Snow chains on 4 x 4 trucks.

[madizell]

We drove Rabbit Ear Pass years ago in the middle of a blizzard, with an F-150 two wheel drive, no load in the bed, and summer street tires (actually they were the OEM's). No issues. Cops closed the pass just as we reached the top.

I grew up in a family that could not afford winter tires, so I learned to drive in the winter on summer tires. Haven't been stuck in snow since I was a teen.

 

[travel dodge]

I didn't think I was going to turn this in to a local road conditions.. and to be honest I don't use them much for the paved roads. There are mornings when I get off work where I have to drive up hill to my house before the private road plowing clears the dirt road to my house. That is when I feel better just having the chains with me. I always like to be prepared and I like to get home to bed in the mornings.
If any you are in this area again drop me a line, I am on the expo host thread

 

[cjmitchell5]

I live in the California Sierras, and snow storms and road controls are a part of life around here.

There are 3 levels of requirements:
* R1: Chains, traction devices or snow tires are required on the drive axle of all vehicles except four wheel/ all wheel drive vehicles.
* R2: Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles except four wheel/ all wheel drive vehicles with snow-tread tires on all four wheels.
(NOTE: Four wheel/all wheel drive vehicles must carry traction devices in chain control areas.)
* R3: Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles, no exceptions.

For all practical purposes under R3 conditions you should just stay at home, or be in a motel.

4x4's do fine under R2 and R1 if they have snow tires. The larger the vehicle the more difficult they are to handle in snow and ice.

Unfortunately we have a lot of people driving around who are not used to snow, and many of them can be hazardous to your health. I think this is why California DOT puts up chain controls at the first sight of snow.

Nevada on the other hand just tells drivers that snow tires and or chains are required and then leave it up to the driver.

As far as chains go, a single set on the rear, I use the type with the diamond pattern. If you had a second set they would go one the front tires to aid with steering and traction.

If you are running chains front and rear you either shouldn't be on the road, or you are extracting yourself from a difficult situation and are heading back home or to a Motel.

I too concur w/ Martyn. If you need 4wd and chains you need to go home. I don't think I had ever seen R3 because usually DOT will shut down the road at that point. I've seen alot of snow but I had never seen an Interstate shut down for days until Donner Pass.

On a side note, it's really annoying if people put their chains on at the chains required ahead (ahead being the key word) sign. Going west on I-80 people chain up at Verdi and proceed to drive 35 down a dry interstate. I wish they realized you don't get to snow or ice for another 30miles.

 

[UK4X4]

Chains have their uses as do most other traction/rescue aids.

Spent a year in CO running out to a Shell site in Coral creek 24 rd..near Meeker

solid ice for most of the winter.

I did not use chains once...but after a few near spinouts I left the pickup at home and took my disco as it has better weight balance and traction control
which seemed to help.

As others have said experience of driving in the white stuff is worth while...however practising down town during 8.00am rush is not advised.

See Utube for confirmation..:jump:

Driving in snow is a gentle balance, no fast turning or braking, knowing how to controll a skid also comes in handy.

I would still have a pair in my truck just in case if venturing into the mountains or remote areas during winter....

and yes it snows on the I70 in June........

 

[kerry]

To answer the question about the necessity of chains when driving from NM to Canada in the winter, I think the answer is that they are probably not necessary, depending on the route. If you go directly through the center of the Rockies on two lane passes, then perhaps they would be needed. If you go on I-25 the only possible place where they might be used would be Raton Pass where you could simply wait out the chain requirement if there was one, and drive over after the storm. The rest of the route has no sections on which chains might be required (to my knowledge).

 

[ntsqd]

My sole piece of advice on chains was given to me by my step-father who grew up in NYC & spent most of his youth & young adulthood driving north to go skiing.

Practice putting the chains on in your driveway, where it's warm and you have no time limit. I did this on the last car that I had chains for (VW Caddy) and it made huge difference after just a few installs.
He used the drape method to install rather than the lay out & drive on method. His method makes much more sense to me.

 

[Chas Stricker]

I never used chains when living in Alaska or Montana. Once I started building rigs for off-road I started to carry chains. I take them with me in the snow to get out of a bad situation (just in case) and haven't needed them. I have used them to get others out of situations that they've gotten into. If snow is really deep 1.5 ft and higher or mud they work great. I like the safety factor. The ones I have now have been used once....... in the driveway........ to make sure they'll work when really needed. I do think studded tires are smart. No, I don't buy them but they work well for ice.
Chas

 

[Martyn]

I too concur w/ Martyn. If you need 4wd and chains you need to go home. I don't think I had ever seen R3 because usually DOT will shut down the road at that point. I've seen alot of snow but I had never seen an Interstate shut down for days until Donner Pass.

On a side note, it's really annoying if people put their chains on at the chains required ahead (ahead being the key word) sign. Going west on I-80 people chain up at Verdi and proceed to drive 35 down a dry interstate. I wish they realized you don't get to snow or ice for another 30miles.

I worked on the top of the pass for 10 years, so I have hundreds of snow driving stories. Specifically to Donner Pass, road closure is mainly due to zero visibility or spin outs. Although I have driven in snow so deep it comes up over the hood. As an employee I had the "privilege" of being able to drive the pass when it was officially closed.

Conditions vary so much there is no one rule that applies to every condition.

Carry chains with you (you'll only need them if you don't have them)
Have a good set of tires on your vehicle
Keep your distance from the vehicle in front of you
Find the balance between keeping your momentum and going too fast.

 

[JIMBO]

:chef: To add to Martyn's quip

I worked on the top of the pass for 10 years, so I have hundreds of snow driving stories. Specifically to Donner Pass, road closure is mainly due to zero visibility or spin outs. Although I have driven in snow so deep it comes up over the hood. As an employee I had the "privilege" of being able to drive the pass when it was officially closed.

Conditions vary so much there is no one rule that applies to every condition.

Carry chains with you (you'll only need them if you don't have them)
Have a good set of tires on your vehicle
Keep your distance from the vehicle in front of you
Find the balance between keeping your momentum and going too fast.

Put an eggshell, between your foot and the accelerator, (concept)

:safari-rig: :gunt: JIMBO

 

[RAV4fun]

Always carried them...never used them.

I'm a skiier, starting with my first car at 16 ('88 Toyota Carolla FX hatchback) I've headed to the hills pretty much every weekend all winter and have had to use my chains exactly never. that said, I've been up there in the middle of storms that dumped feet through the day and had the State Patrol checking for chains on the way down. When you have AWD they don't make you put them on, but they check that you have them 'cuz if they end up having to pull you out of a ditch and you don't, the ticket is astronomical!

With a pickup and one set of chains, they go on the front for steering control, with 2 sets you're good for pretty much anything that momma nature can send your way...

 

[theMec]

lot of good opinions here but it really depends on where you're driving and how OFTEN you're driving it. The odds will catch up to you for sure.

In my case, I've got decades of snow driving skills but I still put chains on about 4-6 times a year because I live in the friggin' mountains. As careful as I am, sometimes the chains go on AFTER I'm stuck. Yeah, frequently a 2WD truck can make it over a pass in a snow storm but I can't count how many 2WD trucks that didn't make it.

(RAV4fun - yeah those AWD cars are nice. Less mass means less momentum in a slide. Heavier trucks are a different situation.)

 

[RAV4fun]

(RAV4fun - yeah those AWD cars are nice. Less mass means less momentum in a slide. Heavier trucks are a different situation.)

You're right...I was just sharing my experience. I've also driven Tacomas and an F150 (2wd) through the mountains so trust me, I know the differences...again, just sharing experience.

 

[dustboy]

the problem with duallies is that the tires have more surface area in the contact patch, so less pounds per square inch, so less friction. Must be a royal PITA to put chains on those.

California's snow is more slippery compared to Utah or Colorado because CA tends to be warmer and wetter air. We call it california concrete because sometimes it's heavy and has the consistency of wet concrete. It's as slippery as snot, and add that to CA drivers on twisty roads that have never seen snow before..yikes!!

My brother met up with CHP chain control last winter in the Sierras, and he has a 4x4 Tacoma with BFG AT's. Of course he had no chains, but the sign said "carry chains", so the officer made him buy some. Lo and behold, there was a chain monkey with *chains for sale*! As soon as he bought a set of chains for $30 that didn't fit, the CHP left and went home!

 

[R_Lefebvre]

This is something I've always wondered about... I'm Canadian, driven in snow my whole life. I've never used chains, don't even know where to buy them. (litterally, don't think they're even available) For me, snow storms just make the drive more fun.

Do you just get so much more snow in the mountains, or is it just that people aren't used to driving in snow? I'd be curious to hear from somebody who's lived in Canada or Alaska, but experienced "snow chain required" driving in CA? Is it that there's so much snow, or is the whole thing silly.

I've had my truck stuck in snow so deep the axles and floorpan were buried in the snow and the tires were off the ground. The truck just won't move, period, you have to dig it out. But that was off-road.

People here seem to be talking about having snow chains "for control" which strikes me as being silly. I can't see how lose floppy bits of metal on your tires would help anything.

I used to have a VW Fox with 155/80/13 Blizzaks that I rallied and ice raced. I've driven so fast on snow that the tires are snow-planing and not making contact with the road. The car gets a little squirely, but if you're steady on the wheel it's pretty fun. I can't see how having chain between the tire and the road would help?

For reference, the snow plow trucks, even the private contractors with pickups... nobody uses snow chains.

What's the deal? What depth of snow are we talking?

 

[DontPanic42]

" I'm Canadian, driven in snow my whole life. I've never used chains, don't even know where to buy them. (litterally, don't think they're even available)"

Rob,
Not even at Canadian Tire? Man, I thought they carried everything!