Chains broke while driving.

I laughed.
I'll admit it.


Do you think you need to chain for every flake of snow you see?.... The side streets / state routes / US routes are less well maintained than the highway system..... If the highway is clear, odds are pretty good that the alt routes don't require you to be chained.... I'm thinking you don't want to do it 10 times a day, and you probably didn't have to do it even once to begin with.

Where you from? Sunny State where they #### their pants promptly upon seeing an inch of snow.... Georgia, perhaps?

 

Bare roads and 45-50, they'll come apart quickly.

I understand not wanting to chain multiple times, but the only other option is to break a lot of chains, tires, fenders and anything else those chains can catch when they are coming apart. A night a couple weeks ago I chained 4 times and with huge heavy gauge 3-rail chains. I was miserable, sore, wet, and splashed by slush and salt spray each time a vehicle or plow went past. Some plow drivers think it is funny to splash us while we are chaining up. Fun times.

As a general rule chains shouldn't be run on bare/wet roads for more than is absolutely necessary and not above 20-25mph max. Even that will wear them down. I try really hard not to run chains on the freeways where I operate because they don't let snow pile up deep enough to justify it and by the time you want to kick them off the traffic is moving too fast to make it safe to pull over.

 

I'd rather you chained 100 times and didn't need to then not chain once and cause an accident, especially if you are sharing the road with me. Chaining sucks, but not being brave enough to admit you want to run chains sucks worse. I've run chains a few times when I didn't need to. Been laughed at over the CB, had people curse me for not running barefoot and 55mph. And I've also passed plenty of trucks smashed up against barrier walls and nose down in ditches while I'm clanking away in my chains.

 

It seems inspecting things prior to needing them is a thing of the past.

 

I tend to think many people know of the 20-25 mph speed limit on chains. But after running 2-4 hours at those slow speeds, one might get a little bored and lose the discipline to not want to "stomp it" after rolling like a slug.
I'd say just put those things on long enough to get you to a rest spot and park it if you know you'll lose it after a few hours.

 

Guess it's a good idea to look at those weather maps and check the extent of the storm. Nothing ruins your day quicker than noticing that gray area of garbage is encompassing a 2,000+ square mile region and there's no escape for a few days.