Fighting Road Salt?

Tom Wesenberg

Tom Wesenberg

Well-known member
Is there any chemical that can be sprayed on to neutralize the effects of road salt?
Or is a good washing the best we can do? The road salt gets into places where a good washing doesn't always get it out, and that's why I don't drive any antique cars during the salt months. I also try to drive my modern cars only when the roads are dry, but that doesn't always happen. This year we really had a warm mild winter and more road salt fell than snow.:mad:
 
I always felt that plain old water sprayed under the car would be enough for the salt. However, the new stuff that's used isn't pure salt (NaCl), and I'm not sure if it eats the metal up as bad as the old salt did.

Marc
 
i don't know of anything.. I don't drive or ride any of the old stuff on questionable roads.. Water doesn't seem to help anymore, at least around here anyway.. The 'new' STUFF they dump on the roads is about the most corrosive crap I've ever seen..
 
Problem with trying to wash off the salt (and all other deicers) is that some of the salty water settles into crevices that can't get rinsed well. So when we try to wash the salt off we actually transfer some of it to places that weren't exposed to salt in the first place. It sits there and corrodes the metal. I hate the stuff.
 
my experience is : only hot water & lots of it will remove salt . i worked for cal-trans plowing snow . we did this at the end of each shift to keep the cabs from rotting off .
no pressure needed just lots of flow .........
 
Tom, I'm in California and road salt is not used, but I had a thought... (dangerous)... I used to see commercial vehicles drive through a large square of 1/2" pipe, with sprinkler heads about two feet apart all the way around. The supports could be 3/4" pipe and connect a garden hose. Drive through it as many times as you want and the entire car will get rinsed off. Of course, you are in a cold area, thus the salt, but I just thought I would mention it. Easy to build out of PVC for the top and sides; galvanized for the bottom and supports. Just make the square big enough for your largest vehicle.
 
It would have to be some kind of emergency for me to consider taking one of these cars out in th salt. Salty roads are a lot like sand blasting, it gets everywhere and stays there. Look at my avatar, never ever been in the salt, unrestored. My '01 pickup, the cab is going to fall off the frame someday soon, I washed it twice a week since new.
 
Tom,

While I believe that azmodela's solution is the best, you might consider the FluidFilm product.

I've used this upon recommendations the last three years, once in fall and spring.

Seems to penetrate seams, stays on and is environmentally safe (wools wax).

Will not harm paint, plastic or synthetic rubbers.

Made in Canada: http://www.nlsproducts.ca/ff_e.html

But a search revealed a US product @: http://fluid-film.com/
 
Salt begins to corrode when mixed with water at temps above 36F. The ONLY way is like what was said. Lots of hot water. For me, modern or old, a raincoat and a trip to the coin wash works in the cold seasons, I use my pressure washer at home when it's warmer. I'm S.E. Mich and we know rust. The biggest secret to avoiding the rot is drainage. And the use of hot water speeds evaporation BTW.
 
Tom Wesenberg said:
Is there any chemical that can be sprayed on to neutralize the effects of road salt?
Or is a good washing the best we can do? The road salt gets into places where a good washing doesn't always get it out, and that's why I don't drive any antique cars during the salt months. I also try to drive my modern cars only when the roads are dry, but that doesn't always happen. This year we really had a warm mild winter and more road salt fell than snow.:mad:
Click to expand...

Tom,
Yes. Spray on a thin coat (or heavy coat) of undercoating. Keeps even water out!
As far as moving to a warm climate suggestion...please don't consider left coast lalalaand, as were full up:) !
 
Tom Wesenberg said:
Is there any chemical that can be sprayed on to neutralize the effects of road salt?
Or is a good washing the best we can do? The road salt gets into places where a good washing doesn't always get it out, and that's why I don't drive any antique cars during the salt months. I also try to drive my modern cars only when the roads are dry, but that doesn't always happen. This year we really had a warm mild winter and more road salt fell than snow.:mad:
Click to expand...

Yes there is GOOGLE SALTAWAY I haven't used it but it looks interesting.
 
You can't beat LPS rust preventer as a guard against rust. On the modern cars, the roll at the bottom of doors is a common place for rust to start. If you use the straw on the nozzle of the LPS can, insert it into the drain holes and spray around until it comes out the other holes. Will make a world of long term difference on a body. I usually do it about 3 times a year minimum. On the old cars, I just stay off the roads until the rain has washed them in the spring.
 
Some drive-through car washes have an underbody spray. I don't know how well they work, and you wouldn't take your "A" through one, but they might be okay for your daily driver!
 
the left coast is about to belly as we used to know it . stay away unless your rich !
 
Speaking as a chemistry teacher, I don't see how it could be technically possible to neutralize the corrosive effect of salt. Avoiding it is best way to go, then relying on a really good, no-breaks coating of paint or somesuch, then a really thorough rinse with water to dissolve, dilute, and flush it away. Using hot water if possible seems like a good idea.

I agree with gilitos' concern about washing the salt into otherwise sheltered places--really good rinsing and drying is needed.

I don't understand how there could be a 36-degree threshhold for corrosion concern. Sodium chloride's solubility is not very temperature dependent, and although water goes thru a density maximum around 36, I don't believe that there's an discontinuity in electrical conductivity, etc. that could affect corrosion.

Steve
 
JBill said:
Some drive-through car washes have an underbody spray. I don't know how well they work, and you wouldn't take your "A" through one, but they might be okay for your daily driver!
Click to expand...

I remember something from a few years back that some of the gas station drive-through types of car washes were reusing the water going into the drains. Another win for the environmentalists maybe? This recycled water may or may not be filtered but in the winter time these car washes were actually blasting with high pressure this recycled salt water up into the car bodies. So it was turning out that a car wash in the winter was the worst thing you could do for your car. Hopefully this is an old wives' tale and all car washes out there are all good for your auto.

Also years back there was an article about a school teacher that was driving his 2.6 Million Mile Plus Volvo. In one of the articles on him I believe it said that he hand washed it every day in his garage to get the acids from pollution off the paint. The body looked like new but he replaced most of the interior wear items except the engine and body.

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/26/man-with-2-6-million-mile-volvo-p1800-aims-for-3-million/
 
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