Tire Chains

Well I drive paranoid and scared all the time, If I see guys chaining, Im chaining..What If they know somethin I dont? I dont know, I dont wanna be the only jerkoff in the ditch, or fricken caddy waumpus on the roadway, or anything..and i think im a pretty slick driver, better than most, and i could get up a hill better than anyone...but i dont, take the safer more guaranteed plan, even if it totally butchers your day and log...A wipeout and a 2k tow bill will make everyone madder, and mess up your day and log more!!

But Im not there, ever, so I dont know...
I have made it just about 30 years now, havent wiped out ever, never an issue, not even in ND oilpatch during frozen times..So, my mindset is probably good, safe..But it does stink, always drivin stressed...would rather be a chilled back cruiser like some of you!! LOL
Still tho, err on the side of caution, your mindset concerns me a tad...We'll get the stupid chains on somehow, and if we gotta do a 10, we gotta do a 10...Dont gotta sweat it cause its etched in stone and we cant legally be doing anything other than that...so, just write it off in your brain, live to see another day kinda thing


I was told yesterday to make sure I had 'cables' on the truck..for the super singles..bout to look that up..sounds easier already!!

 

great info guys which will come in handy if I ever have to chain up.

 

No state requires the use of 3 railers! Two singles are the same, single on inside dual and single on outside dual. Singles are easier to store not to mention to work with.

Applying chains on a big rig in the same fashion as a 4 wheeler? REALLY? Completely wrong!

Correct information here...especially if not running on snow pack. Wet asphalt and chains require the driver to pay attention to that ugly noise of WHAP WHAP WHAP.....hey driver you broke a chain!
To the OP....here ya go: http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/threads/chaining-are-you-ready.158771/

 

Very simple reason you can't just creep along without them. When the laws are up, #1 its a ticket,#2 if the roads really are bad enough to merit chains, you won't make it up the pass, and if you do you could easily slide down.

You don't yet realise how much traction chains add in the right conditions. And in those conditions how worthless or dangerous raw rubber is.

For instance the reason I generally end up in the hammer lane on I70 in CO. Because people who think they can Dodge the chain laws get stuck or spin out going up hill. I've personally gotten lucky in the instances that happened and they didn't broadside themselves shutting down the passes.

 

Most people are scared to chain because it closely resembles actual work. Won't get you very far in my neck of the woods....

 

Creeping along without chains at 15 mph works fine on level ground. But you won't get up a steep enough grade if conditions are bad enough. If you spin out, then try to put on chains you'll be doing it on the middle of the highway with traffic trying to run you over. Worst case is if you spin out, loose all traction and slide backwards down the hill with no control of the out come at all.
Logging truck goes backwards:

 

This is the end result of my first chaining attempt ever. The latch came loose and it slapped the hell out of the fender. I consider it a learning experience.

 

So now....you remove the fenders before running with chains on?

 

No I'll take next winter off.

Next time I won't wait so long to yank them off. Plus I figure if I had the bungie cords on it might not have come apart like that.

 

MIne did the same thing on both sides at different times. I had picked up free chains off the ground at various company terminals. Sometimes chains are made for bigger tires or whatever. Bought the right size chains now, no more problems.

To the original poster, when you go through the chain check area, they usually give you a little card with pictures of the way they want the chains and which tires to put them on etc. Watch for weather reports before you get into the area if you are thinking of not putting them on, kinda rude to occupy the chain up area for 10 solid hours. Better to hole up down the hill at a legit truckstop to wait it out.

Watch the videos and put the chains on and off in good weather to get the practice. Try to get it down to 5 minutes per chain, times 6 chains, should take only half an hour to get stopped, chained up and rolling up the hill. Even faster to get the chains off and out of the way again.