20 year driver, newbie to snow chains!

Read post #2 forget the rest.

 

Read his post again. He said he needs to figure out how to put them on. He is indisputably correct. Even if he never uses them, he at least needs to know how. Never say never when it comes to knowing how to properly use equipment that could eventually come into play.

 

I've only done the chain thing a handful of times, when I was running frac sand to a well site. That being said, I was familiar with how to put them on from my time working for a local township in the winter.

It's no big deal. For singles on drive axles only, Twenty minutes you should be done. Anything longer and you're screwing around. But a big part of this is having the chains hanging on the rack the right way when not in use. I've seen guys pull them out of their side boxes all tangled up in a ball. Then they spend half an hour just getting them untangled. Then they get their piece of wood out and drive on it, and slide the chain under the tire, and fight the things up around to the top, where gravity kicks in and makes it twice as difficult to hook them up.

Meanwhile, I've pulled my untangled chains from the rack, thrown them over top of the tire, tucked the one end under the front edge, pulled ahead a few feet. Now my hooks are on the back side of the tire. Hook them, then I bungee them, and close the cams, making them really tight. And off I go, fifteen minutes later. Easy

 

No brainer here but I thought I’d mention that a head lamp is a good thing to have. I had a flashlight in the dark cold and it was a real pain holding that light with one hand. Hands free is the way to go.

 

Oh brother. This reminds me about 2 years ago headed to Logan Utah on us 89. Started up the big hill next to bear lake no chain warning, 3 inches fresh wet snow. I get up to the first curve and notice I've stopped moving. I thought oh %$#@ ##$%%$#! The brakes were holding. So went for my chains and lock was rusted tight. Not good I thought. I'm pointed up a 6% grade. So I sat and relaxed for a few. This was 3am in the morning. I saw the snow plow pass me, as he plowed i noticed he was just turning snow into ice. Awesome. Screw it I thought so I locked the inter diff. No inner diff lock. I shifted to 3rd gear fully loaded to the max. And slipped the clutch than keep at 1200 rpm for at least a hour perhaps 2. Saw the plow drive past me a few more times. But I got up the 3 mile stretch. Got to Logan took a nap. Friction was my best friend that day.

 

I used them once on asphalt. All the rest of the times, it was off-road. Those hard pack dirt roads can get really slick when wet.

 

What about deflating tires and not hanging the "jewelry"? I reckon it could be useful sometimes.

 

if chains are required to drive, I will not be driving.
Chains on your truck doesn't stop idiot 4 wheelers from sliding into you.

 

Well, there's not much on any other day that would stop some idiot in a 4 wheeler from hitting you. But why take the risk for a load of toilet paper.

I don't have to run if it's bad enough for chains on the highway. The work we normally do usually allows us to work ahead of the storms we have around here. Then we sit and wait it out. We are only required to chain when we're in the bush and conditions require it. But those loads usually pay insanely stupid money.

 

Somebody corrected me before regarding this. You throw chains because they are required, not necessarily because they are needed. I have driven in conditions that are a lot worse without chains, than the conditions were when I was required to throw chains.