[AT] Salting roads (was Re: Trans. fluid

[Ralph Goff]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Sloane" <mikesloane at verizon.net>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 25, 2009 8:07 AM
Subject: [AT] Salting roads (was Re: Trans. fluid


The problem with "salt" (sodium chloride - NaCl) is that it doesn't work
much below about 15°F (-9°C). But it turns out that our old friend
calcium chloride (CaCl) is effective down to much lower temperatures
than common salt. So if the road department sprays some liquid CaCl on
the road *before* the precipitation, it will prevent the "black ice" and
hard pack snow from forming. Another alternative is to spray the regular
road salt with the CaCl right before spreading it, that will increase
the effectiveness of the whole process.

Mike,  that same calcium chloride is the corrosive liquid that has been used 
for years as rear tractor wheel weight. It would be a bit unusual to find a 
tractor without chloride in the rear tires up here. Its cheaper than cast 
iron but take a look at the rear rims on some of our old tractors that have 
leaked a bit over the years. I've been pretty lucky with most of mine but I 
saw a Farmall (H I think) at an auction last summer on which the rear rims 
had literally collapsed from the rust and corrosion.

Ralph in Sask.