Suicide Knob

glagen · Nov 1, 2004

All,
I stopped in at a different JD dealer over the weekend and lo and behold he had boxes of spinners on the counter. They all have the "little black tab" in the parts bag. $9.95 so I bought a green one and a black one. Once you install using the black tab, they fit perfectly over the spoke and wheel. I replaced the original one I had. Apparently, all the complaining got back to JD and they modified the original design. I also wanted to thank everyone for all the advice, links and pictures. Great thread.
Steve Z

Dave4410 · Nov 1, 2004

I tried to install mine on a spoke today and found that the machine screws supplied with the knob are not long enough. I could, however, see that with longer screws the knob would fit quite nicely on the spoke.

Gary_in_Indiana · Nov 1, 2004

That must be another improvement in the little plastic baggie I got. In mine I found two sets of machine screws so I could choose between the long and short pair. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I hadn't forgotten to take a picture but was thwarted first by darkness and then by a squirrel. Yes, that's right... a squirrel.

I went out with a big shop light to allow me to light the steering wheel only to find that a squirrel had chosen this weekend to go exploring in the transformer. Bzzzzzttt!!! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Dave4410 · Nov 2, 2004

I installed my JD suicide knob on a spoke today and found that is indeed the intended place for it and the black rubber spacer made the angle right. I also found, however, that even the longer machine screws were not long enough and had to use my own.

Rch · Nov 2, 2004

Watch out for the law of unintended consequences. My suicide knob can get hung-up in a button cuff. Also I have a farm jacket where the knob hooks into the fold at the bottom hem and inferior front/zipper opening( if the front is open )and I'm getting off the tractor. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Dave4410 · Nov 2, 2004

That reminds me of how my half-open jacket catches the backhoe sticks!

glagen · Dec 2, 2004

Whoever said it earlier in this thread is correct -- the spinners sold by the JD dealers do not fit correctly. I have mounted two of them as intended over the wheel at the spoke on an X595 and a 4310 using the black tab they now include. Although I originally thought differently, they really do not fit correctly. Also the screws that are supplied will not fit the wheels so I had to get those elsewhere. Save your money or buy the ones without a JD logo that are sold at Stillwell or Northern and clamp onto the wheels itself. I took the JD spinners back to the dealer. Next time you are in a dealership, take a look at the box these gems come in. Once you see Made in Taiwan, you will know what I mean.
Steve Z

Dave4410 · Dec 2, 2004

I'm with you. As nice as the JD one looks, I too had to supply my own longer machine screws. The knob ends up inside the steering wheel rim and is not paralell to it. It's angled in toward the hub. I will (stupidly) live with it for now because I am not ashamed to say I like the way it looks, for now. A thicker rubber spacer might fix it up properly...

Mith · Dec 3, 2004

Hi i dont suppose you could enlighten me to the name 'suicide' knob - surely there is some story attached to this /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Gary_in_Indiana · Dec 3, 2004

I bought my spinner (green with the gold Deere logo) and it came with the reversible black spacer to give two options beyond no spacer at all. In the same package I also got two each of two different length bolts.

I used the spacer turned for the highest setting off the spoke and the longer bolts and mine is fine on my 4200 HST. I just don't see what all the problems are about. Maybe I just got lucky. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif