In this edition of De Vluchtstrook we discuss a simple but effective solution from the last century to prevent damage to tires and wheels: ‘curb feelers’, as it were a kind of ‘whiskers’ at the bottom of the side of the body. Today they are still used by enthusiasts for several reasons.
Do you know that? You park along a curb and suddenly you hear a terrible scraping sound of metal on stone. When you get out, your worst suspicions are confirmed: a thick damage on the rim flange. In the 1950s they invented something for this in America, the so-called ‘curb feeler’.
At the time, the wheels were smaller than they are now, but they often had ‘white walls’, the characteristic white tires from that era. In addition, many cars then also had striking, chrome wheel covers. Those white tires and chrome hubcaps are of course quite vulnerable. When you run them along a curb, they immediately have a thick black smear or deep scratch. At the time, enough owners of a Hudson Hornet or Cadillac De Ville must have gotten out swearing and raving because they drove just a little too close to the curb when parking: ‘If only I had had those’ curb feelers ‘!’
Simple yet effective
Curb Feeler on an Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 Holiday Sedan (1958). Photo: Christian Schnoing
Actually, the solution is laughably simple. At the bottom of the side of the car, close to the wheels, a piece of steel wire with a spring in it was mounted. The ‘feeler’ protruded just a little further than the side of the car. So when you drive past a curb, you’ll hear the steel scraping off the antenna-like protuberances against it before your precious wheels are off. So the ‘curb feelers’ mean about the same to your car as whiskers to your cat.
It is not entirely known which manufacturer came up with this novelty first. The ‘feelers’ were also available in different shapes and sizes. Some owners wanted them around the car, while others only mounted them on the passenger side. After all, that is the side of the car where you have the least overview when parking.
Dutch enthusiasts
Christian’s Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 Holiday Sedan.
Anyone who thinks that the ‘curb feelers’ have long since fallen out of favor is wrong. They are still quite popular among fans of old American cars. They are mounted for various reasons. Christian Schnoing owns a 1958 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 Holiday Sedan. He has it under his car for both practical and aesthetic reasons. “Bee 50’s cars then you think of a lot … lots of chrome, a roaring v8 and a car of at least 6 meters long on it white walltires, “he says.” I think ‘curb feelers’ simply belong to cars from that period, not only because they look beautiful but also because they are a small trick. “
Christian has been twice himself white walls damaged on a curb. He was looking for a solution to prevent this in the future and after a search on the internet came up with the ‘curb feelers’. “An American like that has quite a few blind spots on the side of the car that can be difficult in certain situations,” he continues. “If you go with your ‘curb feeler’ along a sidewalk or something like that, you will hear a scraping sound because the car functions as a sound box. That is a warning that you must stop quickly or send it back. The curb feelers have already given me a several times helped with narrow spots and parking, which saved myself a new white wall. “
Marcel Roos’ Plymouth P15.
Marcel Roos, owner of a 1948 Plymouth P15, agrees. He only imported his car to the Netherlands three years ago. Unlike Christian, who has the ‘curb feelers’ all around his car, Marcel’s Plymouth only has them on either side behind the front wheels. “They’re under it because it’s cool and because it’s convenient parking in my tight garage,” he says. “You can hear it clearly when you hit something and that way you can better determine the width of your car.”
Solutions of the modern era
Although the ‘curb feeler’ seems to have fallen out of favor after the 1950s, the principle is still applied to modern cars today. After all, we are still afraid of running our precious wheels along a curb. Manufacturers came up with various solutions for this. We often see, for example, that the right wing mirror tilts down to provide a view of the dangerous curb. In addition, some cars also have parking sensors on the side that let you know with a beep if you sand too close to a wall or curb.
To take it one step further, more and more cars now also have cameras on board that give you a full view of what is happening around the car. Some systems also show you the side of the car, giving you an optimal view of the distance between your wheels and the curb. In many cases, the car will automatically park for you.
The problem of possible rim damage is far from new, but the way to prevent it has become increasingly sophisticated. However, often the simplest solutions are the most entertaining.
Thanks to Maria Pels, the Facebook group ‘KingCruise’, Marcel Roos and Christian Schnoing.