Wash it

   / Wash it #1  

Capricious

Platinum Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2014
Messages
692
Location
Eastern Missouri
Tractor
Mitsubishi MT160D
DETROIT (AP) If you live where salt is used to clear the roads of snow and ice, U.S. safety regulators have a message for you: Wash the underside of your car.

The message came Wednesday from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which closed a five-year investigation into rusting pipes that carry brake fluid in about 5 million older Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC pickups and SUVs, without seeking a recall...

NHTSA's finding that the GM trucks weren't defective came even though it received 3,645 complaints of brake pipe rust in the General Motors vehicles from the 1999 to 2007 model years, including 107 crash reports and 40 reports of injuries. Seventy-five percent of the complaints came from trucks in the first four model years covered by the investigation, 1999-2003, the agency said....

US ends brake-line rust probe, urges people to wash vehicles - US News
 
   / Wash it #2  
Rock salt was bad; the liquid-brine they use on the roads here now is at least an order of magnitude worse. Maybe 2.

The brine is extremely aggressive, and penetrates everywhere. Short of dunking a vehicle in a vat of 20M acid, I don't know a better way to destroy a vehicle chemically.

Some of the things it is now taking out - Caliper Piston seals - late model vehicles with leaking calipers - the seal may be intact, but the piston has already eroded enough to pass fluid. The one that really gets me - certain CV halfshafts - if there is a harmonic balancer weight (big rubber doughnut) on it, the brine will sit in the groove for that weight and eat the shaft - saw a snapped axle on a recent Acura, and a few Caravans.

I could go on with plenty of examples, but I might run out of BP meds..... :rolleyes:

It's all about money. Govt likes brine because there is no sand cleanup later, on-road or from storm sewers.

They put brine on the road, our vehicles rot out fast. They don't care about govt vehicles, as those get replaced quickly anyway. Win-win for govt as brine gets vehicles off the road faster, and drives up repair and new vehicle sales.

If you can Make Your Problem, Somebody Else's Problem, then It's Not a Problem.

What are we supposed to do, wash our cars every other day for 6 months, and get them oil-sprayed 6 times a year ? That's about what it would take to hold-off the brine.

Forget the manufacturers, it's about time a class-action was started against the govts using the brine. The escalation of financial damage to drivers is well documented.

Sand works well, and is a heck of a lot more Green than flooding the roads with saline. At 10-15 years, having to repaint the front of a vehicle, and change a windshield due to sand erosion is a lot cheaper than buying a new vehicle...... and, therein lies the "problem" that brine solves well.

Rgds, D.
 
   / Wash it #3  
We had a mid 2000's Duramax go in the drink at the launch ramp last summer putting in a boat. When they pulled it we discovered the brake line failed over the fuel tank.

Brake line failure is a well known issue with GM trucks around her from the stuff they put on the roads.


Chris
 
   / Wash it #4  
My 99 Chev PU lost its brake lines in 07. We fixed it, but replaced the truck soon after. Around here you can't wash under your vehicle most of the winter cause it's too cold. We're stuck with the oiling or similar, and that's getting old along with me.
Jim
 
   / Wash it
  • Thread Starter
#5  
"..Short of dunking a vehicle in a vat of 20M acid..."



I suppose that dunking the "salted" vehicle in acid would neutralize the alkali, preventing further corrosion...?



EDITED TO ADD: I meant that as a joke, of course, but after thinking about it for a few minutes, maybe spaying the underside
of the vehicle with a mild vinegar solution might neutralize the salt?? Many many years ago I used to work around sodium hydroxide,
A.K.A "caustic soda", A.K.A lye, and we always had a bottle of vinegar around in case we got some on us (that is no longer considered proper PPE, of course).
 
   / Wash it #6  
"..Short of dunking a vehicle in a vat of 20M acid..."



I suppose that dunking the "salted" vehicle in acid would neutralize the alkali, preventing further corrosion...?

:D

Is it a Problem, or Opportunity ?

Dunk'em Dave's Salt Neutralizer Company !

Naahh, that strong an acid would create other problems.... that was just me getting verbose about the extent of damage this saline brine creates.

Rgds, D.
 
   / Wash it #7  
I have always made it a habit to run my 04 Suburban and 03 Trailblazer through the drive through wash and get the underbody wash option.
I still have visible signs of corrosion. One problem with the underbody wash is it blast pretty hard and some of the paint on the frame gets blasted off making the problem worst.
 
   / Wash it
  • Thread Starter
#8  
Vehicle manufacturers have done a good job or preventing body panel rust, but seem to have ignored everything else.

My 1974 Plymouth Duster and 1974 I.H. Scout II both started rusting @ the rear fenders @ (3) years of age; The body of my 1986 Toyota pickup was more-or less completely gone @ (9) years.

My 02 Ford Ranger doesn't have a spot of body rust, but couple years ago the shackles and hangers at the rear of the leaf springs were rusted paper-thin and had to be replaced, but at least the frame wasn't too rusty, a real common problem with Rangers.
 
   / Wash it #9  
I have always made it a habit to run my 04 Suburban and 03 Trailblazer through the drive through wash and get the underbody wash option.
I still have visible signs of corrosion. One problem with the underbody wash is it blast pretty hard and some of the paint on the frame gets blasted off making the problem worst.


Same here, but I always woner if that's enough. How many of you guys actually get under your vehicle with a pressure washer, or do the under-belly cleaning yourselves? I would love to hear some best practices from this group. I have to admit, I don't do it as often as I should... usually just rely on the commercial car wash "under carriage wash" option, but never know if that actually does much.

Despite doing that as often as I can, I can STILL see corrosion under my Tacoma and even under my old BMW. Funny, but my old BMW was a Florida car that I purchased through CarMax, and it had ZERO corrosion when I bought it... now, there are visible signs in a few spots even with meticulous cleaning and never driving it in the snow unless absolutely necessary.
 
   / Wash it #10  
Copper Nickel line:

Cupro Nickel Brake Lines On FMSI

Pricey, but highly corrosion resistant. Softer material, so I'm told it "feels" a bit different tightening fittings down.

It's what I'll be using on my next repair.

Rgds, D.
 
 
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