Re: Static shocks

[Psycho Bob <honge@creighton.edu>]

> The tires Honda is referring to have a silica based tread compound rather
> than Carbon, I believe they are Michelins. Because carbon is a much better
> conductor of electricity  than silica, it discharges the static charge
> faster. Apparently toll operators and drivers were getting zapped all the time.
> As for getting better tires, generally high performance tires have a lower
> percentage of carbon, so they may conduct worse. There are probably soon
> going to be high performance tires with silica based tread.(I think that
> there may be some already) They are supposedly a good rain tire.

Well, I don't know much silica is use in these days since mfrs don't tell 
in the ads. But my personal experience tend to point the OEM tires as the 
guilty party. And when I switch to decent set of tires, the problem 
dissapear.

> OEM tires aren't cheap, they are probably the best tire for your car as they
> were tuned for your car. If you want a "better" tire, that choice would
> depend how you define better. Although I agree there are some dogs out there. 
> It does seem like somehow Audi's give more shocks than other cars, BTW my
> Coupe is worse  for shocks than my 5000?

I would say the opposite. OEM aren't cheap, and they tend to be the worst 
tires around (except those truely expensive mules) -- even for the car it 
came with. The reason OEM are more expensive, from what I heard, is that 
they are made to specific design (on whim of car mfrs) -- noise and 
"safety" come in -- and tight toloerance between batches. But that does 
not mean they are good tire. Of course, if you're happy with your OEM 
tire, then there is no reason to switch. But for us who like to throw the 
car around like Fred Astair throwing his partner, OEM tires are usually 
despised.

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