Salty roads
- Thread starter chad
- Start date
OP
Same with me. When I got mine it was for the purpose of backup vehicle/toy that I could have fun with but didn’t necessarily have to drive all the time. Now that I’ve had it awhile I’m planning on keeping it as long as possible.
I too grew up in Vermont and 100% agree. Washing your rig liquifies the salt and pushes it into the cracks, crevices and pores. I used to spray my rigs liberally with bar and chain oil in the fall, and leave them parked outside all winter so they wouldn't thaw. It helped. Always considered washing it the kiss of death. Cars used in the winter weren't a long term love affair. Our expensive family cars did come inside the garage, but rarely kept one more than three years. Know when to hold em, know when to fold em. My classics never tasted the salt. We tried the anodes, grease coating, druid chants and naked dancing while covered in yak blood during the full moon. Only thing that works sure fire is avoidance. BTW, yak blood is not good lubricant for the follow-up solstice orgy and did nothing positive for vehicular oxidation. Never take advice from a Vermont granola girl. Thought you might want to know, been there, done that, got the embarrassing abrasions.
From my experience a waxing gibbous moon provides optimal wavelengths for prevention. Also, elk blood has a much more desirable consistency. Try it and thank me later
I have a question related to this topic...I'm a new TJ owner and I live in Western Washington. Obviously we rarely get really heavy snow and the roads around me appear to mostly get sanded, but the county webpage does say that they use some kind of salt brine solution. I've never worried about it with my other vehicles, and have never had issues with rust, lol but since there's a wee bit of paranoia here with the TJ, what's the best way to handle keeping it up through the occasional drive on those types of roads? I've seen some say they wash it immediately and others say that washing it will make it worse. Or am I just being too concerned?
Will you get the same effect if you run over fresh roadkill?From my experience a waxing gibbous moon provides optimal wavelengths for prevention. Also, elk blood has a much more desirable consistency. Try it and thank me later
If you don't wash it, it's the same as if you do wash it. Why? Because the next time it snows they put down another layer of salt to liquify the snow and your entire undercarriage gets wet with more salt spray.
So the people here who say not to wash it are simply saying more layers of wet salt are better for the frame than less layers of wet salt. Wash the stuff off every chance you get and let it dry.
Maybe not if you've covered the underneath with something that comes off with water. Then wait until spring, wash everything off, and recoat it. But melting snow is water too.
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gg1
TJ Enthusiast
I always wash the salt off the best I can. Served me well in Pittsburgh, which honestly might be the worst place in the US for salt. Super steep hills and lots of ice. There is salt on the roads 5 months a year. I clean my frame and underside off with hot water. Think of it as diluting. Better than massive salt under there. My underside is so full of fluid film nothing can get through, but I have to still keep after it. I bought this Rubi for my winter beater, but I love it, so I am trying to preserve it. My 1996 XJ is still on the road with no issues that I sold to a friend. It has nearly 300,000 miles on it and no issues with rust that are dangerous. I just washed that underside often and it was garage kept most of its life. I hear a lot of odd comments on this topic. A dry garage is a good thing and keeping your car clean top to bottom is also good. Oil of Fluid Film is good and don't be shy how much you use. Mine is covered to the point of dripping. It stinks, but I love my TJ. It is clean, dry and oiled well right now. Smoked like crazy when I first drove it after that massive coating. Hilarious.
Lots of counties use brine over there and the closer you get to the mountain passes you'll find they use magnesium chloride, which isn't as caustic to metal but it is thicker and it is harder to wash off of both the road and your vehicle.
"Liquid Chemicals
Over the past few years, the Department has used liquid anti-icing chemicals in its snow and ice control program. Liquid chemicals such as magnesium chloride are used prior to storm events to keep snow from bonding to the roadway, as a de-icing chemical to melt snow and ice after it has fallen, and as a pre-wetting agent to help keep sand from blowing off the roadway. A disadvantage of these liquid chemicals is the possibility of corrosion on some metals. Although less corrosive than salt, magnesium chloride, like any snow melting chemical, can corrode some metals if left on vehicles for extended periods."
https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Regions/Eastern/Winter/
Greenmachine
TJ Enthusiast
My TJ isn’t a daily driver (anymore), so as sad as it is to put it away every winter, I’d be more sad to see any rust on it.
When it was still a daily I’d go to the car wash every dry day I could. I can’t wash it myself in the driveway when it’s as cold as it gets here, (which is cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey).
Can’t wait to winter is over...and it hasn’t even started yet.
When it was still a daily I’d go to the car wash every dry day I could. I can’t wash it myself in the driveway when it’s as cold as it gets here, (which is cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey).
Can’t wait to winter is over...and it hasn’t even started yet.
i'm the same (Ohio). she's outside under a loose cover until spring, i'll crank her up every wkend for 15-20m and then back to sleep. they use brine here now and it's more corrosive than the old rock salt was.
Actually we get some rusty Jeeps here also, coastal areas and there always that guy at the beach running his Jeep through the surf