etc, the wheel could spin and hit your fingers pretty bloody hard! __________________ 
'96 318ti in Montreal Blue :m-tec sideskirts,m-bootspoiler,clear corners & repeaters .m-tech side mouldings, Magnex Exhaust System, leather armrest, F-15 gear Knob, 18" Evo 2's. Not Finished Yet......
http://www.myspace.com/davep_uk | | | | | 08-22-2006, 09:49 PM | #5 | | Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Portland Or Posts: 2,666 |
Slide a car into a curb especially with manual steering and yes you will get thumb carnage.  I've personally hauled two people in to the ER with 1 or 2 broken thumbs from this activity.. Best case is a wicked sprain or dislocation...  Dave __________________
Dave - PDX
1995 318ti - Active Black and Tan.
2005 330xi - Mtech 1 - 6spd - Orient Blue/Black | | | | | 08-23-2006, 12:38 AM | #6 | | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: irvine Posts: 142 |
wow thats pretty crazy, i never actually thought of that until now. durrr. | | | | | 08-23-2006, 03:36 AM | #7 | | Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: SOUTH Jersey Posts: 1,085 |
worst case I ever heard of... it was not thumbs, but all eight fingers. The fiat spider (my other automotive love) in it's early incarnations had a steering wheel with four small holes per spoke (two spokes) and I heard of a gentleman driving with his fingers in the holes when something happened and he got into a minor accident.. evidently, he never got his fingers out in time so you can imagine how broken his fingers were. | | | | | 08-23-2006, 06:15 PM | #8 | | Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 218 |
Quote: Originally Posted by davep-uk  i used to do a bit of off-roading when i had my hilux, | Hilux... awesome. Had one of those when I was igrowing up (in Haiti -- can't get them state-side I don't think). Just brought back some memories  . | | | | | 08-23-2006, 06:42 PM | #9 | | Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Watford, herts, England Posts: 805 |
Quote: Originally Posted by Etienne Hilux... awesome. Had one of those when I was igrowing up (in Haiti -- can't get them state-side I don't think). Just brought back some memories . | yes you can. they are called 4-runners, thats all. they were never sold officially over here in the UK so all the ones over here are Jap imports (Hilux Surf) i had an SSR-G and it was lovely until the cylinder head blew. fantastic for off-roading though! __________________
'96 318ti in Montreal Blue :m-tec sideskirts,m-bootspoiler,clear corners & repeaters .m-tech side mouldings, Magnex Exhaust System, leather armrest, F-15 gear Knob, 18" Evo 2's. Not Finished Yet......
http://www.myspace.com/davep_uk | | | | | 08-24-2006, 02:55 PM | #10 | | Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 218 |
The only hilux's we had in Haiti were (mostly diesel) pick-ups -- as you said, imported straight from japan. We had 4-runnners too. Did they make a hilux SUV? | | | | | 08-24-2006, 06:59 PM | #11 | | Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Watford, herts, England Posts: 805 |
SUV? mine was not a pick-up. it looked like this:  __________________
'96 318ti in Montreal Blue :m-tec sideskirts,m-bootspoiler,clear corners & repeaters .m-tech side mouldings, Magnex Exhaust System, leather armrest, F-15 gear Knob, 18" Evo 2's. Not Finished Yet......
http://www.myspace.com/davep_uk | | | | | 08-25-2006, 02:56 AM | #12 | | Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 218 |
Hmm. This is similar to what we had growing up.. only we had the 4 door. Didn't know the hilux was anything but a pickup.  | | | | |
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