# Spinning Rims - Am I the only one who thinks these things are dangerous? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 25, 2004, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-rims-am-i-the-only-one-who-thinks-these-things-are-dangerous/252236 "2004-06-25T20:58:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SanguineSpider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SanguineSpider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanguineSpider)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2004, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-rims-am-i-the-only-one-who-thinks-these-things-are-dangerous/252236/21 "2004-06-28T19:31:14Z")
No, you’re not the only one who thinks these idiotic things are dangerous. If they can fly off the tire, then that’s a safety hazard. If they can distract another driver, that’s a safety hazard. But people put other things on their cars that are distracting, what can you do? I’ve seen various paint jobs on cars/trucks/etc… that are just as distracting. Even how someone drives can be distracting and dangerous. I think until someone gets whacked by a flying spinner and sues, this puppies are here to stay. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2004, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-rims-am-i-the-only-one-who-thinks-these-things-are-dangerous/252236/22 "2004-06-28T19:45:51Z")
> [@Tower Dweller](#): > > Bippy, you have about 24 hours to patent that before somebody else on this board does. 😉 Sorry, it’s been [done](http://www.hokeyspokes.com/)! But, I must admit I have not seen them on cars. Yet. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2004, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-rims-am-i-the-only-one-who-thinks-these-things-are-dangerous/252236/23 "2004-06-28T20:00:35Z")
I don’t think they’re dangerous so much as stupid. You know, if you’re wanting to drop $1000+ to soup up your car, why not drop in a supercharger, or boost up the ignetion system. Oh, wait, because it won’t actually look any faster, it ill just be faster. Better put some more stickers on that thing. While I’m on about stupid addtions to your car, what the heck is with those big-assed spoilers on front wheel drive cars? “Now my drive wheel have less traction. That’ll make me go faster.” ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2004, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-rims-am-i-the-only-one-who-thinks-these-things-are-dangerous/252236/24 "2004-06-28T20:25:55Z")
> [@Ellen Cherry](#): > > I hate the stupid things, and I hate them even more now that I know how much money people are wasting on them. They certainly appeal to my children, who are 7 and 9. About the age level, I’d say, that’s appropriate. :rolleyes: When I read the OP I inda thought to myself… so this is like when you put baseball cards on the spokes of your bike to make that “prprprprprprprprprprprp” noise, right? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2004, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-rims-am-i-the-only-one-who-thinks-these-things-are-dangerous/252236/25 "2004-06-28T21:19:40Z")
> [@Ellen Cherry](#): > > Are they $859 to $1,199 EACH … or is that for a set of four?! Each. Amazing, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2004, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-rims-am-i-the-only-one-who-thinks-these-things-are-dangerous/252236/26 "2004-06-28T22:06:25Z")
Heh, around these parts there’s a commercial late at night for a spinning wheel RENTAL place. Yes, if you can’t afford your own spinning wheels, you can now RENT them. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2004, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-rims-am-i-the-only-one-who-thinks-these-things-are-dangerous/252236/27 "2004-06-28T22:49:41Z")
> [@Bippy the Beardless](#): > > Why not put LEDs on a normal rim, with a little computer control you could make them draw spirograph type images as you drove allong. That would be much cooler than spinning rims, and cost a lot less. Oh! Oh! I know! What put strobe lights on the wheels calibrated to the frequency that causes seizures! That would be pretty cool! ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2004, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-rims-am-i-the-only-one-who-thinks-these-things-are-dangerous/252236/28 "2004-06-28T23:03:05Z")
Don’t forget to add the special attachment that plays the sounds of horns honking and tires screeching through other cars’ sound systems! ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2004, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-rims-am-i-the-only-one-who-thinks-these-things-are-dangerous/252236/29 "2004-06-28T23:54:56Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > Heh, around these parts there’s a commercial late at night for a spinning wheel RENTAL place. Yes, if you can’t afford your own spinning wheels, you can now RENT them. :rolleyes: I drive past one such place in St. Pete a couple of times per week. Hard to believe, but there it is. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-rims-am-i-the-only-one-who-thinks-these-things-are-dangerous/252236/30 "2004-06-29T00:05:51Z")
Personally, I think they’re stupid. There’s something a lot more dangerous out there, though- American cars whose designers were too freaking lazy to make the brakelights (STOP SPELLING IT “BREAKS”, people!) and the turn signals different colors. “But **Really**!” You cry, “The rear end looks better that way!” If your car is ugly, two-color light clusters are not going to help. There’s a reason signals have been orange since the dawn of motoring (or at least signalling)- so that you know they aren’t brakelights. “But they flash at regular intervals! That’s how you know!” Yes, like your brakes, if you tap them repeatedly. If you’re off to my right, I probably can’t see your offside brakelight. If you tap the brakes, it looks like you’re signalling. Go out and buy a new car at once. One into whose design more than four minutes of actual thought were pumped. ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-rims-am-i-the-only-one-who-thinks-these-things-are-dangerous/252236/31 "2004-06-29T00:16:47Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > Heh, around these parts there’s a commercial late at night for a spinning wheel RENTAL place. Yes, if you can’t afford your own spinning wheels, you can now RENT them. :rolleyes: Actually, those are generally rent-to-own places. Some poor guy who can’t get credit to buy his dubs goes in and rents these things for $1-200 a month and after a year, they’re his. He just pays about 150%-200% more for them. Maus: Spoilers aren’t for making your car go faster anyway, they’re for keeping the rear tires on the ground when you are going fast. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-rims-am-i-the-only-one-who-thinks-these-things-are-dangerous/252236/32 "2004-06-29T00:19:18Z")
But **Really** Americans never use their turn signals anyway, so if you see anything flashing it can only mean they are tapping on the brakes 😉 ---
**Author:** ![da\_pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ba0ec/32.png) [@da\_pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/da_pope)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-rims-am-i-the-only-one-who-thinks-these-things-are-dangerous/252236/33 "2004-06-29T00:35:39Z")
> [@Chairman Pow](#): > > Maus: Spoilers aren’t for making your car go faster anyway, they’re for keeping the rear tires on the ground when you are going fast. Which makes it all the more pointless when the car is FRONT WHEEL DRIVE. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-rims-am-i-the-only-one-who-thinks-these-things-are-dangerous/252236/34 "2004-06-29T00:39:04Z")
> [@Chairman Pow](#): > > Maus: Spoilers aren’t for making your car go faster anyway, they’re for keeping the rear tires on the ground when you are going fast. So how does this apply to a 1995 Hyundai Excel? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-rims-am-i-the-only-one-who-thinks-these-things-are-dangerous/252236/35 "2004-06-29T02:34:22Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > So how does this apply to a 1995 Hyundai Excel? > > 😃 In theory, if you’re going over 70 mph (not related in the cite, I’ve heard this number quite often in convincing those who think that spending $700 on one of these will be a good idea), the spoiler will help to keep your rear tires on the ground and give you more traction/save gas (don’t know how that works, but it’s a common argument and probably fallacious). In rural areas, I know people often just spend $20 to get some sandbags in the trunk. Cite: [http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae496.cfm](http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae496.cfm) ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-rims-am-i-the-only-one-who-thinks-these-things-are-dangerous/252236/36 "2004-06-29T03:31:02Z")
Yup, the standards of auto safety don’t mean anything anymore. Black out lights, blue head or tail lights, that stupid glow beneath your lame-ass escort, etc. But, these spinning wheels gotta go! Why are people so vain? There’s a fine line between cool and stupid. When I can define cool, I’ll let ya know! 😉 - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-rims-am-i-the-only-one-who-thinks-these-things-are-dangerous/252236/37 "2004-06-29T03:39:15Z")
I can’t find a picture, but I have seen tennis shoes w/ little mini-spinners on them. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-rims-am-i-the-only-one-who-thinks-these-things-are-dangerous/252236/38 "2004-06-29T03:43:37Z")
I haven’t noticed them being dangerous, but the spinning makes me nauseated. I know, I KNOW, that’ is weird. Some ImAX movies, and some of my son’s video games (like race car ones) do the same thing. Some sort of bizarre motion sickness caused by merely LOOKING at motion thingie. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-rims-am-i-the-only-one-who-thinks-these-things-are-dangerous/252236/39 "2004-06-29T12:21:15Z")
> [@Chairman Pow](#): > > In theory, if you’re going over 70 mph (not related in the cite, I’ve heard this number quite often in convincing those who think that spending $700 on one of these will be a good idea), the spoiler will help to keep your rear tires on the ground and give you more traction/save gas (don’t know how that works, but it’s a common argument and probably fallacious). In rural areas, I know people often just spend $20 to get some sandbags in the trunk. > > Cite: [http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae496.cfm](http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae496.cfm) Yebbut, if your drive wheels are in the front, then all that traction on the rear wheels means diddly-squat. Plus, if you’re adding all that downward force on the back of your car, then there will be a corresponding upwards force on the front of your car… where your drive wheels are. If you have rear-wheel drive, I would have to agree that a couple of sand-bags in the trunk would probably have more of an effect on traction than those stupid spoilers, but (and this is the important part) you wouldn’t look as fast. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-rims-am-i-the-only-one-who-thinks-these-things-are-dangerous/252236/40 "2004-06-29T12:46:00Z")
> [@Bippy the Beardless](#): > > Why not put LEDs on a normal rim, with a little computer control you could make them draw spirograph type images as you drove allong. That would be much cooler than spinning rims, and cost a lot less. I’m pretty sure this has been done; I’ve seen it for bicycles (you could even program it to form text as you move along). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-rims-am-i-the-only-one-who-thinks-these-things-are-dangerous/252236.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-rims-am-i-the-only-one-who-thinks-these-things-are-dangerous/252236.md?page=3)