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#1
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Chains, proper installation?
While not specifically about skiing, it's about getting TO skiing....
With an all wheel drive vehicle (not 4WD, street type AWD) should chains be on all 4 wheels, or just on the two "main" drive wheels? I'm heading to the mountains on Monday, and until today, the last time I touched tire chains was in 1974. They're just as hard as I remember them being Lisa |
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#2
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Off topic, but I got to thinking about how for the last AWD vehicle I
had (Subaru Legacy) I never even bought chains. My logic? For California, the road conditions only ever seemed to be: 1. Road open 2. Snow tires required, 2WD ok (used to be called "R1") 3. 2WD must have chains, 4WD with snow tires ok ("R2") 5. Road closed You'll note I left out 4. All vehicles must have chains. ("R3") On the roads to Tahoe at least, it seems like they always skip the R3 and just close the road. Don't know if that helps you any. Back on topic: I'll guess go for the primary drive wheels. Look in your car's manual is a better answer. Frankie Lisa Horton wrote: While not specifically about skiing, it's about getting TO skiing.... With an all wheel drive vehicle (not 4WD, street type AWD) should chains be on all 4 wheels, or just on the two "main" drive wheels? I'm heading to the mountains on Monday, and until today, the last time I touched tire chains was in 1974. They're just as hard as I remember them being Lisa |
#3
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I have a Suburu Baja. The manufacturer specifies NEVER PUT ON CHAINS!!! I
have very good snow tires all the way around. I carry chains becuase it is the law. I have them for ALL 4 tires. But if it gets to R3--I don't drive. It has been snowing here in Bishop since 4 this morning. The highway is already R2 from Red Rock to Mammoth and closed from Mammoth to the Nevada Boarder. I expect the highway to close all the way tonight. CHP is fighting with Cal trans as we speak/ (CHP wants it closed now) -- I ski, therefore I am "Lisa Horton" wrote in message ... While not specifically about skiing, it's about getting TO skiing.... With an all wheel drive vehicle (not 4WD, street type AWD) should chains be on all 4 wheels, or just on the two "main" drive wheels? I'm heading to the mountains on Monday, and until today, the last time I touched tire chains was in 1974. They're just as hard as I remember them being Lisa |
#4
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Yes, I will only buy cables--but I only cary them for show--like I said
Suburu says "NEVER PUT CHAINS ON THIS VIHICLE" -- I ski, therefore I am "Sven Golly" wrote in message ... Lisa Horton wrote in : With an all wheel drive vehicle (not 4WD, street type AWD) should chains be on all 4 wheels, or just on the two "main" drive wheels? Usually, but not always, the main drive wheels. Check your car manual under driving in the snow. In general, if you must put something on your CAR tires, don't use "chains", use cables. Less chance of interfering with the drive mechanism or wheel clearance. http://www.tirechain.com/CAR_CABLE_M...NTRUCTIONS.HTM Otherwise, Wayne's and Frankskier's advice are dead-on. -- Sven Golly Trolling as usual Remove the _ to reply |
#5
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Wayne Decker wrote:
Yes, I will only buy cables- Why would you buy cables? They're free for the taking along winter highways - just pick themup... |
#6
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Sven Golly wrote:
Lisa Horton wrote: With an all wheel drive vehicle (not 4WD, street type AWD) should chains be on all 4 wheels, or just on the two "main" drive wheels? Usually, but not always, the main drive wheels. Check your car manual under driving in the snow. In general, if you must put something on your CAR tires, don't use "chains", use cables. Less chance of interfering with the drive mechanism or wheel clearance. http://www.tirechain.com/CAR_CABLE_M...NTRUCTIONS.HTM Otherwise, Wayne's and Frankskier's advice are dead-on. And the little slotted-ramp thingy is as good as it gets without carrying a floor jack along. -- Cheers, Bev ================================================== = "I love deadlines... especially the whooshing sound they make as they go by." -Douglas Adams |
#7
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On 7 Jan 2005 14:56:54 -0800, "frankenskier"
wrote: Off topic, but I got to thinking about how for the last AWD vehicle I had (Subaru Legacy) I never even bought chains. My logic? For California, the road conditions only ever seemed to be: 1. Road open 2. Snow tires required, 2WD ok (used to be called "R1") 3. 2WD must have chains, 4WD with snow tires ok ("R2") 5. Road closed You'll note I left out 4. All vehicles must have chains. ("R3") On the roads to Tahoe at least, it seems like they always skip the R3 and just close the road. Don't know if that helps you any. Back on topic: I'll guess go for the primary drive wheels. Look in your car's manual is a better answer. Frankie My Outback owners manual also calls for no chains. Manual transmission Outback Legacy's like I have are 50/50 split all the time between the front and rear (with a rear viscous lsd in addition to the center lsd), so there are no main drive wheels - every wheel is a main drive wheel. If I chained, I would definitely chain all four wheels for fear of frying the center limited slip viscous differential as it trys its best to lock up under extrememly slippery conditions for 4wd like performance. Chains on just the front or rear in spinout conditions would be almost as bad as towing with the just the front or back wheels on the ground. BTW I have Yokohoma snows and they are incredible in combination with the car imo. Way fun. Snowmobile like. Automatic Outbacks use an entirely different awd system, and use the front wheels as the main drive wheels, with only a small amount of power allocated to the rear wheels unless the front wheels slip in which case the computer controlled clutch pack sends additional power to the rear. While it seems intuitive that chaining the fronts on the auto would be fine, I'd certainly not recommend it. nate |
#8
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Yeah. They are all over the highway today. They are a far worse hazzard
the the snow and ice. -- I ski, therefore I am "lal_truckee" wrote in message ... Wayne Decker wrote: Yes, I will only buy cables- Why would you buy cables? They're free for the taking along winter highways - just pick themup... |
#9
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Wayne Decker wrote:
Yeah. They are all over the highway today. They are a far worse hazzard the the snow and ice. Even spotted some cables in the grocery store parking lot a couple of hours ago. Reiterate; If you want cables just collect them from the road. They fall off and are so useless that the owner doesn't even know. I figure there are two reasons to use chains/cables. One is to sneak by chain control. The other is to provide traction in genuinely slippery conditions. In the first case, cables will work (I imagine the state constabulary were bribed - see second case for the second case (to provide traction), well cables test at half the effectiveness of chains in honest traction tests. If traction is important, cables are a dead end, maybe literally. Coupled with the fact they fall off regularly; that they are really no easier to install than chains if you don't have two left hands; and that properly fitted chains have almost identical clearances to cables (DON'T tell me about your poorly fitted chains clanging and damaging components - that's mis-use. Just fit the chains properly. (Hint: they don't fit out of the box - they need adjustment with a bolt cutter every time.) Anyway, I'm 4x4 now, so it's all moot, except for this collection of used chains I've got. There must be something I can do with them - I'm still thinking. |
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