Trucks

[penzman]

I see many trucks here in LOS that have long rubber strips hanging and rubbing on the sides of the wheels.

I vaguely remember my uncle mentioning that it was to get rid of static or something of that nature. I also noticed it sure makes the tires look shiny...

Does anyone know why they use those?

PENZMAN

[chonabot]

I heard similar Penzman.

[penzman]

Yeah but if it is for static, what would the static cause? Bad radio reception? Excruciating pain in the fillings in your mouth? Sparks and danger of an explosion?

[Bluecat]

I vaguely remember my uncle mentioning that it was to get rid of static or something of that nature. I also noticed it sure makes the tires look shiny...

How can you remove static with a non conductive material?

It is just plain useless but they probably like the shiny part,....

[mbkudu]

Something that I have noticed around Asia, especially Indonesia, is that nearly all the mud flaps on trucks sport the image of that great revolutionary,

Ernesto "Che" Guevara.

[Pink Mist]

The strips that touch the ground are actually conductive and do get rid of static electricity,so when you get out of the car or truck you dont get zapped.

Those other ones that rub on the wheels, I reckon are just a cheaper version of the brush types that clean the mud off the tyres.

[penzman]

I vaguely remember my uncle mentioning that it was to get rid of static or something of that nature. I also noticed it sure makes the tires look shiny...

How can you remove static with a non conductive material?

It is just plain useless but they probably like the shiny part,....

Mmm, I dont know... Reminds me of blowing up balloons as a kid and rubbing it through my hair and then sticking the balloon on the wall and it would just stay up there... Rubber can then hold a static charge?..but not remove it?

[Bluecat]

Mmm, I dont know... Reminds me of blowing up balloons as a kid and rubbing it through my hair and then sticking the balloon on the wall and it would just stay up there...

How long did you stay without cleaning your hair before performing that stunt?

[tuky]

The strips that touch the ground are actually conductive and do get rid of static electricity,so when you get out of the car or truck you dont get zapped.

Those other ones that rub on the wheels, I reckon are just a cheaper version of the brush types that clean the mud off the tyres.

A voice of reason.

Nothing worse than a nice zap when getting out of the car. I am in the habit of holding the steel door frame when I step out now, can't quite remember when it was I was getting so many zaps but it sure changed my behaviour.

I think it is a cheap form of getting rid of the mud too. But good question as I have asked myself the same before, then answered myself too.

There is not much better in the world than agreeing with your answer to your own question.

[penzman]

Mmm, I dont know... Reminds me of blowing up balloons as a kid and rubbing it through my hair and then sticking the balloon on the wall and it would just stay up there...

How long did you stay without cleaning your hair before performing that stunt?

It actually won't work with greasy hair

[penzman]

Something that I have noticed around Asia, especially Indonesia, is that nearly all the mud flaps on trucks sport the image of that great revolutionary,

Ernesto "Che" Guevara.

Wondering if they know who El Che eally was?

Also noticed many many mudflaps with Al Pacino's mug from the movie Scarface.

That was one ####### violent movie... seems like he's a god to some truck drivers, " Joo git out ah my wey joo vugging falang, I haf a chitload of ya baa to breeng to the wherehouse!"

[KevinN]

JEEZUS ,Member when,years ago the tanker trucks and trailors all had a shot of chain dragging and bouncing along under them?,wore out fast but when stopped did touch the ground to bleed off static,then they came up with a thick rubber with steel wires inside[like a steel belt tire] that bleeds off the static charge,

.

and someone is correct,,those strips of old inner tubes are just to make the tires look shiny and new.even if they got no tread left on the face. That way after they run over ya,the rescue guys got no dirt to clean off before they put ya in the box.

[taxexile]

they are supposed to stop the tyres from throwing out loads of spray when it rains.

[penzman]

I can now drive without wondering what those are for and sleep peacefully until the next tollbooth.

[Pink Mist]

they are supposed to stop the tyres from throwing out loads of spray when it rains.

That would actually suggest that the truckies are considering other drivers

[dr_Pat_Pong]

they are supposed to stop the tyres from throwing out loads of spray when it rains.

That would actually suggest that the truckies are considering other drivers

And that just couldn't be could it Bronco ?

[Pink Mist]

they are supposed to stop the tyres from throwing out loads of spray when it rains.

That would actually suggest that the truckies are considering other drivers

And that just couldn't be could it Bronco ?

considerate truckie, or considerate Thai driver??, both oxymoron

[taxexile]

considerate truckie, or considerate Thai driver??, both oxymoron

actually i find that truck drivers in general are far more considerate to other drivers than the average car,pick-up or bus driver.

the long distance bus drivers are surely the worst. hogging the outside lane and tailgating you about 6 inches away until you move over. truly frightening.

they remind me of that film about a tanker truck that chases a car and wont let up. you never see the truck drivers face. the truck is a menacing presence throughout the whole film.

cant remember the title though,

[Bluecat]

they remind me of that film about a tanker truck that chases a car and wont let up. you never see the truck drivers face. the truck is a menacing presence throughout the whole film.

cant remember the title though,

The Duel from Steven Spielberg.

One of his first movie, if not the first. Made 30 years ago and still one of the best thriller I have seen,...

[penzman]

they remind me of that film about a tanker truck that chases a car and wont let up. you never see the truck drivers face.

Twas a red Plymouth Valiant

[taxexile]

The Duel from Steven Spielberg.

One of his first movie, if not the first. Made 30 years ago and still one of the best thriller I have seen,...

thanks for that bluecat, ive been racking my brains for the past couple of hours trying to remember the name. yes i agree, a superb film.

plymouth valiant or chrysler valiant ?

[KevinN]

But still all in all, It had to be a Thai bus driver that they got to drive the truck,,Either that or they use it for a training film for Thai bus drivers.

I still can't believe that the rubber strips are any form of consideration for other drivers,and I was told by a transit mix driver that was hauling concrete to my house that they were to keep his tires looking new and clean.

One trip back home from CM on a bus,the driver would run as fast as the bus would go,uphill or down,tailgating everyone which we came up behind [which were plenty] then at the last second,would violently whip the wheel and shoot out to pass, when ever the brakes were applied,it was a very hard on and off til the bus had lost speed,###### near throwing you out of the seat.

We came upon a wreck at the bottom of a long hill over by NAT somewhere that involved about 6 or more truck and trailers,all were rolled numerous times or at least upside down with injured or dead all over the place with some still sticking out of their broken windshields, no police on scene and we went thru them[they were in the medial and off on the left] so fast you could hardly tell what was going on, the whole trip was either the brake or the throttle on the floor until they changed drivers at Phetsanulok, it was the terror trip of my life.

[joebuzzard]

While I'm fascinated with the rubber stripes and the Che and Serpico mudflaps, my reaction to Thailand's truck fleet is more of horror. Along Bang-Na Trad Highway I see the container rigs running with bang up trailers without lights or mudflaps. If driving, I would put some distance between myself and those flapless trucks. If in a taxi that's tailgating one of the rigs, I grit my teeth and hope it doesn't toss up any debris that will come through the windscreen and kill me.

I see the trucks getting stopped, presumably for an exhaust check. I wish more of these unsafe rigs would be taken off the road for other safety violations.

[Kringle]

To answer the question: they put the flaps and the strips on to control rocks and other debris from coming off the tires. Keeps the stuff down low. Joebuzzard got it right.

[dragonmasterzip]

While YOU not getting zapped is a nice reason, the biggest reason is a vehicle can build up static charge and when you go to refuel the vehicle you have a spark jump from the charged vehicle to the fuel nozzle right at the opening of the fuel tank, which one might imagine is rather empty.

The nice air fuel mixture. Good for the big booms so popular during Thai New Year celebrations, but not well loved by vehicle owners try to just get a bit of fuel.

[Maejo Man]

they are supposed to stop the tyres from throwing out loads of spray when it rains.

Correct Tax, and also to stop the tyres (treadless?) from throwing up grit and small stones. The same as the ones that seem to have an affinity for the widnscreen of my car! I'm on my third screen in as many years!