Tire Chains Success Story

[coachjpg]

Our property has a little-used unpaved drive that traverses a fairly steep slope. I use this drive when unloading one-ton pallets of the wood pellets we use to heat the house. I have to time my deliveries to avoid driving up the hill when it's wet and muddy. This year, I got the timing wrong and got stuck at the bottom of the frozen hill with a foot of snow on the ground.

I ordered a set of chains from tirechains.com, put them on my outer real wheels, and drove up the hill like it was dry pavement.

I went with the "FL750 Square Link Boron Alloy" chains for about $100 delivered. I thought about the emergency strap-on chains, which would have been *much* easier to install, but I went with the real chains. They rate well for on and off road, mud and ice.

I've owned chains in the past, but this is the first time I ever had to actually use them. I didn't expect to enjoy installing chains on a stuck vehicle, but with patience and old clothes it went smoothly enough. It was neither quick nor clean.

For this particular extraction, the emergency strap-on chains would probably have been a better choice. I only had to travel about 60 feet. Installing and removing the full chains was a messy, time-consuming business. I was stuck, so I had to drape the chains over the wheels, and then carefully spin the wheels just enough to get the chains on.

Now I have chains I can use on the road if I ever need them. I wouldn't mind owning the strap-ons also, but the convenience of the strap-ons wasn't enough to make me part with another $60 on top of the $100 I spent on the heavy chains.

tirechains.com was great. I called and spoke to them. They were friendly, knowledgeable, and they steered me away from some accessories I was considering. I recommend them without reservation. The chains are made in China, but they seem plenty robust and well made.

FWIW,
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http://tirechain.com/emergency_strap_on-suv-lighttruck.htm#1420

 

[trouttrooper]

Sounds like you had fun...admit it . I chain up a few times each year, every vehicle I own has a set, the truck has a set of mongo-huge-never-get-stuck for all 4 tires and a highway set for the back tires. Usually it's preventative medicine. Last time I embarrassingly got stuck on a mountain road with packed snow ruts.

They can be a pain to put on when you can't move but it can be done without spinning the tires, which if your not careful you could whip the ends around and tear off your brake line. Drape them over the top of the tire and then have a metal coat hanger that you straighten out with a "hook" on one end. That way you can reach around the backside of the tire and hook the chain to pull it through. Attach that one, then attach the front clasp. they will be a little loose, but will work enough to get you moving again to adjust them properly. Don't forget chain tighteners and make sure the ends aren't so long that they can whip around and rip off the brake line.

 

[coachjpg]

Thanks! I'll add a coat hanger to my kit. Now that I've done this once, I think I have enough length on the back to make your approach work. Though I'll also need to add a shovel...

I mounted them on the outer dually, so there is no way the chain could reach the brake line. Also, when I carefully "spun" them to get the chain on, I only rotated the tire about 180 degrees, and too slowly to whip chains around.

Another suggestion was to lay them out on the ground ahead of the tires, like traction pads, and drive up onto them. I suppose that would work if you're stuck on something hard, like ice.

Thanks again,
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[trouttrooper]

Forgot you had duallies, still spinning the tires doesn't always work like you want it to. If the chains are the right size they will be long enough. Might have to "over drape" the chain a little, hook the backside, then pull them back on center to make it a bit easier. Ya, all my vehicles have a shovel in them too. 3 things that I have a standing order that they are NEVER taken out to make more room, tire chains, shovel, tow strap/chain.

The fastest way I've found is to drape all of them over the tires first, then move a little bit, then hook them all up. Laying them on the ground and driving over them works too, but your then fighting gravity trying to wrap them UP around the tire. This of course only works when you are putting chains on before you get stuck.