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Old 08-08-2006, 11:22 PM
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Dieseldiehard
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Bay Area No Calif.
Posts: 4,430
Quote:
Originally Posted by autozen View Post
Eric,
That was a very thought provoking question, and you got a lot of very good answers. MB Doc was right about tires moving on the rims. This is a problem with racers. You have also reminded me of another thought provoking problem. Take any section of freeway, parkway, beltway, turnpike, or whatever you call it where you live. Millions of commuters are wearing their tires out on these roads. Shouldn't there be like piles of rubber dust lining these roads? where does it go?
Live or work near a highway and you get a dose of tire dust and (worse) brake dust everyday.
Ever look at a cabin filter from one of the newer MB's? Thats much of what you see on it.
Interesting anecdote:
They measured high concentrations of copper in a reservoir around here and called in experts to find out where it was coming from. They traced it back to the brake pads on cars that run along city streets in the area and were able to show that the friction materials in pads contain bits of copper. It turns out that is a common additive in Japanese and German car manufacturers. It all winds up back on the ground and off to who knows where when the wind blows and the rains fall.
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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!
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