Try spraying the undercarriage down really good with WD-40. Buy a few cans and just coat everything. The WD-40 will help to prevent rust. Also, it wouldn't be a bad idea to hit the car wash once a week. Or, you could park your good vehicle and buy a beater to use during the winter months.

 

I had a car that had Ziebart prior to my getting it. I replaced both front fenders, the doors, and the lower rear quarters, due to NO RUSTPROOFING on those parts, when I tore it apart, it was obvious they never got it sprayed all the way down, left over8" on the bottoms of the fenders uncovered. The car was about 12 years old at the time. Just goes to show that any rustproofing company can be relaxed in getting it on properly.

 

i pitty any body shop that has to work on mine, ziebart under the body and bed in the center of the frame and 1/8 inch of rhino liner on all my wheel wells and every thing on the out side off the frame.
but i still hate salt. bad part is the mountain i live on has 2 ways off 1 is a 25% grade past the ski area and the other is 19% for 2 miles, no salt ,no move, the lake area is only sand and girts to help save our 5 lakes .

 

I grew up in Buffalo, and never once saw a vehicle with chains on it until I moved to California. The only studded tires I ever saw in WNY were my own. People just don't want to deal with them, and the DOT throws down tons upon tons of salt every winter.

Part of the problem in Buffalo is that you would end up putting chains on and taking them off several times a day as you went through various snow belts of different intensity.

 

Out here, they use sand only, a liquid de-icer, and rubber edged plows to "save the roads". Slicker than snot on teflon.
In AZ around the Flagstaff area, they used cinders from the old volcanoes. It worked great, but if you follow behind another vehicle, it takes about two days for your windshield to get very pitted.

 

The only tires with chains on them around here (CT) are on people's snow blowers. The point about the hassle of taking them off and putting them on is a good one. Also, they tend to chew up the roads, especially dry pavement.

Although I'm sure it's not "good" for the environment, I haven't come across any studies or articles that have convinced me that road salt is actually doing any measurable long-term harm, either. On the list of things that can be considered environmental hazards, road salt is way, way down there. I see the problem mostly in terms of its ability to promote rust and corrosion on the motor vehicles that are using the roads.

So for me, it's really a question of balancing the pros and cons of using the stuff, and I would argue that road salt saves a lot of lives and limbs and, all things considered, the pros outweigh the cons.

Aside from snow (we got 12" on Friday BTW), we also get sleet and ice storms during the winter. Throw in the fact that, generally speaking, the snow/sleet melts by day and freezes by night, then you can imagine how lousy the roads can be around here for several days after a storm hits. I can speak from personal experience about the dangers of black ice, an absolute devil that this part of the country seems particularly conducive too.

If it's a choice between letting sheet metal rust or protecting the welfare and safety of human beings, then it's an easy call for me.

 

In Michigan they use salt like water but they have to in most cases. Last summer a county road commission got sued for "excessive use of road salt" killed hundreds of acres of blueberries becasue they had put it on so heavy that it got into the water system. They had to pay up and change what they use for salt to an environmentally friendly salt in sensitive areas. I have heard they are using a corn based and sugar beet based salt now in those areas.

 

I always had my new vehicles Ziebarted since the early 70's, until now. I always traded every 3-4 years until now. I have kept a Ziebarted 93 Explorer Limited since new(it allows me to keep my new F150 Lariat new). It now has 92,000 miles on it and has always been kept clean, including frequent undercarriage baths at the car wash. I live in NE Ohio so it has seen plenty of salt, but like I said I have kept it clean. I used to take it in to Ziebart every year for their $125 inspection, but always felt like I was throwing my money away so I stopped. I have gotten a lot of rust on bottom of doors and the rocker panels are real bad. I stopped at Ziebart and they told me you have to bring the vehicle in every year or the warrranty is void. By the way the guy talked I doubt they have ever done any warranty work. Anyway, I feel that the Ziebart actually holds in water, salt residue moisture and other road comtaminants causing more rust than vehicles without rustproofing. I will no longer use Ziebart. I have wondered how putting Rhino coating or the other brand (I cannot remember the name) on the undercarriage, inside door panels and frame etc would work. The stuff seals so tight I think it would keep moisture out. Any comments on my theory? Thanks

 

It's not that cut and dry. If people would buy studded snow tires (I imagine they're about as rare in CT as in MA), and learn how to drive in slippery conditions, then the salt wouldn't be needed as often.

It's all about mindset- if people (bosses esp.) would understand that it's safer to just stay home when the weather's bad and keep off the roads, that would prevent more accidents (and save more lives) than salt does. Where my father works, if an employee feels that the road conditions are too bad to go to work, they don't go. If they feel during the day that conditions are deteriorating, they leave early. No penalty for either.

Also, if used improperly, salt can actually make road conditions WORSE. I remember one storm where they had salted Main St. but not the street I live on. My street was a few inches of snow with some sand on top, and the driving was slick but not awful. I got to Main St., and the snow was falling faster than the salt could melt it, resulting is an extremely slippery slush, and some of the slickest driving conditions I can remember encountering.

Side note: Am I the only one who thinks that banning studded snow tires is a stupid and dangerous choice on the part of those states that do it? Goes back to Rockledge's point about saving lives vs. (in this case) damaging pavement (slightly).

 

i have my whell wells done due to stones and the salt used here seems ok so far. but the biggest job i have seen done was a buddy had a new 55 foot sport fishing boat built. the entirer builge area was rhino lined to help keep up with any oil and fuel losses

the other brand is linex

 

We don't use salt up here (thankfully), we use a mixture of mostly sand, and another chemical that I can't remember the name of. Sand is so much better to use then salt is, but learning how to drive in the snow is the best way to solve that problem.

EDIT: http://www.icbc.com/library/research...anti-icing.asp

We use magnesium, and calcium chloride, which is far less destructive to both the environment, and our vehicles. It's all in the link.

 

Wish someone would approach our state about this one. [img]images/smilies2/coolgleamA.gif[/img] Good info. thanks

 

People are lousy drivers around here even when it's dry and mild outside. You really can't expect that they're going to become good drivers once the flakes start flying.

And you are right, it isn't that cut and dry. Once the snow and sleet is gone, then what? I don't think you're suggesting that people change the studded snow tires back the regular ones once the roads are dry. So then, how many people do you know who wouldn't mind driving around on a set of noisy studded snow tires on roads that are dry a great majority of the time? What about the loss of handling and the gas mileage hit that would result from that?
That's really not an option for the majority of businesses. I don't know what your dad does for a living, but he's obviously fortunate enough to work for a company than can afford to shut down for a day without any ramifications. That just isn't the way it works for a lot of companies and industries. Schedules have to be met.

Also, just for the record, CT uses a sand and salt mix. Some people may have gotten the impression that salt is used in lieu of sand, but that's not what I meant.

 

Well said, this is exactly what I was thinking.

 

Well, me for one. My mother for another. And a significant percentage of the people in here in Maine. We put them on in the fall, and take them off in the spring. I'll gladly put up with the noise since the make even my 2wd Ranger very capable in the snow. They aren't that loud with the windows up, anyway. The gas mileage ends up as a draw for me, because without snow tires I'd need to add weight to the bed. But, even if my mileage went down, I'd use them. If all I wanted was quiet and good gas mileage, I'd drive a Honda.

You're absolutely right. I didn't mean to imply that everyone can just stay home when it snows; many people's jobs must be done. I work at an assisted living/nursing home- no way we can shut down just because of snow. But, some places could shut down that don't, in my opinion.

And, I'm not advocating that salt shouldn't be used at all, in certain icy conditions I'm in favor of it. I just think that we could get away with a lot less of it.