Topic: snow tire chains

[viper]

Hey guys,
Our boy scout troop has a snow camping coming up and we are looking to go to Crystal Lake campground, as that is one of the few campgrounds I found to be open during snow season. With the upcoming rains next week, there is a good chance we'll have some snow up there. Hopefully not too much.

That brings up the topic of snow chains.

My 1st gen X is upgraded to 3" lift kit, 33 x 12.5 R15 M+S tires, front and rear ARB lockers and manual hubs.

Should I get snow tires (not cheap)?
If so, should I get 2 pairs (front & back) or only 1 pair?
If I get 1 pair, should I mount them front or back?

I was looking at the "Heavy Truck" model on this page http://www.tirechain.com/33x12.50-15.htm#219
Any suggestions for or against?

Any suggestions in reference to using manual hub, lockers, 4WD when driving in snow and ice conditions?

thx
 

[CAWoody]

Unless the Highway Patrol are requiring chains, you should be fine in 4wd in the snow at that elevation.  If you do decide to get chains, I found the Super Z chains were the easiest to put on.  My sister had them for her van when we were in Big Bear at Christmas.  I kept my X in 4wd the whole time and never had a problem and we had 18" of snow. 

Also, You only need them on the front tires.  All four tires would be if you were in ice storm conditions, something we haven't seen....well ever.

[Ghost65]

Good advice Tim...one side note to the OP. 

IME snow chains should be mounted on the drive axle tires, rear for RWD etc.

My BFG All Terrain KO2`s have a small snowflake insignia which denotes a "mud + snow" tire profile.



This logo combined with a set of snow chains, and 4 wheel drive will usually pass you through a CHP chain control check point.

Running in 4 HI in snowy conditions is the way to go.  If you have manual hubs, keeping them locked in preparation for 4 wheel drive travel is prudent, just don't forget to unlock them, as your mileage will decrease turning the front diff.

I wouldn't use your locker unless you get into a stuck or slow speed situation where additional wheel traction is needed briefly.




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[knightrider]

Don't buy snow tires for one outing, especially if you're not driving in snow 100% of the time, they will wear quickly and a waste of money for a trip to the mountains.

One thing you will want to check is to see how much clearance you have around your tires, make sure if the suspension flexes that the chains will not hit the body or frame at full lock, the diagonal cable chains are better for this as they are lower profile than the larger chain chains.  You also must account for centrifugal force pulling the chains away from the tires at speed, so just because the chains clear when at a stand still does not mean they won't hit the fenders at 20mph.

And like Ghost said, with M+S tires, 9 times out of 10, you will not need to put on your chains at any checkpoint, just have them in the vehicle.  I have only been asked by CHP if I had chains once, most of the time they don't even make me stop.   

Don't use lockers on the street with snow, but 4hi helps.  Offroad, lockers can help if you're stuck but they shouldn't be used unless needed honestly.

Chains go on the main drive tires, meaning rear wheels for RWD/4WD, front wheels for FWD vehicles(most cars, vans and SUV sadly).  If the ice conditions are really bad, chains on all 4 tires can be done but honestly, you just shouldn't be driving at that point unless it's a serious emergency.

[Celt]

With lockers engaged on pavement you will think satan himself took ahold of your vehicle and you are on a one way ride to hell's half acre.

[viper]

thanks guys,

still confused on front vs rear in 4WD, when only using 1 set of snow chains.
I find 50% of the recommendations say front and the other say rear.

Also, the 4HI setting is probably not going to work for me because I have rock crawlers. So unless the conditions are really bad, I am not going to go very fast on the road on 4HI and the cars behind me are not going to like me.

Last question: airing down in combination with snow tires.
My gut feeling says not a good idea but just wanted to doublecheck with the community.

[viper]

What do you think about this snow chain:

https://www.amazon.com/Peerless-0232605-Auto-Trac-Traction-Chain/dp/B0091RCKP6/ref=sr_1_7?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1486666078&sr=1-7&keywords=super%2Bz%2Btire%2Bchains&th=1

According to this sizing chart,
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/Automotive/LTSCCapplications-2016-FINAL._V524746544_.pdf
I need the 0232805 model for my 33x12.5 R15 tire

Here is a video explaining the self tightening feature

[Celt]

Airing down increases your surface area thus increases your coefficient of friction. It will add more traction by adding more surface area. Just like getting stuck in sand or mud or crawling rocks airing down is a good thing.

[viper]

yes, I agree about airing down is good in general, and I do it where possible.
Question was: airing down together with snow chains when driving in snow. (including driving on paved road)

Wouldn't airing down with snow chains give the chains too much wiggle room?
I assumed you want to strap the chains as tight around your tires as possible and by airing down, that would make it harder to tighten them down.

[Celt]

You should probably talk with the snow chain manufacturer.

[knightrider]

4HI does not matter if you have crawler gears, 4Hi is the same ratio as 2HI, 4Low is where your crawler gears come into play and you don't ever need 4low on the street driving around.

Don't air down if using chains, you want the tires to be firm so the chains bite into ice, that's what chains are designed to do.

[viper]

Knightrider, you are right on the 4Hi vs 4Lo. I got the two mixed up. Once offroad or in snow, I always switch to 4Hi.
thx for confirming my suspicion on the effects of airing down with snow chains.