Static Earth Strap.

[Bahco]

I posted on here last week about static electric probs and was advised that to put an earth strap on my car.

How long do these things last as I presume that driving along with it dragging on the road will wear it out rather quickly?

 

[JohnD]

mine blows away from the road when it motion so does not wear away.

 

[Pensdown]

Is it working?

 

[xerxes]

Carbon black used in tyre composition has some electrical conductivity (depending on the concentration used in the compound). Thus the tyres give far more connection to the ground than an earthing strap can provide (even when it contacts the road surface).

The static shock you experience when getting out of the car is produced from static generated as you slide the fabric of your trousers (or whatever) across the seat. Straps fitted to the car won't help discharge that. The best way to deal with it is to open and close the door with your elbow.

 

[Click-Sure]

BS951 clamps and a very long fly-lead...

Static shocks - unpleasent but get used to it.

 

[JohnD]

despite the antistatic strap, the method I use is to grasp a metal part of the car doorframe before I touch my feet to the ground, and hold it until I am standing outside the car.

 

[TicklyT]

An anti-static 'earth strap' doesn't have to touch the ground to be effective.

The nature of static charges is they tend to be concentrated at any 'pointy bits' sticking out of the charged bodywork. The finer the point, and the closer the point comes to an uncharged body (earth), the more the charge is concentrated at the point.

The concentrated charge can then overcome the resistance of the air around it, and leak away harmlessly before building up far enough to cause a spark to jump across the gap.

I once had problems with static build up in a car body that I solved by tieing a single strand of wire stripped from an old bit of mains flex around the spare wheel carrier so it could hang down within a couple of inches of the ground.

This simple, low cost expedient almost lasted the life of the car. It probably would have lasted longer, but I lost the bit of wire when I changed a tyre one day.