Spinner (wheel)

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The spinner on automobile wheels historically refers to knock-off hub nuts or center caps. They may be the actual, or intended to simulate, the design used on antique vehicles or vintage sports cars. A "spinner wheel" in contemporary usage is a type of hubcap or inner wheel ornament, that spins independently inside of a wheel itself when the vehicle is in motion and continues to spin once the vehicle has come to a stop.

Contents

Original use

Two bladed spinner on a wire wheel Riley Brooklands 1930,Belem02.jpg
Two bladed spinner on a wire wheel
1967 AMC simulated wire wheel cover with spinner 1967 AMC Marlin white with red interior 07.jpg
1967 AMC simulated wire wheel cover with spinner

The spinner or "knock-off" originated with Rudge-Whitworth center lock wire wheels and hubs, which were first patented in 1908. [1] [2] The spinner was a threaded, winged nut designed to keep the wheel fastened to the hub. They were screwed on and "knocked on tightly" using a hammer, hence the name "knock-offs". Most setups will feature right-hand threads on the left side of the vehicle, and left-hand threads (rotate clockwise to remove) on the vehicle's right side so the screw-on spinner would stay tightened as the auto was in forward motion. [3] This style of "knock-off" wheel was common on road cars until the development of the lug nut method attaching the wheel.

Spinner hubcaps

The spinner hubcap was introduced into the commercial vehicle and passenger automobile market in the 1930s. [4] Automotive designer Harley Earl expressed a brash philosophy behind his 1950s automobiles that included "glittering spinner hubcaps." [5] During the 1950s and 1960s automobile manufacturers offered simulated wire wheel covers for a look of luxury that featured crisscrossing spokes designed to look like the real wire wheels that were used on vehicles in the 1920s and 1930s. [6] These "spinner-wheel covers" were available on standard as well as featured on custom cars, and lowriders quickly adapted them for their vehicles. [7]

During the early-1960s, the simulated wire wheel covers returned, but with a new look designed to emphasize sportiness with their radiating spokes and center "spinner caps." [6] [8] These classic center spinner caps feature a rigidly mounted propeller-like center element, usually with two or three projecting "blades." [9] They were intended to simulate the knock-off hubs that were used on vintage racing vehicles and classic sports cars where a hammer or special wrench was used on the spinner to release or tighten the wheel to the hub. [10]

These spinner hubcaps were most often an optional appearance upgrade to the standard equipment hubcaps or full wheel covers that attached to stamped steel wheels. [11] Top trim models sometimes included spinner wheel covers as standard equipment to appeal to youthful customers. [12]

In the late 1960s, U.S. Federal safety standards banned the use of protruding bar spinners on automobiles. [4]

Other uses

Dodge four-bladed "spinner" wheel cover 1956 Dodge La Femme fenderF.jpg
Dodge four-bladed "spinner" wheel cover

The mid-1950s Dodge four-bladed "spinner" wheel covers became an icon for the era and also became an item popular to owners to customize their cars. [13] [14]

Spinners were an add-on accessory marketed during the 1950s to decorate regular wheel covers for a custom look. [15] Center spinner hubcaps were also available as original equipment from automakers. [16]

Custom wheels for lowriders also used naked ladies on wheel covers, and these were the first to feature a floating or spinner-type wheel device. A bracket was used to mount to the spindle, so while the lady stood still the wheel spun around. [17] Similarly, the Rolls-Royce Phantom has anti-spinners – the "RR" logo in the center of the hub is mounted on a spinner or gyroscopic mechanism with an offset weight designed to ensure that the logo is always the right way up when the car is parked. [18]

The hubometers used on large trucks, buses, and trailers that appear to be stationary while the wheel is turning to accurately measure the actual distance covered. They are enclosed and float in a liquid with anti-freeze to be functional in severe low temperatures without freezing.

Modern concept

Rotating spinner wheel Spinner rim.jpg
Rotating spinner wheel

The modern spinner device is a decorative kinetic attachment to the wheel of an automobile. [19] The spinner covers the center of a car's wheel and is designed to independently rotate by using one or more roller bearings to isolate the spinner from the wheel, enabling it to turn while the wheel is at rest. [19]

Legislative bills were proposed in several US states to ban spinner-type wheels and hubcaps that simulate movement even when a vehicle is stopped because they could be disconcerting to other motorists and present a safety hazard. [20] [21]

Spinners were popular during the early-2000s within the hip-hop community of the United States. Since the mid-2000s, they are gradually fading out of vogue in popular culture. [22] [23]

Music

The spinner-type automobile hubcaps were the inspiration for a Detroit-area R&B/soul group, The Domingoes, to rename themselves The Spinners in the late 1950s. [24] [25]

In 1960, Pat Davis recorded the song "Spinner Hub Caps". [26]

In 2003, as spinning rims were in the height of their popularity in hip-hop culture, Three 6 Mafia released the song "Ridin' Spinners". The song title refers to driving while having spinning rims installed on the car. In the first line of the song, DJ Paul urges all the "players out there ridin' spinners" to "stop, and let 'em keep spinnin' baby", and the chorus repeatedly proclaims that the spinners "don't stop". [27] The song was on the album Da Unbreakables, which was certified gold by the RIAA. [28]

"Weird Al" Yankovic's 2006 song White & Nerdy contains the lines "My rims never spin to the contrary / You'll find that they're quite stationary" [29]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wheel</span> Circular component rotating on an axle

A wheel is a rotating component that is intended to turn on an axle bearing. The wheel is one of the key components of the wheel and axle which is one of the six simple machines. Wheels, in conjunction with axles, allow heavy objects to be moved easily facilitating movement or transportation while supporting a load, or performing labor in machines. Wheels are also used for other purposes, such as a ship's wheel, steering wheel, potter's wheel, and flywheel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lowrider</span> Customized car with a lowered body

A lowrider or low rider is a customized car with a lowered body that emerged among Mexican American youth in the 1940s. Lowrider also refers to the driver of the car and their participation in lowrider car clubs, which remain a part of Chicano culture and have since expanded internationally. These customized vehicles are also artworks, generally being painted with intricate, colorful designs, unique aesthetic features, and rolling on wire-spoke wheels with whitewall tires.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hubcap</span> Decorative disk on an automobile wheel that covers at least a central portion of the wheel

A hubcap or hub cap is a decorative disk on an automobile wheel that covers at minimum the central portion of the wheel, called the hub. An automobile hubcap is used to cover the wheel hub and the wheel fasteners to reduce the accumulation of dirt and moisture. It also has the function of decorating the car.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steering wheel</span> Type of steering control in vehicles and vessels (ships and boats)

A steering wheel is a type of steering control in vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Custom wheel</span>

The term custom wheel refers to the wheels of a vehicle which have either been modified from the vehicle manufacturer's standard or have replaced the manufacturer's standard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitewall tire</span> Tire with white sidewall

Whitewall tires or white sidewall (WSW) tires are tires having a stripe or entire sidewall of white rubber. These tires were most commonly used from the early 1900s to around the mid 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Custom car</span> Passenger vehicle that has been substantially altered in its appearance

A custom car is a passenger vehicle that has been altered to improve its performance, change its aesthetics, or combine both. Some automotive enthusiasts in the United States want to push "styling and performance a step beyond the showroom floor - to truly craft an automobile of one's own." A custom car in British usage, according to Collins English Dictionary, is built to the buyer's own specifications.

A pimpmobile is a large luxury vehicle, usually a 1960s, 1970s or 1980s-model Lincoln, Cadillac, Buick or Chrysler vehicle, that has been customized in a garish, extravagant and kitsch or campy style. The style is largely an American phenomenon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rim (wheel)</span> Outer part of a wheel on which the tire is mounted

The rim is the "outer edge of a wheel, holding the tire". It makes up the outer circular design of the wheel on which the inside edge of the tire is mounted on vehicles such as automobiles. For example, on a bicycle wheel the rim is a large hoop attached to the outer ends of the spokes of the wheel that holds the tire and tube. In cross-section, the rim is deep in the center and shallow at the outer edges, thus forming a "U" shape that supports the bead of the tire casing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rostyle wheel</span> Design of automobile wheels

Rostyle wheels are a design of automobile wheels of American origin but made under licence by the British firm of Rubery Owen – hence RO-Style – The Rostyle wheel was especially popular during the 1960s and 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lug nut</span> Fastener, specifically a nut, used to secure a wheel on a vehicle

A lug nut or wheel nut is a fastener, specifically a nut, used to secure a wheel on a vehicle. Typically, lug nuts are found on automobiles, trucks (lorries), and other large vehicles using rubber tires.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wire wheel</span> Wheels whose rims connect to their hubs by wire spokes

Wire wheels, wire-spoked wheels, tension-spoked wheels, or "suspension" wheels are wheels whose rims connect to their hubs by wire spokes. Although these wires are considerably stiffer than a similar diameter wire rope, they function mechanically the same as tensioned flexible wires, keeping the rim true while supporting applied loads. The term suspension wheel should not be confused with vehicle suspension.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rudge-Whitworth</span> British bicycle, motorcycle and sports car manufacturer

Rudge Whitworth Cycles was a British bicycle, bicycle saddle, motorcycle and sports car wheel manufacturer that resulted from the merger of two bicycle manufacturers in 1894, Whitworth Cycle Co. of Birmingham, founded by Charles Henry Pugh and his two sons Charles Vernon and John, and Rudge Cycle Co. of Coventry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borrani</span>

Ruote Borrani S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of automobile and motorcycle wheels. They are known for supplying Rudge-Whitworth design centerlocking wire wheels to many Italian racing cars, sports cars and luxury cars.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to automobiles:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alloy wheel</span> Wheel made from an alloy of aluminium or magnesium

In the automotive industry, alloy wheels are wheels that are made from an alloy of aluminium or magnesium. Alloys are mixtures of a metal and other elements. They generally provide greater strength over pure metals, which are usually much softer and more ductile. Alloys of aluminium or magnesium are typically lighter for the same strength, provide better heat conduction, and often produce improved cosmetic appearance over steel wheels. Although steel, the most common material used in wheel production, is an alloy of iron and carbon, the term "alloy wheel" is usually reserved for wheels made from nonferrous alloys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hi-riser</span> Customized automobile with large wheels

Hi-risers are a type of heavily-customized automobile, typically a full-size, body-on-frame, rear-wheel drive American sedan. They are modified by significantly increasing the vehicle's ground clearance, and adding large-diameter wheels with low-profile tires. Depending on the model, year and bodystyle, cars customized in this style can be labeled "donk", "box" or "bubble". Many within the community refer to this style of car as simply a "big rim" or "big wheel" car.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Center cap</span>

A center cap, or centercap is a decorative disk on an automobile wheel that covers a central portion of the wheel. Early center caps for automobiles were small and primarily served the purpose of keeping dirt away from the spindle nut and wheel bearings of vehicles. Center caps are often found on new cars to hide the lug nuts, and/or the bearing. Center caps are a type of hubcap, the other primary type being wheel covers. Some modern center caps are retained to the wheel using spring clips, while others are retained by the wheel lugs or other threaded fasteners.

Car hydraulics are equipment installed in an automobile that allows for a dynamic adjustment in height of the vehicle. These suspension modifications are often placed in a lowrider, i.e., a vehicle modified to lower its ground clearance below that of its original design. With these modifications, the body of the car can be raised by remote control. The amount and kind of hydraulic pumps being used and the different specifications of the subject vehicle will affect the impact of such systems on the height and orientation of the vehicle. With sufficient pumps, an automobile can jump and hop upwards of six feet off the ground. Enthusiasts hold car jumping contests nationwide, which are judged on how high an automobile is able to bounce.

A centerlock wheel is a type of automobile wheel in which the wheel is fastened to the axle using a single, central nut, instead of the more common ring of 4 or 5 lug nuts or bolts.

References

  1. ↑ Howard, Keith (May 2001). "Rudge-Whitworth hub". Motor Sport. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  2. ↑ Shea, Terry (September 2012). "Rudge-Whitworth". hemmings.com. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  3. ↑ Mavrigian, Mike (2008). High Performance Fasteners & Plumbing: A Guide to Nuts, Bolts, Fuel, Brake, Oil & Coolant Lines, Hoses, Clamps, Racinghardware and Plumbing Techniques. HP Books. ISBN   9781557885234.
  4. 1 2 Browne, Ray B.; Browne, Pat, eds. (2001). The guide to United States popular culture. Bowling Green State University Popular Press. p. 416. ISBN   9780879728212.
  5. ↑ Yates, Brock (October 1991). "Detroit Iron". American Heritage. 42 (6). Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  6. 1 2 Connor, Sean (22 January 2012). "A look back at simulated wire wheel covers. Part 2: the 1960s". Newark Classic Cars Examiner. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  7. ↑ Tatum, Charles M. (2011). Lowriders in Chicano Culture: From Low to Slow to Show. ABC-CLIO. pp. 199–200. ISBN   9780313381492.
  8. ↑ Gunnell, John (2006). Standard Catalog of American Muscle Cars 1960-1972. Krause Publications. p. 10. ISBN   978-0-89689-433-4.
  9. ↑ Corcoran, Tom (1994). Mustang 1964½–1968. MBI Publishing. p. 27. ISBN   978-0-87938-630-6.
  10. ↑ Clausager, Anders Ditlev (2003). Original MGA. MBI Publishing. p. 84. ISBN   9780760314500.
  11. ↑ Cheetham, Craig (2007). Ultimate Muscle Cars. MBI Publishing. p. 74. ISBN   978-0-7603-2834-7.
  12. ↑ Glatch, Tom (2017). The Art of Mopar: Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth Muscle Cars. Motorbooks. pp. 22–28. ISBN   9780760359716.
  13. ↑ Gunnell, John (2004). Standard guide to 1950s American cars . Krause Publications. p.  94. ISBN   9780873498685. Dodge four bladed spinner wheel cover.
  14. ↑ Kustom Kemps of America: Commemorative Book. Turner Publishing. 2003. ISBN   9781563119378.
  15. ↑ Crow, Deette (2004). Rod & Custom in the 1950s. Motorbooks International. p. 209. ISBN   9780760316306.
  16. ↑ Holder, Bill; Kunz, Phil (2003). Chrysler Muscle: Detroit's Mightiest Machines. Krause Publications. p. 22. ISBN   9780873496339.
  17. ↑ Perea, Sammy J. (February 2009). "History of the Wheel: A loose look at the wheels and tires that lowriders have loved to roll on". Lowrider. Archived from the original on 26 August 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  18. ↑ Evans, Sean; Hood, Bryan (8 February 2022). "21 Fascinating Things You Didn't Know About Rolls-Royce". Robb Report. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  19. 1 2 Sobe, Ed (2009). A Field Guide to Automotive Technology. Chicago Review Press. p. 28. ISBN   9781613741719.
  20. ↑ "Spinner wheels and hubcaps face bans in several states". US: SEMA Market Snapshot. 15 June 2005. Archived from the original on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  21. ↑ Shunk, Chris (17 February 2007). "New York State moves to ban spinner wheels". Autoblog. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  22. ↑ "Choosing the Best Tires for Your Car". Smartguy.com. 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  23. ↑ "How to Select New Rims and Tires for Your Car". Auto Parts & Accessories. 19 August 2012. Archived from the original on 23 July 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  24. ↑ Marshall, Tim. "The 'One of a Kind' Sound of The Spinners". R&B Showcase News (7). Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  25. ↑ McCollum, Brian (19 March 2013). "Bobby Smith, lead singer of The Spinners, dies". USA Today. Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  26. ↑ Schmidling, Tyrone (26 April 2009). "Pat Davis "Spinner Hub Caps" 1960". Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2013– via YouTube.
  27. ↑ "Three 6 Mafia - Ridin' Spinners Lyrics". Genius.com. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  28. ↑ "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". RIAA. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  29. ↑ "White & Nerdy lyrics". lyrics.com.
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