If you travel to the mountains or snowy areas regularly, sooner or later you’re going to have to use tire chains. Start by getting the right set for your vehicle at your local Les Schwab.
Quick-fit chains are not your grandpa’s tire chains. They are MUCH simpler to put on and take off. Here are a video, step-by-step instructions, and driving safety tips for installing quick-fit tire chains on your vehicle.
When you need chains, driving conditions are nasty. Snow is coming down, passing traffic is spraying slush, dirty water is dripping off your wheel wells, the road is slick, and it may be dark. Don’t make this the first time you put on your chains.
Practice installing your new chains once BEFORE you travel. Take advantage of a dry garage or driveway to make sure your winter tire chains are the right size and you’re comfortable putting them on. If needed, the professionals at Les Schwab Tire Centers can help.
Put together a simple winter road trip safety kit with warm gloves, waterproof layers, and other items to make your winter driving more safe and comfortable. In the winter, always carry this emergency kit and tire chains in your vehicle.
Once you’re comfortable installing your chains, you’re ready to hit the snow.
Be Safe. If you’re on the road, pull off as far as possible onto a safe shoulder. Flip on your hazard lights. Put on your waterproof layers, hat, headlamp, and gloves from your winter road trip kit.
Identify the Correct Tires. If your vehicle is front-wheel drive, the chains go on the front. If it’s rear-wheel drive, chains go on the back. If it’s all-wheel drive, please check your owner’s manual. If you’re not sure, you can ask the experts at Les Schwab for help.
Pull Out Chains & Instructions. With your vehicle parked, open the bag and pull out your instructions and your first chain. Each bag comes with two chains. The plastic instruction mat that comes with your chains can be used as a barrier between you and the snow to keep you dry.
Untangle Your Chains. Holding them from the plastic-covered cable, make sure everything is straight and the chains are not looped over one another. Hold up your chains so the yellow end is in your left hand and the blue end is in your right.
The chains should hang loosely and the metal hooks seen along the yellow and blue sections should be facing away from you so they don’t damage your tires.
Place Chains onto Your Tire and Connect the Cable. Lay your chains on the ground and push them behind the tire, yellow cable end first, from the right side to the left.
Once the chains are centered behind the wheel, grab both ends and pull them up over the top of the tire. You should feel the chains against your axle.
This will allow you to easily connect the yellow and blue ends of the cable by slipping one end into the other and pulling them into place.
Connect the Red Hook. Now that the cable is connected on top, look for the red hook directly opposite the cable connection. Connect the red hook on the right to the first available gold link on the left.
Check the Diamond Shape. Push the connected chain over the top of the tire. You should see the diamond shape in the chains against your tire. Between each of those diamonds is the center rail, which should be placed down the middle of the tire tread.
Connect the Red Chain Along the Bottom.
Now that the cable is connected on top, look for the red hook directly opposite the cable connection. Connect the red hook on the right to the first available gold link on the left. Push the connected chain over the top of the tire.
The bottom of the chains includes a red draw chain with bungee on your right, and a chain guide on the left. Pull these out towards yourself.
Take the long red chain and run it through the chain guide and pull as tight as you can with both hands. Don’t pull using the bungee. As you pull, one of the chain links will find its way into the notch on the red chain guide, locking it into place.
Using the bungee end of the red chain, pull it through one or both of the red loops and secure it to a gold-side chain opposite the red loops. If you can’t get it through both loops, that’s ok, pull tight through one and attach it to a side chain to the left of the loop.
Repeat on Second Tire.
Repeat these steps to install chains on the other side of your vehicle.
Drive Forward Slightly. The next step is to drive forward about 15 feet, or a full car length. This gives the chains a chance to relax and settle on your tires.
Re-tighten Chains. To take up any slack, unhook the rubber end of the red draw chain and pull it tight again. Once it’s tight, guide the red chain through the loops and, again, securely latch the bungee end to the gold-side chain.
The chains should be tight on the tire. And, be sure to stop if you hear them making any contact with your vehicle. If your chains are still loose, unhook the bungee and adjust the red hook straight across from the chain guide. Unhook and reattach to the tightest position on one of the three gold chain links. It’s okay if the extra links are hanging loosely. Now, you’re ready to reattach your bungee.
While driving with tire chains, listen for a loud sound of slapping, or metal on metal. If you hear any indication that a chain may be broken or hitting your car, STOP as soon as safely possible. Loose or broken chains that flap can wrap around a strut or shock component, causing big damage to your vehicle. To help prevent damage, here are a few tips for driving when you have winter chains installed on your vehicle.
Pull over in a safe location and remove the chains. Start by unhooking the bungee and chain from the guide, removing them from the tensioner. Unlatch the red hook, and then undo the blue and yellow cable connection. Once all of your chains are off and lying flat on the ground, pull backward or forward slowly a few feet so you can safely pick them up.
At the end of your trip, lay your chains out in the garage and let them dry. If you pack them wet, they can rust.
Also check them for wear, especially if you’ve driven them on asphalt for any distance. Look for flat spots, and replace the chains if you find some.
Link at left shows flattening from wear. Link in center shows sharp edge from wear that can damage a tire.
Remember, if you don’t use your chains all winter long, you can return them with proof of purchase to any Les Schwab for a full refund in the spring.
Get your next set of Quick-Fit chains, along with a few tips on how to install them, at your local Les Schwab, where doing the right thing matters.
Want more tips on winter road safety? See 19 Winter Driving Resources You Can’t Do Without.
Get More Winter Tips
By Kurt Spurlock
If "Jingle Bells" has taught us anything, it's that dashing through the snow seems like a damn good time.
Laughing all the way and making spirits bright, all while "Miss Fanny Bright" rides shotgun? Sounds pretty dope. Dashing off the side of the road in an uncontrolled skid, on the other hand... Much less dope.
Contents
Easy
10 minutes
Of course that song was written in 1857, and chances are whatever you're driving has something a bit more substantial than "one horse" under the hood, in which case you're going to want to learn how to put on snow chains before taking off o'er the fields. Here's how to go about that.
Gloves are a good idea. Hat choice is a more personal matter.Proper fitment is the first and arguably most important step for choosing and using snow chains. Get a set that's too small, and you won't be able to get them on the tire.
Go too big, and you won't be able to snug them down properly, which is both unsafe and can tear up your tires and wheels in short order.
The good news here is that finding the right size snow chains for your car is also the easiest part of the process. All you need to know is your tire size.
If you already know what size rubber your car is sporting, you're ready to shop. If you're not sure, just walk out your front door and take a look at the sidewall of your tires.
The number you're looking for is typically written in big letters, separated by slashes, dashes, or spaces. Some are smaller and less obvious than others, but it should look something like the "255/30ZR20" in the image below:
Everything you need to find the right size chains is written on the side of your tires.Generally speaking, snow chains are pretty low-tech and have been around forever, and all work in more or less the same way by stretching lengths of chain over the tread of your tires to better "bite" into the snow and ice underneath.
With that being said, some are simpler and/or more crude than others.
The two main factors you'll want to consider are (a) ease of installation and (b) how much you care about your wheels.
As far as installation goes, as we'll detail below, most chains require you to lay them out, drive over them, then secure them to your tires. Others use a "quick-fit" system that can be installed start to finish on a stationary vehicle. As you'll read, neither option is particularly difficult with a little practice, but just know some snow chains go on easier, faster, and with fewer steps than other.
In terms of your wheels, the important thing to note is that some chains lay across the surface of your wheels, while others only touch the rubber surfaces of your tires. If you're a stickler for keeping your wheels nick, scratch, and ding free, you'll likely want to shop around for a set that doesn't stretch across the surface of your rims, or at least uses a protective/soft surface at any contact points on your wheel.
Right. Down to business.
As stated above, some snow chains use unique hardware to attach and tighten, but 99% of chains all share the same basic attachment procedure. Here's how to go about that.
Step 1: The first thing you want to do is find somewhere safe and out of the way to park while you install your chains. Make sure your wheels are straight and that you set the parking brake before getting started. Safety first and all that.
Step 2: Next, take out your snow chains and determine which side of the chains hold all the fastening/tensioning mechanisms. Some use hooks, some use cams, and some use ratcheting systems, but they all use something. Whatever your chains use, you want to ensure the side with the fastening hardware goes on the outside of the tire.
Step 3: Once you've got heads or tails of which side is which, it's time to drape the chains over your tires. Which tires your chains go on depends on whether your vehicle is front, rear, or all-wheel drive. Snow chains always go on the driven wheels, so front-wheel drive cars get chains on the front, rear-wheel on the rear, etc.
If you're driving an all-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive vehicle, typically your chains will go on the front tires to boost traction when steering, but always double-check your owner's manual because those folks probably know your car better than we do.
Right. Start out by draping your chains over your tires, taking care to center them as much as possible with the middle of your tire tread. What we want here is for the bottom inch or two of your chains to sit on the ground, tucked directly in front of the tire, while the remaining slack hangs back toward the rear of the vehicle.
Step 4: Next, hop back in your car, release the e-brake, and drive about two feet straight forward to get both open ends of the chains around to the rear of the tire.
Set the e-brake again, hop back out, and connect the open ends of the chains on both the inside and outside of your tires.
Step 5: Once the chains are connected, it's time to tension them down. The goal here, regardless of how your chains tighten, is to get your snow chains snug enough that they won't squirm around as you drive. Tighten your chains down until you can't wiggle them around on your tread by hand.
Step 6: Once everything feels nice and secure, get back in your vehicle and drive 2-3 car lengths straight ahead. Once again, park and set your e-brake, then get out and recheck the tension of your snow chains.
Driving this short distance allows your chains to "settle" and distribute any remaining slack. Give both chains a good tug to make sure they're still safely secured to your tires. If either one has loosened up, tighten them down again, then repeat this step. Once you've confirmed your chains are nice and tight, you're all done and it's time to hit the road.
Once your chains are secured, proceed to drive as you normally would in snowy or icy conditions. If you missed our guide on how to drive in the snow, now is the time to check it out.
Apart from that, there are two main things to keep in mind when driving with snow chains on your car.
First, you should never drive over 25mph with jewelry on your tires, no matter how well you've snugged them down. Snow chains create an imbalance on your driven wheels, which can lead to high-speed wobbles or outright failure at faster speeds. Both of which are a serious safety issue, so don't risk it.
Second, once you get through the snowy portion of your drive, you should take your snow chains back off immediately. On dry pavement, snow chains damage the roads, aggressively wear down your tires, and can even be worn down to the point of failure after a few short miles. We know taking them on and off is a pain (especially when it's painfully cold outside), but keeping them on just isn't worth the risk or expense.
New products of the online store are presented by our experienced consultant Sergeyich. Today we are talking about means of increasing cross-country ability on snowy roads.
If you do not get to the sign, then we have lost their road from the road
Humor from the network
of our person not to scare the snow.
There is no need to persuade people to change into winter tires today either - the clatter of thorns on the cleared city asphalt is constantly heard. Yes, but it is not everywhere, this same asphalt. For example, I prefer real winter to urban slush - with snowdrifts, country trips, ski resorts, and so on. And therefore I know perfectly well: without preparation, it is both stupid and dangerous to travel on such roads. In some cases, winter tires alone are not enough - and in some places they simply won't let you in! Something else is needed...
When the wheels are sunk in snow (or any other soft ground), it is useless to step on the gas. Sit on your belly, burn the clutch - in general, it will become very bad. Previously, in such situations, I put everything that came to hand under the wheels - boards, branches and everything else. But today a more civilized solution is known - the so-called trucks. Sometimes they are called sand trucks, but the essence of this does not change.
We are talking about profiled plates made of aluminum, steel or plastic - there are a lot of options. On my own behalf, I’ll add that heavier metal tracks can be straightened during deformation - unlike light and bright plastic ones, which “make a mistake only once”. nine0003
Using the tracks is not very difficult: just push the product under the buried drive wheel in the direction of the machine. By the way, in some cases I had to use the truck as a stand for the jack. Those who have had to change a wheel on a snowy road will understand me right away. By the way, I completely forgot - such products are not tied to the brand of the car ...
The chain is just such a "bells and whistles", without which you will simply not be allowed on some European roads. Of course, you can buy them somewhere closer to the Alps, but I prefer to prepare for long trips in advance. Yes, and my budget is not rubber. nine0003
Car snow chains are a kind of car seat cover.
They usually consist of two longitudinal chains or cables running around the circumference of the wheel, which are connected by transverse chains that increase the car's flotation on snow, ice, etc. The service life of chains is a priori higher than, say, belts or bracelets. Let me remind you right away that chains are not universal - they must be selected specifically for your car. And if you change the car, then it is quite possible that you will have to say goodbye to the chains. By the way, if you have very low-profile tires, then you may not find chains for it. But who will go to the Alps on low-profile tires? nine0003
I would not call the installation difficult - you just need to carry it out before entering the problematic section of the road. It takes me ten minutes on the strength. "Snow" chains are mounted in one step, and the final "landing" occurs automatically when the car is moving. There are also so-called mud chains, but today we are interested in snow expanses.
Although the meaning is obvious: we are going to the dacha on asphalt - we don’t need to wear anything, we moved out to a muddy area with ups and downs - we can put it on. By the way, all the chains help to keep the car in oncoming sidings with a slope of the road. Off-road driving requires a certain culture, believe me! I will add that mud chains do not have a self-tensioning mechanism, they have nothing to clog. Moreover, they are cheaper than "snow". From personal experience, I will say that after installing mud chains, it is advisable to get out of the car literally after a dozen meters and hold on to the chain. nine0003
By the way, there are still distant relatives of chains - the so-called composite chains. Sometimes they are called nets because of the characteristic tread pattern. I recommend them only for short snowy sections of the road: after all, this is not so hot what a reliable little thing. However, as my colleagues note, if a car has expensive alloy wheels, then it is much easier to damage them with chains than with nets.
I won't argue with that.
It is better to put them on all four wheels - remember this. And it doesn't matter if you have an all-wheel drive car or not. The meaning is clear: the car must brake well! Chains are selected precisely according to the standard size. However, my acquaintances assure me that neither the manufacturer nor the police insist on purchasing two sets of chains for all wheels: one set per axle is enough. But I am convinced that when installed on all wheels, efficiency will only increase! nine0003
Bracelets for wheels - this kind of chain, sawn into pieces - from afar you can and confuse! 5-6 pieces are put on each wheel, although sometimes only one is enough to get out of a snow trap. I know from my own experience that bracelets can be mounted both in advance and already "after" - although the latter, of course, is heavier. By the way, you can’t spoil the porridge with oil: the more bracelets on the wheel, the better. But they wear out more than a classic chain.
nine0003
When purchasing bracelets, be sure to consult the seller: some wheels cannot be put on. This happens if, for example, the slots in them are too narrow, and also if the wheel itself is so small that the bracelet starts to catch on the caliper.
Don't expect a particularly smooth ride with bracelets. But on the snow they row confidently - I personally checked it on different machines. I note that bracelets have good versatility: the exact size when buying is not needed. One set is suitable for all passenger cars, the second for all crossovers, and the third for SUVs. The difference is in the length of the belt and the number of links. But in general, bracelets can be called the most democratic helpers of a novice "rogue": to be honest, special knowledge is not needed when choosing them. nine0003
Belts for wheels are, like bracelets, also the younger brothers of chains. They are usually made from some kind of synthetic material - most often from polyurethane.
However, I have also seen plastic products with metal lugs - there are quite a few options. Some manufacturers use the term "overlay" - in my opinion, this is almost the same plastic accessory with a different appearance. But in any case, they are distinguished from chains and bracelets by their lower strength. In general, I would classify them as pretty trunk dwellers rather than tough off-road fighters. Although for a gift under the Christmas tree it is an ideal thing: cute and at the same time by no means useless. You just need to remember that you can install them, like bracelets, not on every wheel. I constantly remind all my friends: if there are narrow slots on the wheel or if the wheel size is such that any belt starts to cling to the caliper, then the purchase will have to be abandoned. nine0003
Here, in a nutshell, is all I wanted to say about the main modern ways to increase the car's cross-country ability. If you need additional advice or assistance in the selection, please contact our online store! And if at the same time you refer to this article, you will receive an additional five percent discount!
Good luck on snowy roads!
Chains, bracelets and wheel belts: freedom on the winter road
Today we are talking about means of increasing cross-country ability on snowy roads. nine0064 Chains, bracelets and wheel belts: freedom on the winter road
Due to the fact that winter or even studded tires are used almost everywhere in Russia in winter, snow chains did not receive widespread. Except, maybe, areas of complete impassability.
Contents
Whereas in Europe, on the contrary, few people use studded tires. And when traveling to ski resorts, on some roads you may encounter a mandatory requirement to use snow chains. nine0003
You will be informed about this by the relevant road sign. And the fact that you can have winter tires installed will not matter. So for peace of mind, it's better to have chains in the trunk.
New vehicles are often offered with different wheel/tyre sizes.
Some of them may not be suitable for fitting snow chains.
The problem is that installing chains adds a few centimeters to the width and diameter of the tires. This means that with some wheel/tire combinations, the snow chains will hit the body, suspension or parts of the braking system, which can lead to serious consequences. nine0003
Circuits can also interfere with the correct operation of electronic sensors mounted on the steering wheel.
The vehicle manual must clearly state which wheel size the manufacturer allows snow chains to be used with.
If the chains cannot be used with the wheels installed on your machine, then your only option is to buy a second set of wheels/tyres.
You should only use snow chains where the road surface is completely covered by compacted snow or ice. nine0003
If signs require the use of snow chains, they must be fitted to all vehicles. Including those equipped with both winter and studded tires.
If you attempt to use the chains on a road that has been cleared of snow, you risk damaging the road surface and the vehicle. If you damage the road surface, you may face a large fine.
Therefore, as soon as you reach a section of the road free of snow or ice, you must select a level place and remove the chains. nine0003
It can be quite inconvenient to install or remove chains, for example when the wheel arches are filled with snow and your gloved hands are wet and cold.
So when you buy chains, don't just throw them in the trunk and forget about them. The practice of installing them at home when the weather is warm and dry, and you feel much more confident when you have all the necessary tools at hand, will help to cope with them in more difficult weather conditions. nine0003
At least one pair must be used on the drive wheels.
But two pairs are better, especially if you spend a lot of time in conditions where snow chains are a must.
As a general guide:
As a general rule, traction control (a system that controls the amount of slip on the vehicle's drive wheels to prevent them from spinning during acceleration) should be disabled when snow chains are used.
It is important to drive carefully with snow chains fitted. For cars with chains, different countries have their own speed limits. Reduce speed when cornering and avoid sudden acceleration and braking. nine0003
A few tips for using chains:
