Snow Chains

Our company is supposed to be trying a few out with some of our dedicated teams that run too and from WA a few times a week. Supposedly they love every thing but the cost. Drivers are saying it take less then 5 min to put a set on all 4 drives and that they work better then chains. @catalinaflyer might know more.

 

Yeah, Skate, we've seen the rubber bands for sale here and there. But no rubber band is going to keep a loose chain in line, or keep it from slapping and maybe getting loose. They do good if the chain is tight, for sure.

I heard a truck driver say he heard this from another driver, who heard it on the internet at a truck stop...that one of the state jurisdictions requires enough chains to cover all the drives and a full follower axle. (might have said 4 outers on the tandems, 4 somewhere) That's part of why I didn't put the chains I found in my storage tool box at home. I don't really care, but I surely do have iron for 12 wheels, that's enough chains!

 

Been using them for 9 years on loose chains. They work awesome!!!

 

Thanks, Skate. If I ever get around to throwing iron again, I'll get some. (Well, I guess I'd need to get them first) Right now I have a bunch of 15" tarp straps. I got them because I can use them in several applications. Of course, we know that means they won't all be there when I need them on my tire chains. It's always something.

I wanted to mention something I do that others might like to try. Each autumn, close to cold weather, I take out my chains, lay them out on the yard pavement, check them out, count them, and install them on all my drives. I like to practice in good conditions, then I hang them as kink free as I can. I don't know for sure, but I do it because I believe that if I need to chain up, it's going to go a lot better if I know what I have, and what I'm doing. Also, dropping the trailer and chaining is a whole lot faster and easier, and better, as long as the trailer doesn't cruise away down the hill on it's own.

 

Be careful Starboy, you can't trust a word that guy says. I think he just likes picking new chains up off the highway.

 

I appreciate the words of advice, Rank. Nice Pete.

 

I have a set in the box but I used the "go back to bed" method this trip and it didn't take me a single second to chain up at any of the passes. In the end I was only 4 hours behind all the ones who left ahead of me slapping iron.

 

My thought as well, Catalina. Take the time to chain up, drive slow (maybe 30mph, maybe not) stress a lot...we don't get that much for all the effort and yes, risk. Find a place to park, wait for the storm to move on (hopefully not in your exact direction of travel) let the highway crews work, roll on. Although I did recently purchase 8 new drive tires, Michelin XLine Energy D, and it would be interesting to test their traction capabilities in realtime.

 

Put chains on last night to get over Snoqualamie, pull out all clear and get over to the fast lane to give extra space for the other guys putting on their chains and a little pickup out of nowhere goes racing by on my blind side honking his horn and nearly clipping a driver putting on chains.

 

I put on 3 rail chains every trip I make. I use one that is cleated (off road chains or logger chains) and one that is the normal highway chains. This is on one drive axle only and no drag chains either. But, this is off road driving and I'm loaded going down hill and empty coming back up. The loaded trucks that use this road climbing out quite often have all three drive axles chained to get up the hill.