Rust on screws after snow and salt

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SrC said:
Actually I did mentioned that I don't like SS fasteners as an option, having used them before. I imagine Quality can vary however. They are softer and bend more easily in high stress parts. But my biggest gripe, is that the Hex heads strip ( being softer) much more easily than even Rusted out Black Oxide variants. So I am gun shy now with SS hardware.
Again SS quality probably matters most?:unsure:
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Agreed, I usually pass on ss screws cuz they strip easily(heads). They are shiny tho🤔
 
If you stay with 12.9 grade stock fasteners (hardest metal) they usually won't strip even if rusted slightly, as long as you use quality hand hex drivers.
12.9 grade is found on all the 6s rigs.
The 4x4 rigs I believe, only come with 10.9 grade. FWIW.
Looking very closely at the stock hardware heads, and you may see the grade type stamped on them. Check what you got there.
 
rcxhub said:
Does anybody have experience about the really fast rust on all the screws after driving in snow and salt?
Maybe any liquids?

In my area is a lot of salt on the streets against the ice, so you can"t really escape it.

...and please no "don't drive there" 😛
Click to expand...
I fly quadcopters and was put onto a product called, Corrosion X, it’s a rust inhibitor and can even waterproof electronics from water by coating the PCB boards, these quads use as ESC. Try that.
 
As with most of this hobby, the answer is not black and white, its what works for you. For me, I’d have to give up on 1/3rd the year if i don’t run in snow, which is just too much so i do it ALL the time. This is just my experience and thoughts: Note, i live in a dry climate with lots of snow but no Salt or humidity.

Perspective: every time you take your car out to bash you run the risk of breaking things and adding to the money pit, snow isn’t any different. If i have to replace a bearing, pin, or screw here and there due to rust to stay in the game through winter, so be it, I’d probably sink the same money in running dry due to my driving anyway.

Snow is not water till it melts and it takes a lot of snow to make water. A car packed with snow isn’t really that threatened till the snow melts, so get it out before and you’re mostly good. If you knock out, blowout, snow early then your risk is no more than splashing through a puddle on dry day IMO.

Know your car and what’s vulnerable. Cars are mostly alum. And plastic which are fine. Obviously its metal to be aware of. Bearing, pins, screws, gears, shafts and outdrives are what to watch mostly. Even those, the risk varies. For example: For outdrives, if snow is removed before melting, car is blown with air or drives spun hard to shoot the little moisture on them off, then they will air dry fine as they are exposed. An A arm hinge pin sleeved in plastic has a harder time drying and having moisture removed = greater risk. Plastic holds moisture near the vunerable metal. This is also why bearings are so vunerable. For example: Typically hinge pins for your A arms are exposed in the middle and thus can dry easier, but when i got the EXB i learned this hard lesson: (see pic). They are completely sheathed in plastic so they rust badly cause no part of them is exposed to dry, unlike all my other cars that have most of the pin exposed and allowed to dry. Lesson learned. Perspective: $8 to replace, haven’t had an issue since now that i know to get these out and dried.

Have a routine. Mine is this: after a snow run i just know i need 10-15 minutes for: Knock all snow out, blast car with high power blower, run car “suspended” quick to spin water and snow off things. Take inside and spend a few minutes quickly taking all wheel bearings, shafts, sleeved pins etc…off the car to dry. This reallly doesn't take more than 5-10 minutes if you identify what ur after and build a routine. Take rest back outside and hit with blower one last time to shoot water off from any melted snow I didn’t get. Done. Picture below of “post snow disassembly” for me. Need about 15-20 minutes to put things back together before next run and this is just good routine maintenance anyway. You have to do this with dirt and dust on occasion too, so no big deal to me.

ECE31071-74B6-467A-8ABF-3D614DEBE653.jpeg
84F17355-E4E1-4303-B6F4-A9332A65EA33.jpeg
 
SrC said:
As stated before, I do run my Crawlers in the wet. Part of what drew me to Crawlers and all.
I usually use SS BB's at the Hubs for the most part. Going thru them more so.
What I do with brand new BB's whether Chromium or SS, is remove the rubber seals , clean out with solvent and install a Marine Grease, ( Lucas) or any is fine. They will last a bit longer in the wet. Fill them with 1/3 grease, no more. Apply grease to both sides, reinstall the rubber seals, spin them by hand to expel any excess , wipe off, then reinstall them. Time consuming, but does work. Marine Grease is generally impervious to Salt water. It is tenacious and stays put, won't separate when gotten wet.
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you must have some time on your hands you ;)
 
SrC said:
Actually I did mentioned that I don't like SS fasteners as an option, having used them before. I imagine Quality can vary however. They are softer and bend more easily in high stress parts. But my biggest gripe, is that the Hex heads strip ( being softer) much more easily than even Rusted out Black Oxide variants. So I am gun shy now with SS hardware.
Again SS quality probably matters most?:unsure:
Click to expand...
I agree. That's why I mentioned for screws that are prone to getting bent, I've gone back to black oxide. Big difference, they definitely resist bending better than stainless steel screws. I forgot to mention the hex heads stripping though. I also went back to black oxide for screws that get screwed down tight or use loc-tite.
 
rcxhub said:
Does anybody have experience about the really fast rust on all the screws after driving in snow and salt?
Maybe any liquids?

In my area is a lot of salt on the streets against the ice, so you can"t really escape it.

...and please no "don't drive there" 😛
Click to expand...
Like everyone else said. Wash your car off, then dry it, I usually leave my car close to a radiator for couple hours. The use WD-40 and a paintbrush. Apply liberally. This should be done after every run. Watch out for really low temps cause plastics get brittle at lows temps.
 
After driving in the snow I pat dry with a towel and then use a datavac to blow dry the whole rig. I then spray with wd40 and use the datavac on that too, sometimes I skip the datavac on the wd40 though. I want to get a brush and try that method as well. I also spray teflon wax based lube where some of the bearings are. I'm not sure if it's really helping or not but it makes me feel better and I'm too lazy to take bearings apart.

I've had zero problems so far and a lot of people here scared me from driving in snow at first.
 
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Silicone spray is only 3%-5% silicone, the balance is solvent. As long as you know this, it is a good product to use for cleaning. As a lube, it is temporary at best. I use it a lot for a number of things, but I know going in (eyes wide open) that it does a better job of cleaning than it does lubricating. Just like WD40, but even weaker as a lube, though it smells better and leaves little to no residue when dry. Combined with dry brushing, it makes RCs bling.

Your rubberized seals will be clean and seal friction will be reduced when used on bearings, but it won't do anything for the balls and races unless you're using it as a blast wash. They'll come out clean but you still need proper high speed bearing oil to finish the job.

That's just information if it's useful. I ain't telling no-one what to do with their own junk. That's your monkey!
 
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