Protection Against SALT

Likarok · December 2, 2019

On 11/13/2019 at 5:22 PM, AlaskaErik said:

Best protection against salt is to move to Arizona.

I took your advice. Here til March.

L86 All Terrain · December 2, 2019

I am in Ontario Canada where they use magnesium chloride "salt" that eats your vehicle. You are lucky to get 8 years out of a modern truck here before it has to be scrapped for corroded frames or cabs. The new thin steel box design frame coupled with the inadequate NOX rust wax coating is not enough to protect them, and you can no longer get in there to wire wheel/paint your frame, there is nothing you can do but rust check it religiously. Very few GM trucks are going down for powertrain issues here now, its all corrosion issues as they age. When the motors went out of our '94 Silverados in the mid 2000's, we would just go to the junkyard and get a new motor. Now we are pulling the LS motors and trans out and hauling the rolling chassis down to the scrap yard because the trucks are shot long before the powertrain.

The way I keep my personal truck clean is to park it in the winter time and drive my work wagons. There is no other way to stop it. So my 6.2L has been in hibernation for about 3 weeks now and I daily my 2500 until May after the first 2-3 rains that wash all that MgCl2 dust into the ditch.

Edited December 2, 2019 by L86 All Terrain

MacLaren · December 2, 2019

3 minutes ago, L86 All Terrain said:

I am in Ontario Canada where they use magnesium chloride "salt" that eats your vehicle. You are lucky to get 8 years out of a modern truck here before it has to be scrapped for corroded frames or cabs. The new thin steel box design frame coupled with the inadequate NOX rust wax coating is not enough to protect them, and you can no longer get in there to wire wheel/paint your frame, there is nothing you can do but rust check it religiously. Very few GM trucks are going down for powertrain issues here now, its all corrosion issues as they age. When the motors went out of our '94 Silverados in the mid 2000's, we would just go to the junkyard and get a new motor. Now we are pulling the LS motors and trans out and hauling the rolling chassis down to the scrap yard because the trucks are shot long before the powertrain.

The way I keep my personal truck clean is to park it in the winter time and drive my work wagons. There is no other way to stop it. So my 6.2L has been in hibernation for about 3 weeks now and I daily my 2500 until May after the first 2-3 rains that was all that MgCl2 dust has all been washed into the ditch.

I hear ya man. I really do.

I know quite a few people that do the same.

It's a shame to have to park it.

But, like you say, nothing less ya can do.

L86 All Terrain · December 2, 2019

2 minutes ago, MacLaren said:

I hear ya man. I really do.

I know quite a few people that do the same.

It's a shame to have to park it.

But, like you say, nothing less ya can do.

It wouldn't be bad if our government offered a tax rebate for corrosion based on the MSRP of your vehicle and miles driven, but we know the faster they rot out, the sooner you need another one and the gov't gets their next $8,500 tax cheque. The more vehicles that are sold, the higher the msrp, the more money they make. Are there alternatives to MgCl2, of course there are, but they don't eat your vehicle fast enough now that they are used to the increased income made off of their actions.

You can prevent it but it will never stay factory fresh if you winter drive. Just plan to spend a few weekends per year on just undercarriage maintenance if you're a DIY guy. Lots of good advise in this thread, good luck with the battle ahead. Keep on it steady, its a nightmare when you start to have to sand off rust because you let it go too long (like 7 days after bare metal is exposed).

AlaskaErik · December 3, 2019

8 hours ago, Likarok said:

I took your advice. Here til March.

I don't blame you. I drove through Airdrie toward the end of October and it was absolutely miserable weatherwise.

Thomcat · December 3, 2019

Everyone is so concerned about salt corrosion......maybe we should be more worried (or happy) about the new steel formulation.

A primary source of the '19s 400 lb loss diet included a change to a thinner gauge higher strength steel in the frame. Anybody owning early late 70s era Japanese Hondas in Rust Belt States remembers how the frames and front fenders rotted out before the paint dulled. Seems in Japan they do not have road salt problems so they used thinner high strength steel to reduce weight for better mileage.....once imported and used on US Winter roads they outrusted 60s era US cars. Honda even had a recall and replaced the front fenders but frames soon began to disintegrate to the point of dropping transmissions when the mounts rotted out.

Let's hope that GM is using the proper percentages of elements C, Ni, Mg, S in their iron formulation to not only increase strength, but inhibit rust. It can be done using a formulation gaining use on many modern highway unpainted steel overpasses. The formulation creates not only high strength but when exposed to the elements it forms a sacrificial protective layer of surface rust, something like the green patina on copper, may look like hell but prevents further corrosion.

Guess we'll find out in a few years

pickmeup · December 3, 2019

guarantee if the steel cost a nickel more a lb. we don't have it .

19Sierra · December 4, 2019

10 hours ago, Thomcat said:

Everyone is so concerned about salt corrosion......maybe we should be more worried (or happy) about the new steel formulation.

A primary source of the '19s 400 lb loss diet included a change to a thinner gauge higher strength steel in the frame. Anybody owning early late 70s era Japanese Hondas in Rust Belt States remembers how the frames and front fenders rotted out before the paint dulled. Seems in Japan they do not have road salt problems so they used thinner high strength steel to reduce weight for better mileage.....once imported and used on US Winter roads they outrusted 60s era US cars. Honda even had a recall and replaced the front fenders but frames soon began to disintegrate to the point of dropping transmissions when the mounts rotted out.

Let's hope that GM is using the proper percentages of elements C, Ni, Mg, S in their iron formulation to not only increase strength, but inhibit rust. It can be done using a formulation gaining use on many modern highway unpainted steel overpasses. The formulation creates not only high strength but when exposed to the elements it forms a sacrificial protective layer of surface rust, something like the green patina on copper, may look like hell but prevents further corrosion.

Guess we'll find out in a few years

What your talking about is A588 weathering steel a.k.a Corten.

MacLaren · December 4, 2019

Well, I ordered 3 cans of Amsoil HD Metal Protector and, they will be here tomorrow!

That's SUPER impressive shipping!

Although, I am a preferred member and, on blacksilverado02's recommendation, got the order in before 10am

MacLaren · December 4, 2019

Well, someone dropped the ball somewhere along the line.

Just got an email from UPS apologizing for the email sent stating that I would get my shipment today. The email further states that once UPS gets the product, I will have a delivery date.

I really dont care if it takes a few days to get something, just dont tell me, hey! Your shipment will be here tomorrow and then not do it lol.

At any rate, it seems like the Amsoil preferred customer shipping is one day when the warehouse doesn't screw it up.

RaisedByWolves · December 4, 2019

On 12/2/2019 at 12:26 PM, Grumpy Bear said:

Last few years around here they spray the bridges with beet juice. Lowers the freeze point, slows corrosion and sticks to the road better and cost is about the same. Well...that's what "THEY" say.

Yeah, but the beat sauce is only a carrier for the salt/cc or whatever it’s mixed with.

I hate it with a passion.