Tire Chain Recs

My family uses them both ... and they live near Gaspe ... and they get 150 inches a snow a year, on average. My uncle only drives on those Nokian studded tires (mostly because he drives to fast for chains) and he never gets stuck.

Me ... I prefer the chains ... but you have to drive really slowly or you will blow up ... I mean like go slow and then go slower than that ...

All in good fun ...

 

Sorry guys! It was a typo. 265 70R 16. I switched wheels/tires with a friend's OR

 

When buying chains, do you guys typically just buy one set (2 tires) or get chains for all 4 tires?

I will be taking a trip down to California from Oregon over the Mt Shasta pass, which I believe requires chains. I’m sure if it’s bad I’ll go 4-wheel drive which makes me think I should get two sets of chains.

 

Like others have said, I have the Peerless Autotrac ones and have been super happy with them. Great traction and a good road feel for ice, snow, and even patches of pavement if it's late/early season in SoCal. Never had a problem with their auto-tightening system.
Find the set that fits your tire size and buy on Amazon!
https://peerlesschain.com/light-truck-tire-chain/auto-trac-lt

 

In the days of rear wheel drive cars I always used snow tires and I kept a pair of summer tires with chains mounted in the trunk. If it got real bad just pull over, jack car up and install chained tires. A technique I used to keep chains real tight was to deflate the tires near completely and install the chains as tight as I could then inflate to proper pressure. Those chains always stayed tight and never gave me a problem.

 

When I purchased my 2020 I had to sign a waiver saying I understood to NOT use chains, but instead to use cables…..but you guys are using chains?

 

If you have never used them before, don't try putting them on for the first time by the side of the road in bad weather. Do it in your driveway or garage for practice. You will be glad you did.

 

You seriously had to sign a waiver about chains??? In California??? (Yes I know there is snow in parts of Northern California) I didn’t sign any sort of waiver and I park beside my igloo daily!!!

 

Mt Shasta pass? Hwy 5 highest point is at Syskiyou pass in OR. Done it many times, in general, 1 set of 2 chains for the rear, in the front there is not enough clearance beteween tires and A arm for chains, cables would be ok. but, I have never done it or need it. Main thing is to have adequate tires and check weather

 

im not 100% it’s called Mt Shasta pass . I would be taking I5 the entire way.

 

You'll find out how close your tires are to your UCAs real quick.

 

Most of the time Hwy. 5 is keept in good shape. Normally I pay attention to the temp. of the day to avoid black ice.

 

I bought these for when I need to get unstuck. Only put a few miles on them but they are easy to put on and got me out of a jam.

H&ZT Snow Chains for Car SUV, 6PACK 165-275mm Tire Antiskid Chains for Pickup Trucks SUV Tire Width 6"-10.8" for F150 Chevrolet Dodge Ram Toyota Honda (Q1253789, Alloy Steel)

AmazonSmile: H&ZT Snow Chains Update 8PCS, Passenger Car Snow Chains, Tire Chains 215-285mm w/Adjustable Lock for SUV Truck Sedan or Family Automobiles Applicable Tire Width 8.46"-11.22" : Automotive

 

It’s Siskiyou Pass on I 5. Elevation 4300’. Highest point from Mexico to Canada. I would not recommend using chains on front tires of 4wd Tacoma. Check owner manual. If you have decent tires and fwd, you can get through chain check points in California without chaining up. unless it’s really coming down. And by that time, they are probably getting ready to shut freeway down anyway. Chain crews help install and remove for fee if you want on I80 and 50.

 

https://www.lesschwab.com/more/tire-chains

If you don’t have experience with chains, and don’t plan on off-road use/ abuse of them then I’d highly recommend going to LS for the quick fit chains. They will show you how to properly install and adjust them and if you end up not using them, they will issue a full refund at the end of stud season. April 1 I believe is the date. I don’t use these for oversized tires and off-roading but have used them in a car and 2wd Tacoma.

 

One set for the rear is all you need. Things get close in the front when you steer and hit bumps. Not necessary up front.

 

Good recommendation on using chains on the rear only. Chains are only for the extreme conditions noted and best not to be driving, if possible, when they are truly needed. Consider dedicated winter tires for your commute. They make a huge difference. I run Nokian Hakkapeliittas.

 

Sounds like the OP needs them more for regulatory compliance than actual use, but here is my 2-bits.

Dedicated quality winter tire first and foremost. Consider pizza cutters as the contact patch is actually larger, airing down also helps. Make sure you have weight in the back of your truck. Sand bags between the wheel wells are good, I also use cement patio tiles as they lay flat. Advantage of sand bags is you have sand if you need to throw some around your tires to get going again. Make sure you have a shovel. A small winter kit with blankets, survival munchies, ... will get you through being trapped in hours long road closures.

If you need chains on the highway, consider parking it until maintenance crews can catch up, but if you must carry on no matter what, get a set that you can operate and practice installing them. I carry a good set of v-bar chains that I occasionally need for bush work, something more user friendly probably suits your needs. For the most part, mine act as an extra sand bag as I haven't needed them in two years. Install, tension, drive, re-tension.

I live in the mountains of BC, with mountain passes all around and have never used chains on the highway.

 

I plow with my Tacoma and although I have snow tires on, they're not as good as I like.
So this year I decided to get some snow chains. I purchased the Peerless Auto Trac Chains.
I followed the manufacturers size and then followed the videos and the instructions that came
with the chains. It wasn't as easy as they made it look. My guess is that they used larger chains
than what the recommended size is.

Anyway, I saw this video and this guy's method makes it much easier for me. It's a little
more inconvenient in that I had to get under the truck to connect the cable, but otherwise
it was easier having the chain in front of me than behind the tire when I first set up the cable
connection.

Anyway, he's the video that I found the better method for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dgi-T_dBjsc

 

https://autosock.us/