Gritted roads

[highway star]

Now that my Z is Tax free i've been tempted to drive it on the bright sunny days we have at this time of the year but i'm worried about the problems of salt on the road.

Is salt still used and if so does it have to be washed away by rain to completely remove it?

Anyone else driving this time of the year or best to leave it a few more weeks?

 

[richiep]

There's been a lot of salt gritting around here recently - in fact saw the truck out yesterday. Personally, even if my car's engine wasn't in pieces, I wouldn't be taking it out at the moment. Not until there's been more rain to remove it.

I have driven it around in December in January before though when we've had milder weather and no gritting. Just depends on what the temps are like and when the local authority decides they absolute have to "use or lose" their gritter budget for the year...

 

[Rob Gaskin]

The gritting is a nightmare. Even in my 370Z I hate the thought of corrosion of the aluminium suspension components. I have been sprayed with grit about 5 times in it. On Saturday I saw a gritting lorry coming and pulled off the road down a track to avoid it!

If you want to know if salt is still used just look at the colour of the road - white near me.

Keep your old Z off the road for a while.

 

[highway star]

I did take it for a quick spin today as it's a beautiful day but i'll resist it from now on 'till it's cleared, but it's not easy when it rains most of the summer!
Thanks for advice.

 

[RIDDLER]

I use my car all year round as I think most people on here know. The only time I avoid taking it out is when the gritters/salt spreaders have been in action. Don't you just love the way they hurtle past your car and just blast it with a hail of grit?
Unfortunately on Friday my 260Z was booked in for a full service and MOT so I had to head out in that minor blizzard we had.
The next day I was so paranoid about the salt that had got on it that I went to one of those jet washes where you can put money in and determine what feature you use and for how long and spent about 20 minutes going over the entire car, underneath all the arches, laid on the floor doing the underside etc etc.
I have had the car dinitrol-injected into all the panels and the whole thing professionally undersealed but I still hate the thought of salt getting into its crevices.
Still, Spring will soon be here . . .

 

[andrew muir]

The roads up here are white with salt, I wouldn't take any prized car out untill they turn black, usually take around 2 - 3 rainy days, they also mix molases and urea in with the salt so it sticks to the road better so it sticks to your car better as well. It is mildly acidic so there is no way I take mine out till April.

 

[jonbills]

The roads here in Manchester seem to have mini drifts of salt & grit all over the place at the mo. Same at home in Northampton. It seems much worse than previous years.
I'm oiling the chain on my bike every couple of days to keep the rust flexible
No way my Z is coming out until the roads go black again!

 

[richiep]

Mini-drifts is a good way of describing it around Manchester/Cheshire etc. They've gone nuts with it in the last few weeks after pretty much no salting until January. Lots of rain required to sort the situation out.

Like Rob in his 370, while driving from Derby to Macclesfield in the 64-plate family SUV I actually pulled off the road and waited when I saw a gritter coming the other way. Bastages.

 

[vipergts]

It gets worse.......Not just corrosive salt but mixed with sticky stuff now...kin ell ffs

These council gritters (rhyming slang) haven't had much overtime this year so they find any excuse to get out now towards the end of the season.

I want to swear so much

 

[RIDDLER]

Sent you a private message, Highway Star.