I popped my chain cherry.

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by PackRatTDI, Dec 24, 2015.

  1. S M D

    S M D Road Train Member

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    sacramento ca
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    They do work for sure. When the links get loose the bungies pull towards each other. Heck leave the chains on loose and don't tighten them hard just put bungies on and the chains will stay.

    Although if you put the chains on right you won't even be able to tighten all of the half moons and chances are they won't fall off..

    I've seen a few drivers drive on top of a 2x4 4x4 etc to lift the drives and chain up. Lol everyone has their own ways. Bungies sure do give you that peace of mind.
     
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  3. S M D

    S M D Road Train Member

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    I haven't stayed there more than just to fuel and change a tire and wash my truck I don't know how much parking is there for like 3 4 days and I don't think I want to ahah.
     
  4. Skate-Board

    Skate-Board Road Train Member

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    Merrimack, NH
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    I've been using those star bungee cords for 9 years now. I don't even tighten the half moon things. A few times I've asked another driver how they looked and he said they were tight. I have seen other trucks where the chains are flying 4" above the tire their so loose.

    The very first load I ever hauled was to Vernal, UT. It was winter and snow. After unloading I parked down town and had breakfast. I went inside a hardware store and asked if there was some place I could get chains. He said he sold them. He came outside, looked at my drives then we went into the back room and be made me a set!!! All from scratch. He had all these special tools to bend the chains. The handles were like 6' long. They lasted maybe 5 years.
     
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  5. mitrucker

    mitrucker Road Train Member

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    Great information on chain use. Now how about running winter wiper blades out there. They are well worth it imho.
     
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  6. Dustyroads38

    Dustyroads38 Light Load Member

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    Dec 23, 2015
    Vernal utah
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    They (cdot) throw on the chain law sign after the first flake hits the ground. I've chained up to go through Eisenhower, got pissed that there wasn't enough snow to justify throwing iron, pulled over pulled my jewelery, then spun all the way to the top of vail. I guess my point is this, cdot wants drivers chained up before roads get nasty, the drivers who disregarded the law probably didn't want to wear out their iron running on wet or slushy asphalt.
     
  7. PackRatTDI

    PackRatTDI Licensed to Ill

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    It wasn't slushy going south, it was pretty well snowpacked. Now going northbound I can kind of see why they wouldn't because it was just wet until you got 10 miles outside of Cortez, then it got progressively worse. Between Dove Creek and the junction with CO184 it was pretty much a white surface.
     
  8. daf105paccar

    daf105paccar Road Train Member

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    Packrat,your Volvo is a Ishift,right?
     
  9. PackRatTDI

    PackRatTDI Licensed to Ill

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    Yep.
     
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  10. PackRatTDI

    PackRatTDI Licensed to Ill

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    The only thing I noticed is that my traction control warning came on when I rolled, even though I was gaining traction. I guess the chains must have confused the traction control system. I turned it off, lol. Had no issues after that.
     
  11. unloader

    unloader Road Train Member

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    This might've been why they required chains.

    [​IMG]

    http://www.cortezjournal.com/article/20151224/NEWS01/151229941/‘Tangled-mess-of-semis-and-vehicles’-shuts-down-US-491

    Lived in Cortez for 20 years or so. I can probably count on one hand how many times that road has actually been shut down from bad snow. Seems like they did it to keep people from crashing.

    I agree, I wouldn't want to shut down in Dove Creek either! That's a small podunk town with nothing going for it. By the looks of your photo, looks like you shut down / stopped at the Casino in Towaoc? Looks like they also have a heavy snow warning throughout the weekend, so hopefully you hauled ### outta there!

    Seeing this thread, the news, and your pictures makes me feel great living in South Texas now. I love my always sunny, sometimes rainy route haha. If I never see snow again it will be too soon! lol

    Merry Christmas.

    unloader
     
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