Why were my snow-chains breaking???

[Kintama]

I just don't get it, Throw the chains over the tires, drive 1/3 of a revolution back or forward... hook them up, drive ahead 20 ft, tighten, done... when you chain allot, you can get more particular... but that's good enough for what you guys are doing. W.T.F., laying on the ground... 10 minutes....

That's all fine and good until you throw them over the tire, back up, and the damn things fell, and now you have to redo it because you have a bundled up mess under the tire.

[COLT]

I KNOW, it happens... I still fight with chains, I have a set that are almost wore out, 2 weeks old, and I have cussed them soo many times... new 775 brigestones, high volume casings, new chains... by the time they fit good, they are no good to me! Don't backup too far Don't step on the side rail :evil: That makes me flip... :shock: I chain lots, "it" happens... Those who say, 2 sets in 4 minutes.... Thats coffee shop B.s. Take your time, relax, and it will only take a few minutes

[COLT]

P.S. If it dosn't work out the first time... IT IS, easier to just sart over...

[glasman2]

I'd like to know more about these chains RockyMtnProDriver was talking about.

[COLT]

TRYGG, The only suppler of good chains... These chains are shipped from Norway. they are good, expensive... but some people need them. The only brand we use in the patch

[RockyMtnProDriver]

I'd like to know more about these chains RockyMtnProDriver was talking about.

Have a look a this website and you can see a picture of V-bars.

http://tirechain.com/VBAR.htm

Notice that they recomend them for Ice and Off-road. You can apply that to deep snow also. Also, they show them as single chains but you can get them in triples also.

If you can break down to the pavment, then these might be a better choice.

http://tirechain.com/DUALTRIPLE.htm

[terrylamar]

So, what is the deal about snow cables? I understand they ride a little better and you can drive faster because of this. Do they grip as good, do they last as long and are they easier or harder to put on? Remember I'm from The Great State of Texas and I have no recent experience, meaning in almost 30 years, with snow chains.

[yoopr]

Cable Chains are about 1/2" wide and one chain per tire. you can fit the cable inside your grooves.
Very Light and used in AK alot and you can run at 50mph or so.

In the lower I just used 3-railers and not sure if states DOT recognize them any more down here or if you can even find them but I'm sure they're around somewhere.

[choperbob]

transport america

[chapchap70]

I deliver fuel oil and the company I work for has automatic chains on their trucks. I was able to test them out for the first time the past couple of days and they worked great. I was able to go up hills when almost empty. I'm not sure this is the company but the chains on the truck look just like the ones in the picture. I do not know how much they cost.


http://www.insta-chain.com/


Now if I can just get some for my boots so I can walk up the icy hills while pulling the hose.

[Brown67]

Whenever it snows up I-70 in Colorado you can count on the chain law going into effect. Problem Colorado has is it starts to snow up in the Mountains and trucks start up I-70 without chains and then get stuck or wreck. That backs up traffic for miles. If you want to see bad traffic try Saturday morning coming out of Denver with a wreck. All the skiers backed up for miles.

Traffic reports around here always mention when the chain law is in effect. I believe there are lighted signs that will show it too as you head up I-70 into the mountains.

[ssoutlaw]

I deliver fuel oil and the company I work for has automatic chains on their trucks. I was able to test them out for the first time the past couple of days and they worked great. I was able to go up hills when almost empty. I'm not sure this is the company but the chains on the truck look just like the ones in the picture. I do not know how much they cost.


http://www.insta-chain.com/


Now if I can just get some for my boots so I can walk up the icy hills while pulling the hose.

That's the weirdest thing I have ever seen...lol

[Brown67]

I deliver fuel oil and the company I work for has automatic chains on their trucks. I was able to test them out for the first time the past couple of days and they worked great. I was able to go up hills when almost empty. I'm not sure this is the company but the chains on the truck look just like the ones in the picture. I do not know how much they cost.


http://www.insta-chain.com/


Now if I can just get some for my boots so I can walk up the icy hills while pulling the hose.

That's the weirdest thing I have ever seen...lol

That's so cool. 8)

[west_coaster]

Those insta-chains rock! A lot of the shool buses have them out here, and an ambulance I used to run had them on it. The only drawback is they jingle like crazy when they're in the "up" position, but they do great in the snow and ice.

W.C.

[chapchap70]

ssoutlaw,

Are you saying that I introduced you to something You hadn't seen before?

[ssoutlaw]

ssoutlaw,

Are you saying that I introduced you to something You hadn't seen before?

You sure have! I haven't messed with chains sense the 80's I just wonder how good they work? I go to bed if I need chains anymore...lol Been there done that, you know what I mean...lol

[traveler15301]

I deliver fuel oil and the company I work for has automatic chains on their trucks. I was able to test them out for the first time the past couple of days and they worked great. I was able to go up hills when almost empty. I'm not sure this is the company but the chains on the truck look just like the ones in the picture. I do not know how much they cost.


http://www.insta-chain.com/


Now if I can just get some for my boots so I can walk up the icy hills while pulling the hose.

We run those insta-chains on all our fire engines here.
They are very good but are only "niche-fillers" IMHO. They are great for our fire trucks...always there, flip a switch and they are on! We used to run "traditional chains..but, you either had to leave them on all the time in inclement (with the chance that you would get a call when it wasn't bad then...either drop them quickly or run dry roads with chains on)weather or try to throw them on in a rush when you got a fire call and had to roll in bad weather. We also used a device called "tractioneers" for a while...they were REALLY cool....big flat steel bars across the duals laterally...attached with a turnbuckle...but they had the nasty tendency to come off...and when they did...they sort of ball up and lay in the middle of the road.....big traffic hazard. We lost one of those one time up on I-70 and this little chinese guy in a geo prism ran over it....totaled his little car!!!

Back to the topic...I would not count on any "out West" DOT guys counting the insta-chains as being adequate for the chain rule. They are great on ice and light to moderate amounts of snow...but with very heavy snow we found that they tended to bugger up a bit coming down and even engaging the sidewall to spin and then being able to throw the chain link under the tire. In really bad snow we do not engage them...just dig out the old tractioneers or rely on our tires (we run Firestone T831 I think...it looks like a monster mudder tire for 22.5's). They are not applicable for OTR though.

I have also always questioned weather the insta-chain will damage or wear the sidewall too much if you ever run them very far. We never have to....our fire trucks generally get less than 5k miles a year...and maybe 30-100 miles of that is with chains down...so it was never an issue. Our tires never even wear out the tread before we replace them...it is usaully just from dry rot or because we buy new ones every five years...need it or not. But, if one were to run them in an OTR application I would be wary.

Either way, I would never count on them alone...make sure your "traditional" chains are hangin' there...if you never need them so be it....but they are there if you do.

We had a saying in the old fire service...."its better to HAVE it and not NEED it, than to NEED it and not HAVE it"!! (that is also why our trucks are so crammed with sh@t that we can barely close the compartment doors!!----but we rarely, if ever, have need for something we do not already have!)