I’ve never owned tire chains, but they seem to be reasonably common around here. I’d appreciate any commentary from folks who have used them.
How useful are they in icy conditions? We have lots of hills and inadequate plowing, so the streets end up pretty icy.
Should they be mounted only on the drive wheels? For example, I have a rear-wheel-drive car; what would be the result if I were to mount them on the front wheels too?
My car is a rear-wheel-drive Volvo station wagon, so it’s relatively light in the back even with a couple of sandbags in the cargo area. Would chains provide a significant benefit?
Are there particular styles of chains that are more or less effective? I’ve seen some with a diamond pattern, while others have chains that go straight across the wheel.
I am by no means an expert, but I’ve used them. To tell the truth, I wish I had some now.
The chains go on your drive wheels. I don’t know what would happen if you put them on the other ones, and I’ve heard they shouldn’t be put on the front wheels of a 4WD. No explanation. ISTM that they would be useful on 4WD.
Basically, you have chains or cables. I’ve only used chains, but I’m told cables are easier to put on. The last chains I used had a sort of cam lock. This was a flat piece that was hinged. The end og the chain would go into a slot and then the top was closed over it. Tension on the mechanism kept it shut. PITA to close or open when my fingers were frozen. I wore gloves of course, but sometimes they got in the way. I hate putting on chains. You have to get out of your nice warm car into the freezing weather and often with snow coming down so you get wet. They’re noisy, and the ride is rough. You have to (should) remove them on hard surfaces.
They will help you in your Volvo. But remember to keep your speed down, as you should anyway in these conditions.
They can be very hard to put on / take off. They will be bitterly cold and slushy when the time comes to remove them. You have to do this in the cold and snow. They break, and will ruin your fender. When they don’t break, they can still ruin your tire. People steal your chain tensioners, to replace their broken ones.
They won’t help much on ice, but do help with snow. They tear up the pavement in pretty short order. Drive wheels only. If you’re in or near Oregon, buy them at Les Schwab Tires. They sell an easy-on, easy-off chain set, have video at the tore and online to show you how to put them on, and if you buy them and haven’t used them by spring, the store will take them back.
Since a lot of the Pacific Northwest doesn’t do a great job with snow, they’re worth having in the car (plus sand or litter and a snow shovel).
Other than the problems mentioned, chains and studs tend to give drivers a false sense of control, particularly when braking. While they provide some slowing assistance, it’s not enough to warrant higher driving speeds.
The cable style are usually specified for vehicles where tire clearance is a problem. They certainly cause less of a rough ride as they have bands of steel floating on a cable. I have used both and the chains work better on ice than cables.
I gotta agree here. Chains are most beneficial on ice. My dad had an old 4 cylinder, 2wd Datsun pickup with tire chains. I helped him pull my cousin out of the ditch after a severe ice storm. Her (my cousin’s) dad could not pull her out with his full sized 4WD truck, but the little Datsun with chains pulled her out easily.
I used to drive big truck in a former life. Mostly offroad, oilfield work in western Canada, so I chained up a lot.
Comments on the questions posed:
I must concur with the posters who say chains are very effective on ice. Nothing bites into an icy surface quite like a cleated chain with thousands of pounds pushing down on it.
As far as chaining up the front of a four hweel drive - you would not want to chain up the front only. Reason for this is that the running gear on the front of the vehicle is not as robust as the running gear on the rear. If the front is chained, it will be bearing the majority of the stresses, and if you’re driving in conditions that require chains, that could be significant - leading to breaking something. If you’re going to chain up the front, chain up the rear first.
On big trucks, we would chain up one axle with a set of triples for safety - on a road that was pretty good. Chain up both axles on a road you expected to spin out on and generally chain up one front wheel with a steering chain. On a big truck, there is lots of weight over the drive wheels pushing you striaght - the steering chain allows for greater steering ability.
Oh yeah - always chain up the steering chain on the wheel that is farthest from the steering box. If that baby comes loose, you don’t want it taking out your steering mechanism.
Many nights I navigated the back roads of the Canadian oilfields and there is a sense of security that comes from the sound of chains singing along at about 50 kph.
I grew up in Northern Michigan where snow tires were quite common. Chains on the other hand were foreign to me until moving out to California, where they seem to be used mostly on mountain roads.
I was listening to the radio on the way to Seattle this morning, and they said that conditions were such that were it in the mountains chains would be required. Apparently they’re not required in the flatlands.
CA skiers know about chains - they (often) have no idea how to use them (yuppies) - there are folks aroud Auburn who make a tidy sum installing peoples’ chains when the “chains required” notice goes out.
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I saw 15’ - 20’ high poles along some roads in the Sierras, with bright day-glo orange at the top 5’ or so.
It turns out that those mark the roadway for the snowplows.
Yes, chains ARE required from time to time up there