Chain up question

[brholt]

More winter driving questions 🙂

If you are in 4x4 and still want to use a pair of chains for better control, where do you put them on a dually? The Washington state winter driving site is no help here.

[artguys]

PRodacy...we have to be responsible for what we post. What you or I and or someone else with the experience can run with as normal most reading these posts take as gospel and run with it. Someone out there with no experience is usually in for a jolt when confronted with chain up requirements for the first time. It's the same for any info given on a forum platform. As for long term use goes I know of no chains available that are intended or designed for that purpose...they are destined to fail without constant checking and adjusting.

[PRodacy]

Artguys..Thanks for your response. I'm not worried about use for a short time (whatever that may be). I was wondering about extended use. We often go to the higher, snowier areas in Colorado and people will often use chains for days or weeks at a time. I'm still a bit concerned about wear, so I'll still check the sidewalls regularly. Just looking for options.

Try using blocks to install chains like IO suggested in my earlier post. You won't have to lay on your side at all. you can justy kneel down by the wheel and adjustments are super easy. Been using this method for many years, and can easily install chains on all 4 tires in less than 5 muinutes. If the description isn't clear, let me know and I'll try explaining it better.

[Bedlam]

I think that clearance is the issue with most people that had trouble running chains up front (PRodacy's post reflects my experiences). We've been doing this long before FWD cars were popular and once they showed up, the number of low profile chains and cables gave us many more choices.

[artguys]

PRodacy...for someone who is only transiting a area the chains wont be on that long...and again when it's chain up time you'll know how difficult it is when you're laying on your side in snow and below freezing weather all stretched out trying very hard to make everything fit just right.

[PRodacy]

If you chain the outside wheels on a dually, do you have any issue with the chain tearing up the sidewalls of the interior tire? Doesn't seem like it would be any different than having the chain rub on the tire with the chains on them, but anm I missing something?

Regarding whether to put chains on the front or rear, in really bad conditions, if you only have one set of chains, I've had better luck putting them on the front of my Jeep. Steering is definitely better, adn I've never had any indication that he rear would try passing the front going downhill. When using chains, you'll probably be driving very slowly, so the slight bumping won;t hort ball joints or any other suspension parts. The main thing to ook for is to put the chains on, then turn the wheels to full lock both left and right to make sure you habve enough clearance between the chain and ball joints, etc. Most vehicles don't. Using the thin cable chains on the front and regular chains on the rear works well.

Want to know how to easily install the chains? Just lay out the chain in front of the tire, then put 2 pieces of wood (I use a 2 x 6 about as long as the tire is wide) between the links about halfway down the chain. Drive onto the wood blocks. The chain will now be loose and you can easily move it around the tire, adjust it, etc. Tighten it down, then drive off the wooden blocks, retrieve them, and you're on the way. Only takes a couple of minutes per tire, and you can do both side (or all 4) at once as long as you bring enough blocks.

[MTRhino]

Growing up in the mountains of MT I have driven many miles with chains on and put them on in many interesting situations. In an empty pickup, chaining the front will provide the most traction and also do the most damage to the front end components. Tie rod ends, CV joints, CV boots and ball joints take a bunch of abuse when bouncing and jerking around looking for traction on a 4X4 vehicle. When loaded with a camper I would chain the rear outside, if you have single chains or purchase a set of dual chains designed for dual wheels, as the heavier loaded axle will then have the best traction and put the least wear and tear on your vehicle. I have torn up a few front ends by chaining only the front of a 4X4 and never done it when chained all the way around, but make sure the chains are tight and check them often to keep them tight. I think the best advice when hauling the camper is stay home or pull in somewhere for a day or two until the storm is over the road has be plowed and sanded, besides I never need an excuse to spend a few more days camping!

[artguys]

The reason for not chaining steering tires is because the failure rate is high, either from coming off from a improper install or material. Once this happens they can be logged in different areas that are critical to the safe operation of the vehicle...most often the steering linkage.

As for not installing them on the inside duals? It not required...and so the next time you feel so inclined, go ahead and you will know why most don't. For the average user it rarely comes to that and when it does it not 72 degrees, sunny and dry. And most unpracticed users have enough trouble installing them on the outside duals.

[Raften]

Chains or cable on just one steer wheel, interesting. I have never chained up with the TC on but I did have to discuss it for a long time at one of the chain stops. They relented when I convinced them I had just come from 25 miles on a steep non interstate road with two feet of fresh snow and no chains.

[Bedlam]

I grew up in an area that hovered right at the freezing point all winter and am very familiar with the oil-slick icy conditions (freezing fog and black ice made chain use impractical many times). When young we felt it didn't matter if you could move forward or back if you couldn't steer, so many times we only chained up or studded the front of our RWD vehicles. Back then most were manual transmissions with open differentials and you learned how to smoothly apply and disengage power to the drive wheels because sudden moves usually resulted in getting stuck or sideways. These vehicles were lighter in the rear than the front so maybe that is why we did not have problems with the rear passing the front. However I have also lived along the Eastern and Western coastal states of the US and in Central Europe. Every place had different conditions when it froze or snow fell. I'm sure I have developed some abnormal driving habits due to this diversity.

[AKsilvereagle]

We do not use chains too often here during the winter in Interior Alaska....

The majority of set ups I have seen for residents living up in the foothills with 4WD - configure them with "chains" on the rear (outside rear with duallys), along with a smaller "cable" assembly installed on one of the front tires for steering traction purposes...

The winter elements here in my area for example in the valleys are much colder temps, compared to the foothills in which 200 feet or higher over the valley tends to be much warmer during the winter, as it is quite common to be driving up a hill climbing 200 to 500 feet higher in elevation where it would be anywhere between 10 to 30 degrees F warmer versus the valley you just driven out of 5 to 10 minutes ago.

When the elements are right, someone would leave a valley at -5 below F with slick roads that are drivable with no chains, and commute home up a foothill as the temps have increased - now hovering around +20 to +30 degrees F with even more slick road surfaces to deal with, as the frozen road surfaces underneath are now trying to thaw and therefore you have warm icy roads equivalent to driving on oil, and that is no fun when you are climbing on a decent grade of a hill without any steering control, which is why either one or both front driving wheels are cabled or chained up at that moment, or if already set up with tire chains a handful of people prefer one cable assembly over one of the front wheels so that they can have steering control, which makes a world of difference.

We just had a major two day storm (15 hours without power for me), with drizzle rain, 70 mph winds and variable warmer winter temps in between making roads havoc, this is one of the times residents living up in the foothills had to chain up in some areas.

[time2roll]

Why avoid the inner dual?
If the rear is chained why not the front?

I recommend chaining the primary drive axle first.

[artguys]

Rule #1 never chain a steering tire...Rule #2 outside duals only...Rule #3 any time you have to chain and not in a big rush, PARK IT, the offending weather situation won't last that long.

[Bedlam]

I'll take your word which works better. I know I gear down and drive by throttle which isn't the fastest way to get somewhere, but I rarely use the brakes. I use to run 50 and 80 often through the Sierras in the late 80's.

[Buzzcut1]

Bedlam wrote:
Is this the case with with an AWD vehicle? I understand if it was RWD.

even if awd you will swap ends while braking without chains on the rear wheel. This was our light rescue/4wd ambulance, we chained up the front wheels and the outside rear Duals to keep from losing it on icy mt roads. The rig weighs over to 15,000 pounds with all the gear on board

[Bedlam]

Is this the case with with an AWD vehicle? I understand if it was RWD.