mag chloride in the % used on roads will not blister your skin. in fact that was one of the selling points to cities and states- you put it on your hands and it just feels like slightly oily water so it must be safe right?

 

They started using the mag chloride in the east long before using it here in the west. My answer to the stuff was to spray a light coat of oil to the entire undercarriage, the find a real dusty road. That held up pretty good against the mag chloride. In the spring I would just use my pressure washer with hot water. My trucks had a lot less rust problems than others.

I moved west 6 years ago and they were not using it in New Mexico, now they are. It is too bad we can't sue them for damages because the know the stuff will damage vehicles and they continue in their reckless manner of using it. Maybe the REAL answer does lie in a class action suit??

I spent 28 years driving in snow, etc in the east. The accident rates were much lower, just as many if mot more 4x4 vehicles on the roads, but also a goodly amount of 2wd's, and many of them traveling at speeds much greater than the conditions warranted. I think the one thing that contributes to so many accidents here in the west is that people do not have a set of winter tires, tires designed for winter traction. I notice everyone runs what I would call high speed summer tires, tires designed for hot roads. They are not all terrain but all season, designed in particular for the average western warm climate which does not really include a lot of snow/ice, etc.

CD

 

Well, if we didn't do ANYTHING to the roads, they would HAVE to slow down, now wouldn't they? There are only so many times you'd have to be unable to stop before you'd learn your lesson.

I say park the sand and salt trucks unless traffic is near a stoppage (2-3 ft snowfall). Then let people LEARN TO DRIVE in the bad weather, LEARN PATIENCE, and if they fail to do so, have the insurance companies sort it out.

If you fail to learn your lesson, I'm sure the ins co would be happy to apply a surcharge to help you remember your stupidity.

 

?????????????????????????? who slows down to 70 MPH just cause of snow ???????????

 

I agree that just wetting your skin one time will not blister BUT my experience was that after my leather gloves were soaked night after night in the stuff while chaining/unchaining my skin DID blister. I was not the only one that experienced this the first year that they started using the mag .... ALL of the truckers that I ran with had it happen to them. It was talked all over the CB at night and we finally started using PVC, rubber, etc. gloves just for chaining. No more blisters! SO if wildlife is getting this stuff into their systems they'd better go see a vet.

 

even though there has been A LOT of negative effects on wild life and vegetation in areas of co where EXCESSIVE amounts of mag chloride have been used (effects get worse as you get closer to the roads), somehow the state has determined there is no cause/effect. mag chloride use is much like rediculous global warming measures- nothing will change until someone in charge (president, governor, mayor) has the sense to say enough is enough and let's use a little something called common sense.

 

Another central Texan here, so what is this "snow" you all speak of? LMAO

 

that is sooooo rude! had four straight days of snow here- don't want to see any more flakes unless they come from a box with a tiger that says they're grrrrreat!

 

I started to notice little rust spots here and there on my truck while washing it. Got concerned with it enough to go to the dealer and ask what was going on. After taking pictures, sending it to Chrysler about possibly repainting my truck, they said that the spots are from an outside source. Yup mag-chloride.

Not sure what I'm gonna do with that information especially now that it's winter and I have a coat of dirty snow on the truck, but come spring, I'll have to check into possibly getting it repainted or something. Granted the spots cannot be seen unless you are up close and personal with my truck,
but it's annoying washing it in the spring/summer and seeing all the spots there....

Not a fan of Mag-Chloride at all

 

Like others have said everyone wants to drive 70 MPH year round. I was out Sunday and the roads were good for maybe 40 MPH in many places yet I saw many driving 65+ MPH. I think they use a lot of Mag here in IA because most people will not buy snow tires like that had to many years ago to get any where in the winter. I still laugh because so many people think their All Season tires they buy are made for snow and ice.

 

There not ? Do i need to take them off when it snows ? i haven't noticed them hurting any of the snow i have driven them over

 

driving yesterday in heavy snow and road conditions were good for about 40 mph in 4wd. as i drove down the mountain and into town low and behold mag all over the roads and people driving 60-70 mph! people seem to think it's worth sacrificing their ride so that they never have to adjust their speed to the road conditions.

 

I am so sorry to dump a bucket of cold reality on this thread.

90% of the drivers on Denver Metro highways are in a terrible hurry to get where ever that is they are going. Telling them all to bite the bullet, slow down and buy snow tires? You will get crucified by the general public, the state DOT will not even need respond to a voice like that, all they would have to do is take a public opinion poll and we all would be in 0.0001% minority.

General public can live with road spray and car rust, that is part of "normal wear and tear". Not too many people are as passionate about their vehicles as most people on this forum. Next time on I-25, look around and think, how many of these cell-phone-talking, traffic-weaving maniacs would "take driving classes", "learn to drive in snow" and support "slow down" style as opposed to flying down MAG-wetted, but decent traction, roads?

People are very strange these days, they scare me. Seeing an executive in slacks, shirt, dress shoes and no jacket take his Pontiac up an unplowed county road after 18" of snow? I have! WHY would anyone do that?! He is probably a reasonable guy if you talked to him in a bar or something. But he would scream bloody murder if he had to buy snow tires instead of new golf clubs.

I am all pro the old style driving and all, but with SO MANY people around, it ain't gonna happen. "Slow down and plow" will bring this insanely overpopulated metro area to a grinding halt.

-P

 

Imagine yourself driving 80,000 lbs of truck at about 55mph to have the dash start throwing codes all of a sudden and then the engine just quits. Can you say goodbye power steering? The terminals to a fuse that controls the ecm and is exposed to the elements on top of the batteries corroded through and were arcing, shorting out and that's what happened to me monday afternoon on a very busy two lane highway. The truck is only two years old and I've heard it's been a problem with other company trucks.

 

thank you for posting about the reality of mag chloride. paul's post about what upscale city and suburban drivers would find as acceptable road/driving conditions is rediculous as mag was only introduced to co within the past 5 years or so and prior to that the state did not shut down for every snowfall. plowing and sanding were the norm and people driving appropriately for the conditions with properly equipped vehicles kept the city and state running fine.