Thread: Tire chains- for you frigid people

It depends on your car, tires, and how you expect to use them.

Tires: some high performance tires aren't suited for chains at all. If you're running tires like that you probably also have wheels that you wouldn't consider putting chains on anyway and wouldn't drive it in the snow either.

Car. Is it a normal car with normal tires or do you have a fairly tight tire to wheel well clearance.

Chains:

There's the disposable plastic type things that you can put on if you get stuck in a driveway or something like that. They're fairly ineffective and will self destruct after a few uses or driving a ways. You'd have those if you think you might get stuck in the shopping center parking lot due to a freak snow dump. cheap. very light

For low profile use they have cable "chains" if you have clearance issues. basically steel cable in a cross pattern or with two loops that go on either side of the tire/wheel with cables going across the tread. Very low profile that will work with almost no clearance. Due to that they are not real effective in any sort of deep snow. They can make the difference and keep you going in hard packed snow or ice. They won't do a whole lot in deeper snow. Light and fairly inexpensive and can be driven at a fairly good speed (assuming they aren't tensioned with some sort of stretch mechanism like a bungy cord type of affair). Maybe 35 mph? If you have a car with low ground clearance you aren't going to be driving through deep snow anyway.

More conventional chains require more clearance but are more effective. They are heavy and the most difficult to put on. It's basically chain link. Gives you the most traction/dig but at the same time your max speed will be about 20 mph and the ride will rattle your teeth if you're not in deep snow.

All the chains go on by draping them over the tire and then connecting them at the bottom or moving the car a foot or so and fastening them. They either have some sort of tensioning mechanism that holds them tight (sort of). Usually something like bungy cords that you criss cross over the wheels, or they are adjusted one time off the car, or they come permanently sized.

The bungy cord type of tensioner is easiest but the chains will bulge the most as you're driving (centrifugal force) and they have a tendency to fail after some time. With the ones you adjust yourself off the car the tighter the better. Unfortunately, the tighter they fit the harder they are to put on. The permanently sized ones are reasonable to put on but looser/bulge more than ones you can adjust yourself.

It's not really practical to just drive around all day with your chains on so you're likely to be putting them on in the snow. It's not fun. Take that into consideration. Shop around a bit (google?) and look at all the different kinds. Might be a good idea to buy where you can take them home, fit them, practice putting them on and return them if you don't like them (don't drive on them).

Check with the locals. See what they use and how often. Think about if you're just going to drive the 1/4 mile to the plowed road and them them off or if you're going to have to drive all the way to work with them 5 or more times a winter. Unless you're going to be living in a rural area there is a very small difference between being able to drive with chains and completely impassable.

Snow tires are just like mud tires. You're familiar with those right? The idea is that the tread design differs from regular tires not so much in traction but the ability of the tread to evacuate/release snow/mud that gets packed into them. Naturally they have a more agressive/wider tread design as well.

I run Bridgestone Blizzaks on my MINI in the winter. They are the best snows I ever tried. I don't think many folks use tire chains in New England anymore. I have heard that in Oregon and other states they have laws requiring chains in certain areas identified as Snow Zones. Here's a place to shop for tire chains:

Buy Tire Chains & Snow Chains from the Traction Specialists©

I don't know if they're available in the US but I've always found Gislaved Nordfrosts to be excellent snow tyres which aren't too bad on dry roads either. They can also accept studs (where legal) which I'm not sure Bridgestones do.

I have a set of winter tyres on at the moment but to be honest the winter isn't cold enough for them yet. in the mountains there are places with signs that forbid you to drive without chains.
Now I know why Polish roads are so full of holes!
Living in the city I'm afraid I never use chains so I can't comment.