Annual tire chain thread

Reddog1 wrote:

1 I have read cable chains are not legal in some states. Any truth to that?
Wayne

This link from Laclede Chain Manufacturer has links to each state's DOT and summarizes the chain laws. For the western states cable chains are acceptable. The only restrictions on cable chains that I'm aware of are on >>26,000 lbs commercial rigs in certain states. However depending on the road conditions the DOTs in CA, OR and MT reserve the right to require a "particular" tire chain or chain configuration.

If you are traveling over passes in California large pickups and those with campers are supposed to have chains on, as CA has not updated their Vehicle Code.

California -

CA Vehicle Code, Division 12 'Equipment of Vehicles', Chapter 5 'Other Equipment', Article 4 'Tires' Section 27459 and 27460

R1 - Section 27459. ".... In any case where a passenger vehicle or motortruck having an unladen weight of 6,000 pounds or less may be required by the Department of Transportation or local authorities to be equipped with tire traction devices, the devices shall be placed on at least two drive wheels, or the department or local authorities may provide, in the alternative, that the vehicle may be equipped with snow-tread tires ...."

R2 - Section 27460. "Any passenger vehicle or motortruck having an unladen weight of 6,500 pounds or less and operated and equipped with four-wheel drive and with snow-tread tires on all four drive wheels may be operated upon any portion of a highway without tire traction devices, notwithstanding the fact that the highway is signed for the requirement of those devices ..."

My curb weight on the 1 ton dually according to Dodge is 7,147 (Dodge doesn't use a full fuel tank for this measurement)

Washington - "Traction tires required - Passenger vehicles must use approved traction tires. Chains are required on all vehicles over 10,000 gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), including large passenger trucks and SUV's over 10,000 GVWR."

Oregon - "Traction tires may be used in place of chains on vehicles rated at 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight or less and that are not towing or being towed." Oregon Administrative Rule 734-017 'Chains or Traction Tires'

Reddog1 wrote:

4 Is the need for chains as important as the west coast makes it out to be?
Wayne

Yes, if you can't wait for conditions to change. Regular chains will handle wet heavy snow. More aggressive chains work better on very icy roads and deeper snow (Cascade or Sierra storm dumping, 1-2 feet). While ice storms are rare in the west, more common is the temperature warming up and raining on the compacted wet snow which makes it very slippery. California R3.

If you are going to get chains because you travel often in winter, you might as well get ones that work well in all conditions to get you safely in and out. That would be the cross bar reinforced or V-bar chains.

Cable chains don't work as well in wet heavy snow, nor on very icy roads (cables need to be a little loose for the rollers on the cross sections to bite, most people have them on too tight). The advantages of cable chains are they are light and run much more smoothly on bare pavement when Cal-Trans flips the sign to R1 or R2 with too little snow on I-80 or the other passes.