With Winter Comes Rust & Corrosion | Joe & Tony's Service Inc.

The ill effects of highway treatments are very evident in the undercar area of your vehicle. Brine, road salt and calcium and magnesium chloride are all used to deice roads. What they all have in common is their harmful reaction to your vehicle's metal components. The most vulnerable part of your vehicle is the part that faces the roadway. It's here that the fuel and brake lines and various suspension parts (not to mention the frame itself) live.

So how can you combat nature's war on your vehicle's metal? According to Popular Mechanics the car makers try by treating their cars with different rust preventative chemicals but over time the protection gets blown away as your vehicle speeds down the highway. What they do think is effective is to rinse or wash your car often, including the undercarriage. Another suggestion is to identify the drain holes at the bottom of doors and the frame itself. These drains prevent water from laying in the cavity of the part and rusting it from the inside out.

So the idea is to keep the drains free of debris by using a pipe cleaner or similar object to open the holes.It is also recommended to dry out the cracks, crevices, and depressions of the steel parts of the vehicle. Sound impossible? It is, but don't feel bad because it's not unusual for the car manufacturers to resort to recalls to replace poorly designed components that retain water and fail prematurely. So the takeaway is to keep your car clean as best you can including under the vehicle.

The attached photo shows the badly rusted brake lines from a Chevy Tahoe that graced our shop recently.

Badly Rusted Brake Lines