CDOT Using Salt Brine on Roads!

[Bob]

Yikes! Just saw on the evening TV news that CDOT is going to use salt brine this year in addition to magnesium chloride and sand. I hope we don't get rust buckets like the Midwest and East do. I guess I'll need to do an even better job getting to the car wash and doing the undercarriage.

[TJS86TOY]

Thanks for the news. I will be undercoating everything!

[Swank1975]

Dammit. Now my aluminum body on my Range Rover Classic will rust. Oh wait. Nevermind. I do need to protect my frame though. :(

I loved that Colorado didn't destroy our cars like Ohio where I grew up.

[Swank1975]

A few things to consider:

1) Colorado's warm sun melts our snow and warms us up much faster than those states which leads to clean roads and us hitting the car wash much sooner
2) Colorado's dry air allows our roads and cars to dry much faster reducing solution time
3) Mag Chloride and Ice Slicer (brown salt) have been used in Colorado for many years and we're not all falling apart from that.

I think we'll be ok. Either way you want to wash that mag chloride off as it's really good at eating rubber/plastics.

[Swank1975]

More info on the subject.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/worse-than-salt-brine-sprayed-on-roads-will-munch-your-car-to-pieces/2015/02/22/b89294e6-b949-11e4-aa05-1ce812b3fdd2_story.html?utm_term=.33ffb70583ea

Sorry for geeking out on this. I managed the Grounds Department at DPS for 8 years and managed the snow removal for the parking lots and perimeter sidewalks. Don't even get me started on the custodians and their sidewalk work load and general inadequate # of people provided to care for 160+ schools and about 30,000,000FT² of pavement.

I've moved on from DPS not because of the job itself but due to the constant complaints and arm chair quarterbacks who all could do the job better than we did not having a clue as to how hard those guys actually work for the schools and community. There's always a handful of bad apples in every bushel but you should make a point to thank the maintenance and custodial people at your kid's school the next time you see them.

[Bob]

Good points. I forgot that the Ice Slicer has salt in it already.

Ditto on the obnoxious arm chair experts.

[Patrolman]

Just another reason to drive my winter beater car.

[Swank1975]

At DPS they used to put salt/sand mix on the walks for traction. I switched them over to ice slicer. It's 98% salt so you don't have to sweep the sand up after to avoid slip hazards, the dust doesn't contribute to air polution, and sand doesn't go into storm systems. Also slicer melts at a lower temp than rock salt.

[Bob]

Do any of these deicers have an additive to slow down corrosion of metal?

[dieseldoc]

Always wash you car's once the warm weather is back.
Mag choo eats everything. It's attracted to electrical iteams the most.
As for the salt, same thing wash wash wash....
Yet I will be under coating the jeep and reseal the frame.

[Swank1975]

Nothing to slow corrosion. Underbody wash at the car wash for sure.

[The StRanger]

When the weather warms a bit I drag my sprinkler out front and drive over it REALY slow.
It suprising how much yuck is under there...

[Swank1975]

That's a great idea to use a sprinkler.

[The StRanger]

I just use a cheap $5 unit from lowes.
If I run over it, no big deal.

[Bob]

I can see the the white powder on the roads now that they are drying out. Can't wait for temps above freezing so I can wash under the car.

[dieseldoc]

This single didgits is for the birds.
I was going to do my rear diff today, but the Iron is to dam cold....

[The StRanger]

Yup

[newracer]

My truck is covered in salt after driving up on I80 in WY yesterday.

[redneck23ms]

fort collins has been using brine as well as ice slicer for years.

[Swank1975]

"Salt" is nothing new people.

[husky390]

Just another reason to drive my winter beater car.

LOL, no doubt. I just bought my wife a 95 Mustang GT creampuff over Thanksgiving and we've had it out once. The beater SUV's have been on the road since.

[GPP33]

Do any of these deicers have an additive to slow down corrosion of metal?


Nothing to slow corrosion. Underbody wash at the car wash for sure.

according to CDOT:


CDOT says it’s a preventative measure so it’s placed on the roads before a storm hits. The brine includes three all-natural ingredients, salt, water and an anti-corrosion additive.

you should probably still wash it off though.

[ExplorerTom]

They've been using some form of "salt" here forever. Take a look at a 20 year old Colorado car and compare it to a 20 year old Ohio car (if you can still find one).

You can thank those 10% humidity days for that.