Tire chains?

[farmerjosh0012]

so im no stranger to snowy driving conditions being from michigan. and were not allowed studded tires or chains around here cause the weather alone already does so much damage to the roads. but yes i will be getting the chains and doing some practice installs before i leave. i guess whats most important is getting those chains on before i start loosing traction and cant drive over chains to install them. I imagine thats why people have been seen installing them with there car lifted off the ground lol. I hope not to be that guy.

 

[gizmotron]

Here is a true story. I'm saying this because it could happen again. I was leaving a ski resort after a full day of skiing. It had been snowing all afternoon. So when we left the parking lot and hit the road we had to go up a small hill for about 500 ft and then it was down hill and clear, being that the road crews kept the pavement clean and you could drive slow without chains all the way down below snow line. I was in a 4 by 4 truck.

So some guy stops in the middle of the highway on the way up that little hill, not pulling over to the side, and starts to put on his chains. He blocked the highway for more than 30 minutes. It caused all the other two wheel drive vehicles, at least 500 of them, that had enough momentum to make it up the hill to stop also. So they all got out in the middle of the highway and put on their chains too. Now the good part. In less than a half a mile they all had to get out and take off all their chains. All that really happened. There were no chain control signs or highway patrol directing all this. It was all the handy work of a single "flat lander" from the valley. Yes, they have a well known label for this by the locals.

 

[tx2sturgis]

In my commercial driving days, I've had to spend a half hour chaining up many times just to go 50 or 100 feet. It happens.

Of course I didn't do this procedure in the middle of the road.

 

[Freelander]

If its bad enough I need chains, its time to go south!!!! LOLOLOL

 

[farmerjosh0012]

Here is a true story. I'm saying this because it could happen again. I was leaving a ski resort after a full day of skiing. It had been snowing all afternoon. So when we left the parking lot and hit the road we had to go up a small hill for about 500 ft and then it was down hill and clear, being that the road crews kept the pavement clean and you could drive slow without chains all the way down below snow line. I was in a 4 by 4 truck.

So some guy stops in the middle of the highway on the way up that little hill, not pulling over to the side, and starts to put on his chains. He blocked the highway for more than 30 minutes. It caused all the other two wheel drive vehicles, at least 500 of them, that had enough momentum to make it up the hill to stop also. So they all got out in the middle of the highway and put on their chains too. Now the good part. In less than a half a mile they all had to get out and take off all their chains.  All that really happened. There were no chain control signs or highway patrol directing all this. It was all the handy work of a single "flat lander" from the valley. Yes, they have a well known label for this by the locals.

That is insane and yes we barely have hills where I'm from, lol. unless your near the great lakes shoreline, In which I'm only a hundred miles from right now. or in what they call the U.P around here. people just put there vehicles away and use snow mobiles and that's legal on the roads around there. but no you cant use chains, or have studded tires. all though winters are much more mild than they where back in the 70s I'm told.

 

[NctryBen]

There are places to put on chains... the middle of the road is not the place. Haha. Yes, it’s best to avoid having to use them. But remember, you may be required to have them if your running through the mountains even if you don’t intend to use them between certain dates.

 

[farmerjosh0012]

I just found out if you have a 20 inch 2x6 with a diagonal cut in one end of the board you can wedge it between, where each dually tire meets, and drive up it. This will lift the outside tire so you can slap a tire chain on it, back off the 2x6 and repeat for the other side, Of course only the outside wheels will have chains on them. Anyone else herd of this trick. and I'm also told it may be safer then wrapping both tires on each side. and could this damage the rear axil?

 

[Freelander]

We used to fix Truck tires the same way. But it only works for the outside dual.

 

[tx2sturgis]

You can drive an inside dual up on a wood 2x6 board to lift the outside dual just above the pavement surface, but this is kinda 'iffy' when it's snowy or icy...either the board will slip away as you try to drive up, or the cold wet icy/snowy tires will not be able to climb up the slippery board. It will work well on dry pavement in dry conditions, but that is not where you will likely be chaining up.

If you carry a traction board, that will work a lot better.

But without a traction board, most of the time it's just better to lay out the chain, hook up your tarp straps to the chain and the rim, then roll slowly backward and of course it helps to have an observer.

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

Do you need to chain up all 4 rear dually tires or just the 2 outside ones?