"Bill Turner" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 9 Jan 2004 19:10:45 -0600, "John Smith"
wrote:

Ain't that a hoot? I could understand the static level changing from
asphalt
to concrete (maybe) but from old to new asphalt? By the way, the old and
new
roads were about the same smoothness if the potholes were missed.

__________________________________________________ _______

I had the same problem on a '97 Escort wagon. If you want to REALLY
experience wheel static, get one of those, because the wheel is not
grounded to the frame at all! Check it with an ohm meter and see.
Apparently they use plastic bearings; this is not a case of the mechanic
left out the grounding springs - there aren't any!

And the amount of static did indeed vary with the road surface. My
theory is that some roads are more conductive than others and will drain
away the static slightly better, although not completely in any case.

Just theory, can't prove it, but I saw it happen many, many times.

--
Bill, W6WRT


OR, the differing road surface really causes varying amounts of static, as
the OP observed. The act of a tire rolling on an asphalt surface involves a
certain amount of deformation or "squirm" of the tire body. This scrubbing
action will allow triboelectric charging; the same effect you get by rubbing
the faceplate of a plastic meter or shuffling your shoes across a carpet.
Different mating surfaces yield differing amounts of triboelectric
generation.

I have experienced static conditions, during a Wyoming snow-storm, so bad
that it blanked out broadcast AM radio in my car. So just driving through
the air can cause vehicle charging. Even if you discount the road surface
triboelectric effect, it's also quite possible that different road surfaces
might have widely varying conductivity (perhaps due to contaminates and
moisture trapped in the road surface texture).


--
Ed
WB6WSN