Chain Pay?

Thank you for popping in. How are you doing? Hopefully much better

 

Does anyone even use chains that don't have the cam tighteners? We have some trailer chains without them and some of the off road trucks construction trucks that stay chained up all day use them.
I don't know of too many people running the old style chains or who would even know how to get them tight.

Another chain tip. Always carry a tightening tool for the cams. Paint it some god awful bright color so when you drop it in the snow or lay it down and forget where you put it it will show up better.
A good idea is to drill the end, put on a carabiner and a lanyard and hook it onto a belt loop.
Carry an extra.

 

Yes you are..

 

I can’t imagine chains without the cam. I think even if I had to I’d cut the chains and add them in. The more the better.

 

That looks like my Twin brother. I always felt bad that he had all the good looks in the family n

 

A blast, snowing heavily, 3 am, dark, no lights at all, first time putting chains on, once in a lifetime event, took me 45 minutes, that was 24 yrs ago, today, I'm down to 20 minutes or less

 

I was about fifteen the first time I put on chains. They sent me up to the woods with a pickup and parked where the drivers turned off the pavement onto the unplowed logging road. I spent all day helping the drivers put on their chains. There were ten trucks on the haul and they were making four trips a day. I got lots of experience in a very short time.
Made twenty dollars too.

 

The biggest thing that irritates me when I watch others put chains on is that They drive onto thier chains. Ive always been a firm beluever that if you cant hang iron without moving the truck then you dont have any business even carrying them.

Most of the times that I have really needed chains have been situations when the truck wasnt moving an inch without them. I hang the chain over the tire evenly, hook the ends as tight as I possibly can (using a long screw driver to pry the hook into the tightest link I can get it in, then tighten the cams. All theough the process I'm pulling and tugging on the chains to remove as much slack as possible.

If I'm stuck that is usually enough for me to pull out of the mess and remove the chains. If I'm actually traveling down the road with chains on, I will pull forward 5 to 20 feet (available space dependant). Then I release all the cams, take the hook 1 to 3 links tighter (again using the screw driver), then retention the cams (this usually requires a cheater for at least 2 of the cams).

Properly installed chains should not loosen very much while traveling distances of less than 50 miles.

This pic is after 50 miles of travel with no retentioning after initial install and tensioning...

 

Finally had to throw chains on in a decade. But it was in a private yard of all places. The area where tankers are dropped is down hill. Hooked to an empty and completely started spinning as soon as I hit the uphill path to the parking area.


Front Range mayhem!!