Brodie knob (aka necker or suicide knob, wheel spinner) for Mk IV Jetta?

[Woodrobin]

I'm going to be having shoulder surgery in mid November as a byproduct of the car wreck that smashed my old Taurus and led to my getting my 2003 Jetta (so it wasn't all bad ).

After the surgery, my left arm will be out of play for a while, and I was thinking about getting a brodie knob, or wheel spinner, to make driving one handed feasible. I checked, and they are legal to use in Kansas, where I live and do most of my driving. My questions are: does anyone know what types or brands are best, which ones might or might not fit the Jetta's steering wheel, and/or know of a good place to get one?

Thanks in advance for any information. Can't let a little bone drilling and cartilage stitching keep me out of my VW!

 

[jasonTDI]

I HIGHLY doubt anyone has installed one.

Just go to a tractor dealer and get one. Most should just clamp on without too much damage.

Very handy on a lawn tractor.....

 

[dieseldorf]

Robin, you best check to see if such a device is legal in your state. They aren't in most.

You might also request a letter from your doctor stating that you need it as a handicap assist device.

 

[mech644]

http://www.n-complete.com/Upload/Volume_6/2010_NComplete_CatalogVol6.pdf
page 19 of the PDF

 

[Woodrobin]

Robin, you best check to see if such a device is legal in your state. They aren't in most.

You might also request a letter from your doctor stating that you need it as a handicap assist device.

Dieseldorf,

I did check the legality. They are legal in Kansas. Thus, I wouldn't need a doctor's letter for that reason. I am going to get one, though, as the other driver's insurance is obliged to pay for necessary medical care, equipment, etc., so I would be able to claim reimbursement for it if the doctor says it is needed.

 

[Woodrobin]

Well, I bought and installed the Brodie knob a couple of days before the shoulder surgery on November 11. Thankfully, the cartilage damage wasn't extreme enough to require any bone drilling. The stitches come out Nov. 22, and I'm looking at possibly a month of physical therapy after that, rehabilitating the joint.

The knob looks good, went on easily, and worked nicely, at least in the 20-30 miles of driving I did before the surgery.

Thankfully, it came with an extra set of long screws along with the standard length, and a rubber insert for narrow wheels. With the long screws, and without the insert, it fit around the thick Jetta steering wheel with no issues.

I'm looking forward to using it, but I'm really looking forward to not needing it anymore.

 

[hanbinator]

Get well soon Woodrobbin!
I had a hard time driving after my surgery too (sliced my hand half way off underwater while diving)

I wish I had thought of this one LOL!

 

[coalminer16]

Wow, that is cool. Glade you made it out of the surgery and you found a better looking nob then a tractor one. I was going to say that would be a fix but it wouldn't look as good as the one you found. Father could relate to you only he couldn't move either arm. One side all the rotator cuffs were torn loose and the other side was bad with a broken collar bone. He had to use the broken bone side and his knee and thankfully (this time only) he had an auto (sport wagon). Doctor approved it.