Tire chains?

[Inyo_man]

I've used my four Rud Grip 4x4 chains on many occasions. You can put them on without moving the rig, which is nice. Sometimes it's chains or else you're turning around or pulling cable all day. There are days where sitting in the heated seated and driving is more appealing than slogging through the snow to winch up another hill.

 

[keezer37]

View attachment 132852
I'd much rather drive a 2wd anything with good rubber than a old LT tire on a 4wd anyday in the snow. You might not be able to go as far in the 2wd but at least you can stop when you get there...

Gospel.
I'd rather be stuck in the snow than sliding toward the abyss.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Gospel.
I'd rather be stuck in the snow than sliding toward the abyss.

I think this is why they are so quick to close roads, lots and lots of AWD mini vans, SUVs and Subarus that allow people to get moving way easier and faster than is prudent. Seems each winter fewer people actually know how to drive in snow around here, which is complicated that we don't really get much snow in the major urban areas but still tons of people clog snow packed and icy roads on weekends to ski.

 

[Antichrist]

I think this is why they are so quick to close roads, lots and lots of AWD mini vans, SUVs and Subarus that allow people to get moving way easier and faster than is prudent.

Definitely. One winter I left Vermont headed to New Jersey just as a major winter storm hit. I was taking a somewhat unfamiliar route and a couple of times I had to stop and beat the snow off the road signs to be sure which way I needed to go.
Anyway, 4WD SUV's had really hit the general populace and they were the vast majority of vehicles that I saw in ditches.

BTW, there have been several chain threads, here are a couple:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/36394-Tire-chains-snow-mud-and-airing-down
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/26264-snow-chains-grip

 

[Chris2000XJ]

View attachment 132861
I have had the RUD chains for a few years and have used them a dozen times or so. I had a couple initial problems keeping them on. After inspecting the one way self tightening link I found that they can be put on backwards that the directions or pictures in the directions would not show. Super basic instruction pamphlet.
I do check them often when I use them and have been really happy with where they have taken me! I would recommend them
I bought mine from Safari Ltd in Grand Junction, Great Toyota and off road goodie shop. They had them in stock and helped when I had my troubles at first.

A real deal snow tire is your friend for everyday driving in the mountains during the winter. I like the studless technology these days, I have driven many. Coopers, bridgestone, nokians are all good, and my favorite is the yokohama geolander it go72.
View attachment 132852
I'd much rather drive a 2wd anything with good rubber than a old LT tire on a 4wd anyday in the snow. You might not be able to go as far in the 2wd but at least you can stop when you get there...

IMO you are way better off with single digit tire pressures on hard-packed melting snow like that than you ever will be with chains on. Chains are extremely counter-productive in that situation.

 

[keezer37]

I think this is why they are so quick to close roads, lots and lots of AWD mini vans, SUVs and Subarus that allow people to get moving way easier and faster than is prudent. Seems each winter fewer people actually know how to drive in snow around here, which is complicated that we don't really get much snow in the major urban areas but still tons of people clog snow packed and icy roads on weekends to ski.

Yeah. One step on a ineffective brake pedal oughta enlighten them.

I think it's also peoples sense of adventure. Many have it but few satisfy it until they see eight inches of adventure right outside their door.
A little expo in all of us.

 

[LR Max]

I got all hot on tire chains last year. Of course they would've sat there unused since we had that one bad winter storm for like, a week.

2 things I noticed: A LOT of tire chains on Craigslist for decent price. Dunno, just an observation. Second (this was a tip), before you install, put pieces of 2x4 block under your tires (drive up on them!) then install the tire chains. Apparently this makes life A LOT easier if the tires are a touch off the ground when you install the tire chains.

Like I said, I got super excited about chains and did a bunch of research. However never had any actual experience with them. Good luck!

 

[stevo]

Snow Chains

Howdy all,
I lived in the San Bernardino mtns. for ten years and, while a good set of snow tires and four wheel drive will get you a long way, sometimes you just need chains. What woked best for me was a set of "V-bar" chains with another set of cross links mid-way in between the existing cross links on the existing set of the chains. Yes, they are heavier and thus more unplesant to install, but they work REALLY well. I now have two sets of them for my Pinz, a set of regular chains for our Pilot and our Surburban. Whenever I have to install them I ALWAYS drive upon a piece of 2x4 placed cross-wise in between the long chain. I also lie upon a back-packing sleeping mat. The snow here is very wet so I just plan on getting wet as well. Also, I would recommend that you try them on (fit them) first before you need them.
Just remember, while chains may help you in the snow or even the mud, they are primarily designed to help you with the ice.
Cheers, Stevo
P.S. Studded snow tires are a great idea, it's just that in so. Cal they are not worth the legal headaches.

 

[DaveInDenver]

You guys recommending 2x4, good advice. However I've found that lengths of 4x4 work better for me. A 2x4 sinks too much into the snow and basically defeats the purpose, which is to raise the tire out of the snow enough so that the chains can move as you snug them up. Lay out the chains, put the riser block mid way in the ladder, drive back slowly up on the blocks and install. With a little practice you can get a pair of chains installed in a few minute with almost no slop.

I keep several blocks in my truck anyway, a few 2x4 and a few 4x4, for various tasks like this. Mostly I use them as safety chocks, to secure stuff from sliding in the bed and to level my truck in camp.

 

[shortbus4x4]

Cable tire chains are pretty worthless, it's why they're so cheap. They break easily. RUD chains are good. If you go to Tire Chains R Us, they sell RUD, and they have how-to videos for how to install them. Tire chains come with instructions, too. Just do a trial run on installing them while you are at home, so that when you really need them, you don't freeze your butt off trying to figure it out.

Do the trial chain up or two in your driveway on a nice sunny day. It will be much better than trying to chain up in the snow/slush/dark and finding out something isn't right with your chains.:coffeedrink:

 

[Antichrist]

It's worth mentioning in this thread, chains need to be tight on the tire. So after you've installed them drive a bit, and recheck. Odds are good, especially if you're new to chains or couldn't the the tire off the ground, that they will need to be tightened up.

 

[thecriscokid]

IMO you are way better off with single digit tire pressures on hard-packed melting snow like that than you ever will be with chains on. Chains are extremely counter-productive in that situation.

That was an avalanche path (note the debris). It was off camber and 35deg to get back up to the road grade. I must say that putting my chains on was in fact very productive as in I moved forward. There are many techniques to driving. I don't use beadlocks and lowing tire pressure below the 14psi i was at really didn't instill any confidence in making any progress. Off camber and 5psi is a great way to peal a tire off a rim. I gave that a try a few times before chaining up, yes 3X locked. I am a chain user when needed. They only stayed on for a 1/4 mile that day. Very productive day. I did some serious testing with these chains on some farm hills long before I ventured into the backcountry.
Everybody has there own style/method, but lets stay positive and not point fingers and say that one is doing something wrong or counter productive when all you have seen is 1 picture. Especially when the vehicle in the pic is past the obstacle.....
I would not have driven the off camber in this pic without them. No funny business

 

[Dumpolina]

Tire pressure vs chains on compact snow

Seems like tire pressure doesn't solve this problem near as well as chains, especially with light weight and the "snow" is icy

 

[Chris2000XJ]

View attachment 133202


That was an avalanche path (note the debris). It was off camber and 35deg to get back up to the road grade. I must say that putting my chains on was in fact very productive as in I moved forward. There are many techniques to driving. I don't use beadlocks and lowing tire pressure below the 14psi i was at really didn't instill any confidence in making any progress. Off camber and 5psi is a great way to peal a tire off a rim. I gave that a try a few times before chaining up, yes 3X locked. I am a chain user when needed. They only stayed on for a 1/4 mile that day. Very productive day. I did some serious testing with these chains on some farm hills long before I ventured into the backcountry.
Everybody has there own style/method, but lets stay positive and not point fingers and say that one is doing something wrong or counter productive when all you have seen is 1 picture. Especially when the vehicle in the pic is past the obstacle.....
I would not have driven the off camber in this pic without them. No funny business

Hey, I may have came off unintentionally abrasive but I'm not pointing fingers or saying it didn't work for you, just that people shouldn't be afraid to air down. It is a lot harder to peel a tire off a rim than most people think. It's a risk, and I've done it, but the tire was heavily loaded and I was being winched sideways.

I am out snow wheeling and snow camping almost every weekend in the winter and the one common denominator I see with people who run into trouble is that they are driving at street pressure or are afraid to air down as far as is necessary, especially when you are on a snowpack. I don't have beadlocks either, I am sitting on 31" MT/R's, and I am usually down around 4-6 psi (wherever my stauns decide to stop that day), and I am able to follow rigs on 37's in the deep snow no problem provided I'm not the one breaking trail.

I know there are situations where chains can be beneficial, but IMHO they are more useful on ice or thin layers of compacted ice and snow like in the video above than it is in the deep stuff. Chains and low tire pressure work on two completely opposite principles, you put chains on to bite down and cut into or through the ice/snow. Where as airing down to you are trying increase the contact patch of the tire in order to prevent that very thing from happening and instead encouraging flotation. One digs, one floats, in deep snow you want to float not dig.

Experience has taught me that dense melting snow like in your picture is the exact situation that derives the most benefit from airing down. It can be the difference in not being able to move, and breezing through it like it wasn't there. I tend to avoid off camber situations and if possible I will get a shovel out and dig out a rut, so I can understand wanting the extra safety cushion, but for the rest of it you would have seen a tremendous improvement by going lower than 14psi, which is where you are only beginning to see the benefits.

 

[stioc]

Who needs tire chains when you can have this

[video]http://www.youtube.com/v/XwpKjEa4LYY%26hl[/video]