Where do all the tires go?

So we're all driving along with our 10/32" of tire holding us to the road...one day we look down and realize we need new tires. Where did all that rubber go? Surely we'd like to think it had been vaporized in some choice burnouts, or shredded around corners. If they're all shredded, shouldn't there be a pile a foot thick of rubber 'dust' on the side of all our roads? If it was burnouts, shouldn't all our roads have a nice coat of rubber on the surface?

Where is all this rubber going?

 

The same place the socks go. A small creature called the "Fremen" takes them and uses them for their nest. I suspect the rubber is used by the Fremen as a nutritional supplement to aid in digestion.

Realistically I suspect the fine abrasion mixes with other debris and pollen on the side of the road, as well as being embedded in the asphalt.

Good question..

 

+1 -- road tire debris is more "dusty" than "sticky". The OP should also wonder why there isn't a 2 inch layer of human skin cells inside his house

 

another bit of trivia... the binder ( tar ) in roads in addition to wearing away also evaporates as it ages...( asphalt based roof shingles evaporate away as well )

 

I think I remember years ago in Road & Track, that someone wrote there are microoranisms out there that feed on it and breaks it down...

 

In places where it doesn't rain much (like Nevada), you will see tire tread marks on the pavement. Heavily trafficked areas get a dark patch over time from the accumulation of tire marks. When it rains, it mostly washes away.

And yes, if you do drive hard or spin the wheels, you will see black flecks on your fenders from hot rubber splattering on the car.

 

Have you driven thur Southern California headed to Vegas?


It is ALL RIGHT THERE roadside.


I about pooped my pants on the amount of rubber on the sides of the road. UNBELIEVEABLE.

AND ABSOLUTELY Shameful.

 

^^^ This. I read an article years ago in Omni magazine that addressed many of these questions. Being a motorhead from way back I always remembered this factoid. Lucky for us these organisms exist or we would have a lot of rubber bits lining the roads.

 

Clag.

Or, as it's called on the 'Vette forums: "tire boogers".


On the road, if you clip the apex, you can pick up some marbles.
But you also pick up all the nails, screws, and bolts dropped off construction trucks.
(An entirely different definition of "nailing the apex". )

 

I think the fremen sucked all the gas out of my hood struts too

 

Slightly off topic, but funny...

On an episode of Cheers, Cliff is trying to convince Norm that most household dust is comprised of dead skin cells. In the middle of their argument, Dr. Frasier Crane walks into the bar and Cliff asks:

Cliff: Dr. Crane. Settle an argument for us Doc. What happens to old dead skin?

Dr. Crane: Appaently it sits around on bar stools drinking beer all day.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread...