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Has anyone that has lived/spent time up North had any problems with rust/corrosion from the materials used on the roads during the winter? I know it will cause rust on the chassis if the paint is wore, but will it cause any type of negative effect on the motor and other working parts? Just curious as I just bought a truck that came from up north and it has some minor rust underneath. The body is in excellent condition, but it has some rust on brake lines, chassis, and other areas underneath where coating is worn. Truck seems to be in good working condition, but I wish I knew more about the effects of the slag, rock salt, or what ever else they may use to de-ice the roads up there.

the rock salt eats the piss out of them. it is set in and no way to get rid of but you gonna have probs with it for sure. i see them everyday in the car business and they are usually a pain in the ass!!!

What kind of problems are you referring to?

outlaw josey wales wrote:the rock salt eats the piss out of them. it is set in and no way to get rid of but you gonna have probs with it for sure. i see them everyday in the car business and they are usually a pain in the !@#!!!

I agree, rust will eat through the breaklines, the frame, gas tanks you name it if it is metal it will mess it up.

How far "up north"? How many times does the area see snow/salt applied? It varies, I see trucks every day 10+ years old with no visible rust. All depends on how often the vehicle gets washed in the winter.

Not sure, the truck came from a dealer in Kentucky but a business card in the glove box indicates the truck was originally sold new in Ohio. There is some slight visible rust damage underneath, I dont think it is enough to worry about or I would have not bought it. I had a mechanic friend look at it before I bought it, and he said that he would not worry about it since it is a newer vehicle. he said he would be fearful of something older, thus being exposed to the elements longer. I was just curious if anyone knew of any long term effects that may cause me trouble later. I dont know, but I dont think that the highway department in any state would be allowed to put out a corrosive material that would destroy people's vehicles or some lawyer would be jumping on it with a class action law suit. What it the lifespan of a vehicle say in Chicago where snow falls regular in the winter and the roads are salted probably daily?

dirt roads are just as bad about eating up the finish on the frame and under the body, but the salt will sure make it rust. If you wanna good fix, buy a product called por 15, you can brush in on rusted and correded metal with minimal surface prep and it is hammer tough, and a smooth finish. and a little goes a long way!!

heres a picture of the product

gravel roads are rough on the frame coating and underbody. One thing you have to be careful of around here is getting a wore out farm truck or one that has been to the lake bottom one too many times. I am not really concerned about the integrity of the frame. I was curious if the salt would have any effects on a/c lines, wiring harnesses, brake rotors, the engine itself, etc. I may give the POR 15 a try, looks like what i need.

You ought to be alright if the truck isn't real old, the ones i see are 6-10 years old and they can be real bad. The mechanic that fixes our cars calls it cancer and I see why when he puts them on a lift.

I'm from Ohio and have only replaced brake lines once, my truck is a 99 bought it new, the salt is not that bad on vehicles.

.....ought to stay up north AT HOME!

i drove a Tahoe that was from New York. you could touch the frame and it crumbled even though they had painted with undercoating.. this was behind the rear axel and it was bad to day the least.. i didnt like puling anything behind it..

You have the same issues with cars from the coast.. Salt is a killer on cars..

Living in the Canadian prairie growing up, it was hard not to find a car that was more than 5 years old that didn't have a little rust on it. Mufflers and other exhaust partsdissapear like nobody's business. The problem is, you can't wash them when its -20 degrees. Your windows, doors, etc...will freeze shut. We had a 1984 car from new, and it was very well taken care of. Very little rust on the exterior. When we traded it in around '97, they said there was a good bit of rust in the nooks and crannies under the car. Motor mounts, suspension parts, and other parts that are exposed, but difficult to wash.

cwinkler wrote:You have the same issues with cars from the coast.. Salt is a killer on cars..

Killer? sure it is.