Driving in Snow near Calais

[mollysmiles]

I think it's just going to be one of those things that until the formulation changes we just do what we can. Washing under, and making sure you have a good mechanic who will keep an eye and check the wear on parts during visits

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by Elcarim

Now, this is the first topic about living in Maine and enduring the winters that scares me a little. I know washing the undercarriage once a week was recommended, but is that good enough? Wonder if there is any way to protect the lines from getting corroded with some kind of sealant.

I don't know if it is used all over the State. I know up here I have a Suburban that is 8 years old and the brake lines still look like new. Same thing with an old beater I drive to work that is 14 years old.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Newer GM vehicles are not affected by calcium chloride. Most older vehicles of all types are. Some newer foreign vehicles still don't have stainless brake lines. When you have a rusted brake line replaced, don't just do one line. Do them all.

Exhaust systems used to last about 3 years here. Now there are old junkers with exhaust systems like new.

[kellysmith]

The calcium spray might work well for the Department of Transportation, but I can name a handful of drawbacks, the number one reason being the number of fatalities on Maine roads during a storm. The premise that makes it work is you need traffic to "stir up" the solution when the road gets snow covered. I travel from Fort Kent to Calais for my work and when I turn onto Route 1A in Mars Hill where there is less traffic, the road becomes more treacherous. What happens is tire ruts form, and slush forms in between the ruts. Meet a big semi and have to pull over a little and hang onto your hat! I can count over a dozen fatalities in Aroostook County involving just such instances in the past 3 years. Last November we had a two inch storm. Thinking it was no big deal I headed to Calais in my car. I literally didn't think I was going to make it over some of the hills. That would never have happened back in the salt-sand days with two inches of snow. As for salt damage, I've had a $1000 brake job done on the pickup. The mechanic says it was caused by the salt spray and his brake business has increased ten-fold. I don't think mechanics all over the state got together to come up with this observation all at once if it wasn't actually happening. Between Mars Hill and Presque Isle, Route One cuts through a Christmas tree farm. Trees on both sides of the road are turning brown and dying. They are dying further back on the East side of the road (which is the direction the wind and spray blows typically.) By spray I mean ever time a vehicle goes down the road it kicks up this salt-filled spray and the wind blows it. It won't be too long before we hear stories about damage this is doing to the sides of the road. Softwood trees seem to be the most vulnerable.
The benefit of the salt spray would be the roads are bare sooner after a storm is over and if the road gets plenty of traffic it might be passable during the storm, but less traveled roads were much safer with good old salt-sand.

[Bydand]

Thank you for the explanation. The beater is a Geo, which is also a GM product so that explains it. I thought they might have been Stainless lines, but wasn't sure. As a side note, the Suburbans whole undercarriage looks like it just rolled off the assembly line.

[mollysmiles]

kelly I wondered how this would impact the plant life along the roads, and didn't expect it to be good. I know exactly the stetch of road you're talking about, and I'm sure it's not an enjoyable trip on stormy days. One of the things I wish for is that we had paved shoulders on ALL the roads here...that would help some.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

The calcium rinses off the roads on warm days and melting snow rinses it off more. Then at night the road freezes and in the morning we have black ice. It was not much of a problem when we had sand, but with no sand it is a big problem. Car dealers love calcium because they are replacing brake systems and they do more body work and alignments from people who slide off into the ditch. The state still sands some roads and those roads are safer than roads without sand, even those roads that look like bare pavement.

Buy Firestone Winterforce tires with studs. They are your best protection on today's roads. The studs make up for the lack of sand.

[Ihate the big"O"]

Originally Posted by Bydand

Don't forget, tires make a GIANT difference also. There is a reason tire companies still make a dedicated severe service snow tire. (little mountain on the side) All season tires are really only all-season if you live someplace like Miami and don't get real snow. That being said though, I have lived all over and traveled all over the US and can say beyond a shadow of a doubt, I have never seen road crews keep the roads as bare and dry during the winter as they do all over the State of Maine.

Do awd and 4wd cars need snow tires?

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by Ihate the big"O"

Do awd and 4wd cars need snow tires?

Only if you want the most control you can get. 4 wheels pulling, is just 4 wheels slipping on icy surfaces. They are better than 2 wheel drive vehicles, but when they DO (and they WILL) lose traction, it is a different way of correcting the situation than with 2 wheel drives. I have both an all-wheel drive and a 4 Wheel drive, they both get WinterForce studded tires at all 4 corners. I have them mounted on their own set of rims and just change them over myself every winter. I would rather pay a bit for good dedicated snow tires, than an insurance deductible (Which I never have had to do due to sliding off the road.)