Tire chains?

[79Vette]

I drive an 1986 m1009, manual swapped, air lockers in both axles. 33x12.50r15 Wrangler MTRs.

In 10 years of winter off roading and highway driving in Utah I've never seen a need for chains. Roads are always fine for a careful driver with 4x4, and if the snow is deep and loose enough off road that you can't air down and float then chains just help you dig down and get high centered faster.

Now I'm in CA, and the highway patrol here apparently requires drivers to carry chains in some weather conditions. Are there any chains that are actually useful? It seems like you can't run chains aired down, so you'll float worse in the loose stuff. And on the highway it just doesn't matter unless it's a sheet of ice.

I'm looking at 2 types, one significantly more expensive than the other. Or I could just get the cheapest crappy cable "chains" and carry those to satisfy the law, even though they wouldn't be very useful. Does anyone have experience they can share with chains off road and/or on the highway with a good 4x4? What would you get?

https://tirechain.com/load-range-e-...x12-50-15-7mm-square-boron-alloy-tire-chains/

https://tirechain.com/load-range-e-...5-33x12-50-15alloy-vbar-two-link-tire-chains/

 

[D6T]

I have the first type for my M1009– never been stuck, what more can I say! Total and complete confidence when driving with them.

But the experience itself, along with knowing how/when to adjust chains, have a learning curve.

 

[nyoffroad]

Are you sure the chain laws effect your truck? It's been years since I've been out that way but in the past I thought the laws were for commercial trucks like tractor trailers. Every fall we'd get a message from the terminal telling us about the chain laws and to stop and pick up a set, I'd pick em up but never had to use em.

 

[LT67]

I drive an 1986 m1009, manual swapped, air lockers in both axles. 33x12.50r15 Wrangler MTRs.

In 10 years of winter off roading and highway driving in Utah I've never seen a need for chains. Roads are always fine for a careful driver with 4x4, and if the snow is deep and loose enough off road that you can't air down and float then chains just help you dig down and get high centered faster.

Now I'm in CA, and the highway patrol here apparently requires drivers to carry chains in some weather conditions. Are there any chains that are actually useful? It seems like you can't run chains aired down, so you'll float worse in the loose stuff. And on the highway it just doesn't matter unless it's a sheet of ice.

I'm looking at 2 types, one significantly more expensive than the other. Or I could just get the cheapest crappy cable "chains" and carry those to satisfy the law, even though they wouldn't be very useful. Does anyone have experience they can share with chains off road and/or on the highway with a good 4x4? What would you get?

https://tirechain.com/load-range-e-...x12-50-15-7mm-square-boron-alloy-tire-chains/

https://tirechain.com/load-range-e-...5-33x12-50-15alloy-vbar-two-link-tire-chains/

Just go back to Utah lol

 

[jdowney]

I drive an 1986 m1009, manual swapped, air lockers in both axles. 33x12.50r15 Wrangler MTRs.

In 10 years of winter off roading and highway driving in Utah I've never seen a need for chains. Roads are always fine for a careful driver with 4x4, and if the snow is deep and loose enough off road that you can't air down and float then chains just help you dig down and get high centered faster.

Now I'm in CA, and the highway patrol here apparently requires drivers to carry chains in some weather conditions. Are there any chains that are actually useful? It seems like you can't run chains aired down, so you'll float worse in the loose stuff. And on the highway it just doesn't matter unless it's a sheet of ice.

I'm looking at 2 types, one significantly more expensive than the other. Or I could just get the cheapest crappy cable "chains" and carry those to satisfy the law, even though they wouldn't be very useful. Does anyone have experience they can share with chains off road and/or on the highway with a good 4x4? What would you get?

https://tirechain.com/load-range-e-...x12-50-15-7mm-square-boron-alloy-tire-chains/

https://tirechain.com/load-range-e-...5-33x12-50-15alloy-vbar-two-link-tire-chains/

I really doubt you actually need chains. I used to plow snow with an M1008 at work, and the one time I put chains on it the mechanic expressed surprise (to put it politely, he was ex-Navy ) when he came in the next day - after he looked into it, he found that the night shift guy (I was on days) didn't know that you had to lock the hubs. So I had plowed wet, heavy snow for half of Sunday in 2wd before getting stuck and putting the chains on. Only addition to that truck was an extra 200 lb of lead in the back.

If the law just requires carrying chains, then I would go with the cheapest you can get. If you actually have to use them, then get the cam lock option on any set of ladder chains like the ones you pictured. The cam locks are a great addition for getting them tight. If you really are going to drive fairly extensively on pavement with the chains on, you'll want the expensive boron alloy ones (I've never used those) with bungees or some other tensioner backing up the cams. I've heard of the cams loosening but never had it happen personally.

V-bar are nice for icy conditions, but they make for a rougher ride.

Another place I worked I had v-bar chains for my work truck (2005 Ford, not a CUCV), the site was at the end of 14 miles of dirt road and sometimes I came in before it had been plowed. I used to throw the chains on the front if there was more than about 3" of snow - didn't need them, but I could drive like there was no snow at all if I had the chains on. It was worth the few minutes it took to put them on.

 

[D6T]

Another successful driveway plowing; thought I’d share a shot of the chains I’m using;

 

[Mainsail]

I can't believe anyone is moving *to* CA

Anyway, watch craigslist, chains are always available. If you have absolutely no intention of ever using them no matter the conditions, buy the cheapest set of cable-chains you can find even if they don't fit.

If you think you might use them, find a set that fits.

I have two sets for the 31x10.5 tires I have on my M1009 - one is the heavy duty set and the other is the passenger-grade set.

 

[nyoffroad]

In over two million miles I've driven the only time I ever used chains (other than towing) was twice and then I just tossed them down on the ice and kicked them under the drives and eased out the clutch, once I was away from the dock on a better surface I went and retrieved them. I know that's cheating.