2010/11 winter road salt extra corrosive?

[Idratherbsidewayz]

I don't know what they started to put in it, but this year the corrosion from the roads has been extra bad.

My dad's truck slider's corroded after only 2 months on the road. His fairly new winch also looks in pretty rough shape.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa206/Idratherbsidewayz/IMG00135-20110408-1533.jpg

The subframe in the front of my WRX looks pretty bad and I'll have to repaint it for sure. Also there is a very fine dust in the garage that was never present before (I'm assuming this is the cause of all corrosion).

It pisses me off that we can't just educate drivers on how to drive in the winter and force them to buy good snow tires. The City could supplement this with sanding and plowing. This year, it was always slushy/sketchy because of the extreme salting. I don't want Alberta turning into another Ontario when it comes to rusting the shit out of cars.

Is there any way to petition Calgary to go back to the old salt that didn't seem to do as much damage?

[Idratherbsidewayz]

The culprit is Calcium Chloride that they've started using more of:

http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/news-views/news/calary-de-icing-roads-with-suspect-salt-solution-5249/

http://www.calgary.ca/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_0_395_203_0_47/http%3B/content.calgary.ca/CCA/City+Hall/Business+Units/Roads/Road+Maintenance/Snow+and+ice+control/Interim+Policy+FAQs.htm

Fucking horseshit:


The solution used for anti-icing is usually 25 to 30 percent calcium chloride. Calcium chloride is a naturally occurring compound. Its application benefits the environment by reducing the amount of road salt and sanding material required on city streets.

Naturally occurring compound? WTF does that have to do with anything, it's still horrendously corrosive. The city is saving money and people's already depreciating assets are paying for it.

[slinkie]

Good post, I was wondering this my self -_-

[Tik-Tok]

Since the snow was especially bad this year, they also used shitloads more than in previous years. Usually we have chinooks and long periods of snow-free streets. Not so much this winter.

[beyond_ban]

^ Exactly this. The grime just built up over the entire winter creating the biggest mess i've ever seen in Calgary.

[heavyD]

On the plus side the city did use more sand in their gravel mixture this year (works better and is easier on your car) but yeah there is tonnes of crap on city streets this spring and the city as usual is dragging it's ass cleaning them. I realize that it takes longer to clean the streets than to spread gravel but they can cover the entire city in gravel in one day but it takes four months to clean the city streets. My area doesn't even get swept until mid June so that means only four months of the year with clean local streets.:banghead:

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by heavyD
. My area doesn't even get swept until mid June so that means only four months of the year with clean local streets.:banghead:

According the to the City of Calgary site, my community is being cleaned the week of April 25th, lol... don't think that's happening.

http://www.calgary.ca/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_0_766_233_0_43/http%3B/content.calgary.ca/CCA/City+Hall/Business+Units/Roads/Road+Maintenance/Spring+Clean+up+street+cleaning/Sweeping+Schedule.htm

[Idratherbsidewayz]

Would it really be that bad if they stopped using salt completely, and just sanded roads? Mandatory studded winter tires?

[94boosted]

:werd:

I put a new suspension on my car at the end of last summer and when I was under there last week I noticed that the springs are rusted to shit (hardly any paint left) and the sway bar is starting to rust too :banghead:

[g-m]

june 20 goddamnit always last and always late. July it is I guess.

[Supa Dexta]

Yeah and you can also find a car out in the woods thats been sitting there for 40 years and the chrome is still shiny and hard..

But the chrome on a new truck is pitted within a year or 2..

chemicals + junk metal = garbage

Not to mention half the 'chrome' is just plastic these days.

[kbye]

Fucking balls. I inspected the underbody of my TL when I swapped to summers today. The control arms, sway bar, subframe and rear calipers are brown as shit. i'm gonna have to sandblast and repaint them.

i wonder how we compare to ontario roads now... they're notorious for their salt.

[btimbit]

Underside of my car looks like absolute shit! Getting a winter beater next year

[BensonTT]

Would it help washing your car 2 - 3 times a week during the winter time?

[SilverStreak]

Is there anything we can do to make the city stop using this stuff? At this rate, you'll need disposable cars.

[Zero102]

I don't know if they changed the mixture this winter but I do know our new mayor implemented a new road clearing strategy. My guess is that it also involves application of significantly more de-icing chemicals.

[Phenix]

And this shit they use on the roads doesn't make it any safer. the roads are actually more slippery even with brand new winter tires.

The city is fucking stupid for using this shit!

[Zhariak]

My Escalade looks ruff as shit after this last winter... I bought it new in 08, and never had any issues with winter...

Until this winter...

Now my 22inch rims are rusting to shit (the inner chrome has exploded on one, and on the others is peeling slowly)...

The underbody of my vehicle looks absolutely horrible (before this winter it was fine).

I wash my vehicle once every 2-3 days in the summer, and atleast once a week in the winter...

On top of all this, Calcium Chloride pisses me off. I slip and slide around more on Calcium Chloride on my low profiles, then I would if they didn't use it at all...

ANGERZZZZ

PS (done via edit): For some reason my paint has even been peeling last couple weeks.

[heavyD]

Originally posted by Zero102
I don't know if they changed the mixture this winter but I do know our new mayor implemented a new road clearing strategy. My guess is that it also involves application of significantly more de-icing chemicals.

Remember the big 2009 early December snow fall? That was the one that set Calgarians in a big cryfest about road clearing and caused the city to up the budget. Granted they did plow a lot more this winter which is good they also spread much more gravel and chemicals which IMO are unnecessary.

[Idratherbsidewayz]

I'm in talks with the city about starting a petition. Just need to gather more information.

So far, according to the Municipal Government Act, you need 10% of a municipality's population to sign for a change to be made. 100,000 signatures would be kind of ridiculous. Trying to find someone with petition experience to get a realistic number. Been transferred a million times around the City.

[heavyD]

Originally posted by Idratherbsidewayz
I'm in talks with the city about starting a petition. Just need to gather more information.

So far, according to the Municipal Government Act, you need 10% of a municipality's population to sign for a change to be made. 100,000 signatures would be kind of ridiculous. Trying to find someone with petition experience to get a realistic number. Been transferred a million times around the City.

Cool. I would sign. You may be able to get 100,000 if it was promoted with environmental consequences of the chemicals. You still see the white stuff in the water on the streets like soap residue when it rains as it seems to stick around almost all year.

[Tik-Tok]

I would sign, and my wife would sign. Sadly I know quite a few people who wouldn't because

A) They lease vehicles, so don't give a shit about sheet metal longevity
B) Think they can drive faster with this crap all over the roads.

[SilverStreak]

Would more frequent car washes in the winter help mitigate the effects of this calcium chloride brine?

Essentially, our cars are becoming 'Eastern' cars now :(

[slinkie]

Originally posted by BensonTT
Would it help washing your car 2 - 3 times a week during the winter time?


Originally posted by SilverStreak
Would more frequent car washes in the winter help mitigate the effects of this calcium chloride brine?

Essentially, our cars are becoming 'Eastern' cars now :(

From personal experience NO :( This is on a daily-driven car. It spent two months of our winter in Vancouver as well, maybe the constant wet aggravated it

[Cooked Rice]

Washing in winter only slightly helps when you do it after warmer slushy days, and the days following are very cold. Issue is that the calcium chloride keeps the roads wet nearly all year round, so it gets kicked up no matter how cold it gets. Washing doesn't do much.

But yeah, never really had such a rough winter on my SUVs finish like this year. There are bits of rusted metallic particles stuck to my paint all over the vehicle. I'm gonna be spending all weekend claying and cleaning the paint job. My lower radiator support looks like it's sat at the bottom of the ocean for the last 5 years. My 4Runner is a 2003 with only 78,000KMs and it's spent half it's life in Red Deer where they use no salt.

[SilverStreak]

I'd say tell your Alderman, tell your friends, tell anyone who would care about this.

Calcium Chloride is some bad stuff, it will even wear down your concrete garage floor.

I find they able just to sneak this pass everyone in Calgary without a peep.

[Maxx Mazda]

I got fed up with the corrosion over winter, so I just threw in the towel and bought a winter beater so I don't have to expose my summer ride to anything of the sort. 7 years later, the undercarriage still shines!

[SilverStreak]

http://www.a-sp.org/database/custom/cprotection/CorrosionProtection.pdf

a link to everything you would want to know about corrosion and prevention.

I think the best way to raise awareness is contact your local Alderman and question the use of calcium chloride.
This would be a start.

[btimbit]

June 28th to clean my streets..... Seriously?

I'd sign. I have to re-paint four panels on my car after this year. The car was fine for 8 other winters, and this one made a mess of it.

[J-hop]

Originally posted by btimbit
June 28th to clean my streets..... Seriously?

I'd sign. I have to re-paint four panels on my car after this year. The car was fine for 8 other winters, and this one made a mess of it.

blame it on people that are too stupid to buy decent winter tires/slow down for the conditions and then blame the city for their stupidity.

Due to the complaints of these individuals, the city had to lay down twice the amount of gravel and leave it down longer due to the late start to spring.

I think they are estimating it won't be until august that they complete cleaning.

[SilverStreak]

Why even bother cleaning it up, it will snow a month after it is all done. This city and its new mayor is a joke. I hope the city's car fleet, and bridges rust to hell!

Can some of you post pics of your accelerated corrosion due to last winter??

[btimbit]

Originally posted by SilverStreak
Why even bother cleaning it up, it will snow a month after it is all done. This city and its new mayor is a joke. I hope the city's car fleet, and bridges rust to hell!

Can some of you post pics of your accelerated corrosion due to last winter??

Sure. I have some pictures of my car from just last August, and I'll get some of how it is now.

Edit; I'll have to wait until my girlfriend gets here with her camera, tried with blackberry and the quality was extremely poor.