2x4's for chains

With 105k+ on,on a dirt road,with a hill. If you don't hit 50mph before the hill,you're going to start to slide backwards,down hill,on a dirt road,with 105k+ on.

 

Oh I know what you're saying!

 

There are times when a single three trailer would get you by all day long. Other times your chaining five+ axles. There was a time when s driver could make $400 a day just by chaining up.

 

The 2x4", or 4x4" ramp stuff is just a waste of time.

You will be slipping and sliding on the stupid blocks, shooting them out your tires, getting them trapped between the duels, searching for them in the snow, and running back to get them when all done.

If everything is untangled and laid out right, it is a simple thing just to roll over chains and get them done.

I will say one other thing. I don't screw around with bunges, tarp straps, or any of that nonsense. It does nothing but waste time; get them tight in the first place. And then tighten them again.

 

True that!

My old man used to throw a couple sets of triples 2 or 3 times a day. Never put bungees or anything on them ever. Like you said its a not needed.

When you rely on chains as much as the off highway guys you can't afford not to take the time to maintain them (ie trimming off the excess links as they stretch, replacing worn out cross links etc).

 

I've never used the 2x4's or ramps, that's just an extra step, and I'm always throwing triples so it wouldn't work for me. In my opinion if you are going to drive up a 2x4 you may as well just drive over the chains like normal because you aren't saving any time. And once you've put on singles you will laugh at how easy they go on and off.

Go someplace empty and practice putting them on a couple times. Try putting them on rolling forward onto them, and backward onto them. Reason, sometimes when you spin out and need chains that truck will only move one direction, downhill. When you roll on them make sure the extra chain is tucked up snug against the tire in front of the direction you are going to roll so you don't need to roll very far, and make sure your links are out of the way, as well as any tighteners on the side rails, so you don't pinch them closed.

Once on, tighten them up, bungee them up, and drive for a few miles. If you can hear them clinking then pull over, un-tighten everything, grab an extra link or two, and tighten everything back up. If chains are snug you really don't hear them. With most chains you'll have some extra links flopping around (the "tails") so when you hook your chains you should grab the ends of the tail and put that over the hook, then hook the chains like normal. That way your tails aren't beating against your bumpers/mud flaps/whatever. Or if you carry zip ties or a little wire, you can hook your tails that way, it is just more work. If you have snug chains already you might not have tails to worry about.

After use, make sure you check your chains when you get back somewhere with light, throw them out some place clean and make sure you don't have any worn links, or pinched links or tighteners, and that all the hooks are in good shape. Sometimes you'll drive over a piece of the chains and bend a hook shut, or warp a tightener and you want to catch that and fix it before you need the chains again.

As far as bungees/spiders/tighteners go, I use them. They are just added security that if the chains I'm running are loose they might not slip over a tire or slip down into the duals, especially if the chains I'm stuck using are junk. It doesn't take long to throw them on because I keep them on my trailer right near the drivers so I don't have to go digging them out.

Once you have a good system going you'll throw singles on in 5-10 mins. That's not much time spent for a little extra piece of mind.

 

When you guys chain up, are you just laying them on the ground and driving on top of them? Why not just throw them over the top and roll ahead or back a foot or 2 and then hook them up? Seems counterproductive to try and pull those heavy chains up and over.

 

Taking them off the hanger, throwing them over the outside tire, throwing them across both of the duals, tucking the slack against the wheels, lining up my ends so they won't get squished, rolling onto the chains, go back, give them a hard shake to work out the slack and hook the middle, the inner and then the outer as tight as I can, tighten them up with the "T" tool on the outer rail, slapping on my bungee spiders, and heading down the road.

 

I made a pair for my pickup for chaining up at elk camp in Colorado. They work very nice when there is snow on the ground and no place flat.
I bought a set of made in the USA chains in Craig Colorado and they are better than the imported ones. THE most important part of chaining up is keep the tensioners tight. Brake chambers and air lines do not like necklaces!
If you want I could post a picture of the blocks I made when I get home.

 

I have used chains where the inside hook was missing. Bungee cord and tie wraps kept it together. Never got over 15 mph.

I never cut off tthe excess chain. Just another added expense when you get new tires and now your chains are too short. I do use a bungee to secure the end. Don't use the spider bungee either. I do use regular bungees at times but i can also do the inside as well as the outside. The three railers i had did not have the tensioners.

In 5 years I have only had to chain up twice. Once was mandatory going over McDonald pass and the second time was in a muddy field.