Snow chains go thump...

[adrenaline503]

So, it is snowing a ton in Seattle and I cant wait to get up to the mountains tomorrow. I had a set of cable "chains" and those never stayed in place, my tread would catch the cable and twist it up. So, I bought a set of these:

I have the red tension chain as tight as possible, but I still get a loud thumping noise that doesn't should normal. Is this to be expected or did I mess it up?

 

[jsmoriss]

Here's a video you can use to compare with your installation...

http://www.tirechain.com/car_chaininstallationinstruction.htm

Edit: Notice in this picture how the two sections of chain meet.

There's not much, if any, excess chain between the two sections. If the gap is too large, your chains might be too short (sized incorrectly for your tire).

js.

 

[2drx4]

Chains are rough. It's just that simple. As long as they are on tight, everything should be fine. Check for clearance around the tires with the wheels turned, and suspension stuffed... It can make a huge mess if the chains catch anything on the vehicle.

 

[adrenaline503]

Yup, that is what I did. Odd.

 

[Crikeymike]

I use the same chains on my sidekick, and I'm in seattle too! :wings:

When my chains first go on, there's no noises, but as the ice builds on the inner fender, the clearance gets reduced and the chains sometimes touch the chunky ice, creating a thud.

My rock sliders also get caked up with ice and make thumps and thuds while I drive as the ice then hits the body of the car.

I'd suggest checking clearance when you turn the front wheels. If that's not the problem, then it might just be noises from when the chain makes contact with the road itself (thru the ice). Some cars that have been driving past my house with chains on make some pretty strange noises as they go past.

 

[adrenaline503]

So, in the end I used the rubber tension bands from my cable chains to tighten it up some more. No more thump. Turns out the chain was a bit loose and was hitting my fender wall. No problem in the end though. Thanks for all the advice.

 

[rynosurf]

I usually put my chains or cables on, drive a few hundred feet then check them and tighten them again just to be safe. I had some chains loosen on me once and by the time I figured out there was a problem I had nowhere to pull over and fix them, they tore up my inside wheel wells pretty good.

 

[Lynn]

So, in the end I used the rubber tension bands from my cable chains to tighten it up some more. No more thump. Turns out the chain was a bit loose and was hitting my fender wall. No problem in the end though. Thanks for all the advice.

Good to hear you solved the problem. Everyone should use those rubber tensioners, they really make life easy. Or as easy as it can get when you are running chains, anyway!