Snow chains for tires?

[VinnieVOL]

Has anyone ever used chains on your own personal vehicle to battle snow and ice?  It's never been a big deal to me, but I'd be interesting in knowing if these provide any benefit.  When I bought my truck, I chose not to get 4wd because as you know we usually don't have that bad of winters.  But last winter got pretty messy.  Now with a baby I'd like to know I could get out in case of emergency.  Once I get to the main road I'm usually set, but my driveway is a series of incline's and declines, some of which are shaded and with significant snow it's just about impassable.

[BigOrange Maniac]

Chains make a world of difference. A RWD with chains isn't going to go as good as a 4WD, but it'll go just as good as a FWD or maybe a little better.

[10EC]

Chains make a world of difference. A RWD with chains isn't going to go as good as a 4WD, but it'll go just as good as a FWD or maybe a little better.

w/o the weight in the back, I wonder if it would be better then a FWD.

[Jedi Master]

A few thoughts.

1.  Carry a bag or two of sand in the back of your truck.  Comes in handy when you need just a bit of extra traction, and the extra weight will help you maintain control in ice/snow.

2. Add an electric winch to the front of your truck.  It can get you out of all sorts of predicaments if you get stuck.

 

[VinnieVOL]

A few thoughts.

1.  Carry a bag or two of sand in the back of your truck.  Comes in handy when you need just a bit of extra traction, and the extra weight will help you maintain control in ice/snow.

2. Add an electric winch to the front of your truck.  It can get you out of all sorts of predicaments if you get stuck.

 

Good thoughts.. any recommendations on an aftermarket electric winch?

[midtnvol]

Good thoughts.. any recommendations on an aftermarket electric winch?

Go to tractor supply and check out their Warn winches. Also consider being able to reposition the winch from front to rear. Going foward is not always an option....not that I've ever been stuck.

[Jedi Master]

midtnvol is correct, Warn is a reptuable mfg.  So is Mile Marker.  (Never thought about reposition from front to rear, but that makes perfect sense.) 

Be sure to get a winch with a line pull of 1.5 times your truck's weight.  I.e., a 5,000lb truck would need a 7,500lb winch, etc.

[Black Diamond Vol]

I got a set of chains on a ski trip when I was living in Cal.  At one point on Hwy 395 up to Mammoth, they had the road blocked, and wouldn't let you go any further unless you had chains or a 4WD.  So I had to turn around and go back to Bishop to get a set, or else cancel the trip and go home.  And it wasn't very easy to find a pair that fit the tiny wheels on a Geo Metro, but I think I got the last set in town.   

I used them quite a bit on subsequent ski trips, but I can't imagine ever really needing them on this side of the country.  A winter like last year probably won't happen again here for another 20 years.   

[Inspector Vol]

I don't mean this to sound smart but if this is a concern now it will be from now on. Just get a 4wd and buy a set of winter tires for it. 

[iVol]

I've been thinking about the same thing and thought these look like a cool aalternative...

http://www.flextrax.com/

[BigOrange Maniac]

I got a set of chains on a ski trip when I was living in Cal.  At one point on Hwy 395 up to Mammoth, they had the road blocked, and wouldn't let you go any further unless you had chains or a 4WD.  So I had to turn around and go back to Bishop to get a set, or else cancel the trip and go home.  And it wasn't very easy to find a pair that fit the tiny wheels on a Geo Metro, but I think I got the last set in town.   

I used them quite a bit on subsequent ski trips, but I can't imagine ever really needing them on this side of the country.  A winter like last year probably won't happen again here for another 20 years.   

I think the last 10-15 years of mild winters have spoiled us. These things go in cycles and there is meteorological evidence that we're cycling back into a period of colder winters like we saw in the mid '70s - mid '80s. We actually saw more impressive cold air dumps in this part of the country a couple of winters ago, but last winter was just stormier.

We receive more snow here on the Plateau than much of Tennessee, but snow chains come in handy fairly often here if you're driving a RWD vehicle.

10EC: Yes, the chains make quite a bit of difference even without the rearend weighted down. I've seen my brother outdrive me in the snow with a little Ford Ranger with chains and nothing in the bed to weigh it down and me driving a FWD. Best thing to do, though, is just do what IV said and get a 4WD.  

[VinnieVOL]

Well the reason I didn't get a 4wd is threefold:

1. We just don't have winters like last year that often.  And I bought my truck going on 3 years ago so at the time it just didn't seem to make sense.

2. The part I have difficulty in the snow is relatively not a long distance.  My driveway is maybe 800 ft and a series of inclines and declines.  Then I have another mile to go before I reach the main highway that is flat and regularly scraped and salted.  For that distance, and factoring in that we rarely have significant snow made the decision not to get 4wd even easier.

3. At the time I bought my truck my employer didn't make a big fuss if I couldn't make it in to work.  They were fine with me working from home if circumstances required.. Now my employer is more demanding in that regard.

All that being said, I'm not ready to go get another truck "just in case".

What I was looking for was a solution that could help me get past that initial mile and a half and to the main road, then obviously back home at the end of the day, and I was curious how snow chains would perform on an incline in a few inches of snow, when currently I will obviously ne spinning out.

[Inspector Vol]

All plausible reasons and a sound decision. I too never had a 4wd vehicle (that wasn't a toy) until the last few years. I also get a great deal of comfort from just driving it in rainy weather especially at highway speeds.

You can certainly do things like chains but would you use them for days or take them on and off at the end of the hills? Maybe some really heavy cleat mud tires with a little weight in the back would do the trick? Lower the air pressure helps too. 

I am sure you will make the best decision for your situation. 

Well the reason I didn't get a 4wd is threefold:

1. We just don't have winters like last year that often.  And I bought my truck going on 3 years ago so at the time it just didn't seem to make sense.

2. The part I have difficulty in the snow is relatively not a long distance.  My driveway is maybe 800 ft and a series of inclines and declines.  Then I have another mile to go before I reach the main highway that is flat and regularly scraped and salted.  For that distance, and factoring in that we rarely have significant snow made the decision not to get 4wd even easier.

3. At the time I bought my truck my employer didn't make a big fuss if I couldn't make it in to work.  They were fine with me working from home if circumstances required.. Now my employer is more demanding in that regard.

All that being said, I'm not ready to go get another truck "just in case".

What I was looking for was a solution that could help me get past that initial mile and a half and to the main road, then obviously back home at the end of the day, and I was curious how snow chains would perform on an incline in a few inches of snow, when currently I will obviously ne spinning out.

[BanditVol]

I once took my Jeep on a Hummer course on a military base.  We were not supposed to be on the Hummer course.  It was lunch.  Guess what?  Hummers sit much higher than Jeeps!  I stuck my Jeep in mud to the door frames, lol!  (on a hump in the middle, the wheels were not buried or anything). We could not call anyone without getting in trouble.  Fortunately, I had a "come hither" which is a hand crank winch that you can attach to a tree.  We got the Jeep out (but had to go home and change, lol).

An electric winch will no doubt be better, but I highly recommend the hand winch.  It has an amazing amount of leverage and is probably more flexible in terms of where you attach it, and who knows, you might want to conserve gas or battery power depending on the situation.

[BigOrange Maniac]

Vinnie, you may be the only guy in all of East Tennessee who has facial hair and does not also have a 4WD. 

[VinnieVOL]

LOL, BOM.  I also don't own a single piece of Carhart merchandise.

[Inspector Vol]

LOL, BOM.  I also don't own a single piece of Carhart merchandise.

Are you a commie?     

[BigOrange Maniac]

LOL, BOM.  I also don't own a single piece of Carhart merchandise.

  Well I have 2 4WDs but I'd have to say I'm with you on the Carhartt gear.

[droner]

I have a Carhart cap. It has a flap that folds down to keep my ears warm. I wear it when I play golf in the winter. 

[Black Diamond Vol]

I'm going to go out on a limb and venture a guess that this is longest thread about snow chains ever on an SEC message board.

[ReVOLver]

I have a Carhart cap. It has a flap that folds down to keep my ears warm. I wear it when I play golf in the winter. 

Wait... Droner owns Carhartt and BOM doesn't? 

[PirateVOL]

Wait... Droner owns Carhartt and BOM doesn't? 

OTOH, BOM exists and droner doesn't ...  

[VinnieVOL]

This thread gits-r -dun.

[Stogie Vol]

This thread gits-r -dun.

The stories I could tell...

[VinnieVOL]

As could I, sir Stogie.. As could I.