gerard
Veteran Member
Glad to be of service!! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Chains?
- Thread starter Grande
- Start date
tractorlet
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Grande-
Two comments (disagreements) with what has been said.
First, chains don't belong on the front tires of a 4wd vehicle, so the experts tell me. I have talked with many equipment people from all over the mountain west and every one agrees that doing so will throw the fwd ratio out and can do damage. Many change the front tires with half use wear to avoid ratio damage. My suggestion is don't take my word but talk to some people knowledgable in this area.
The second area is in how to mount snow chains. The first 40 years of my adult life was to do it the good old fashioned way known as snow chain wrestling, as virtually everyone here has described in this thread. Then being up here in the state of North Idaho along the Canadian border I learned how to mount chains in one minute per tire without effort on my F250
truck and slightly longer on my F350 with duallies. This same method is employed by ten wheelers, tractors, and skid steers.
The chains are laid on top of the tires (you can do both tires at the same time) with the chain link ends (sharp points) away from the tire as the chain lays on the tires so as to hit the ice and snow as the tire turns. The chain "s" hook is on the inside of the tire and the chain through latch is on the outside wall of the tire. The chain lap over on the side walls are even down the inside and outside walls.
The "s" hook/ latch end of the chain should touch the ground at the front of the tire and be tucked under the tire as near to 6 o'clock as possible and with the chain spread so the hooks clear each side of the tire. Do both rear tires as described before moving your vehicle forward.
Drive your vehicle a foot or so forward so the latching ends are at about the 5 o'clock position. The hook to/latch to ends will be hanging loose and the chain is completely supported by the tire. You simply hook the two inside links and then the
outside links and your chains are ready for the tensioners.The chains tensioners rarely ever need tightening after being set.
The total lift of chains after you place the chains over the tires and drive forward is to lift the few inches of bottom chain to connect to the rest of the chain. Many of us up here chain up and chain down four or five times a day.
If you chain up and down regularly a good tool for dark is to have a snake light to put around your neck to free up both hands and a small canvas piece to place on the snow.
I would like to lay claim to this simple effortless process but others showed me and its used up here and in Russia.
You can probably chain up faster than you can read all this.
Hope it makes sense and helps.
Bob
Two comments (disagreements) with what has been said.
First, chains don't belong on the front tires of a 4wd vehicle, so the experts tell me. I have talked with many equipment people from all over the mountain west and every one agrees that doing so will throw the fwd ratio out and can do damage. Many change the front tires with half use wear to avoid ratio damage. My suggestion is don't take my word but talk to some people knowledgable in this area.
The second area is in how to mount snow chains. The first 40 years of my adult life was to do it the good old fashioned way known as snow chain wrestling, as virtually everyone here has described in this thread. Then being up here in the state of North Idaho along the Canadian border I learned how to mount chains in one minute per tire without effort on my F250
truck and slightly longer on my F350 with duallies. This same method is employed by ten wheelers, tractors, and skid steers.
The chains are laid on top of the tires (you can do both tires at the same time) with the chain link ends (sharp points) away from the tire as the chain lays on the tires so as to hit the ice and snow as the tire turns. The chain "s" hook is on the inside of the tire and the chain through latch is on the outside wall of the tire. The chain lap over on the side walls are even down the inside and outside walls.
The "s" hook/ latch end of the chain should touch the ground at the front of the tire and be tucked under the tire as near to 6 o'clock as possible and with the chain spread so the hooks clear each side of the tire. Do both rear tires as described before moving your vehicle forward.
Drive your vehicle a foot or so forward so the latching ends are at about the 5 o'clock position. The hook to/latch to ends will be hanging loose and the chain is completely supported by the tire. You simply hook the two inside links and then the
outside links and your chains are ready for the tensioners.The chains tensioners rarely ever need tightening after being set.
The total lift of chains after you place the chains over the tires and drive forward is to lift the few inches of bottom chain to connect to the rest of the chain. Many of us up here chain up and chain down four or five times a day.
If you chain up and down regularly a good tool for dark is to have a snake light to put around your neck to free up both hands and a small canvas piece to place on the snow.
I would like to lay claim to this simple effortless process but others showed me and its used up here and in Russia.
You can probably chain up faster than you can read all this.
Hope it makes sense and helps.
Bob
Boondox
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Bob -- This method makes sense except for one thing. How do you lift 250# of chain to the top of the tire when you're by yourself or with your tiny wife..? /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif
Pete
Pete
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To get chains on large tires I made a clip out of about 1X1/8 inch steel bent into a shape to clilp over the tire tread. Welded a chain link on each end. I hook the chain ends to the links on each end of the clip thing and drive the chains on. On most tractors you could rig a strong rubber bungee thru the wheel spokes and to the chains and do the same thing. Easiest way of course is to raise the rear of the tractor while doing this, but it works on the ground too.
gerard
Veteran Member
The method described to attach chains without jacking would seem to work fine on truck tires - ie smooth tread because the chains will distribute evenly over the tire without slack. Not true if you have ag's with deep lugs. I used to do it that way and it CAN be done albeit with a lot of adjusting to get out the slack before latching. Still a lot easier to jack and spin, at least with R1 tires, because the chain evenly distributes and "self tensions" as you spin the wheel against gravity.
Egon
Epic Contributor
Boondox:
Run a rope around the tire. Tie it and leave a tail end that can be tied onto the chain as it lies on the ground.
Then just drive forward or backward as required to lift the chain up onto the tire.
Egon
Run a rope around the tire. Tie it and leave a tail end that can be tied onto the chain as it lies on the ground.
Then just drive forward or backward as required to lift the chain up onto the tire.
Egon
Boondox
Elite Member
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- Craftsbury Common, Vermont
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- Deere 4044R cab, Kubota KX-121-3S
How does that differ from the methods used by many others? In fact, that's exactly how I explained how to do it in my previous post. Just pointing out that the only difference between my way and the person I responded to was the method of getting the chain wrapped around the tire...
Pete
Pete
Boondox
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- Craftsbury Common, Vermont
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- Deere 4044R cab, Kubota KX-121-3S
<font color=blue>Still a lot easier to jack and spin</font color=blue>
Agreed. I lay the chains on the ground, attach a HD bungee cord to the front end and pull as I back over the chains. The aggie lugs grip the chain and pull it up and over. Then I jack up the back end and spin, letting the chain settle before tightening things up and cinching it down.
Pete
Agreed. I lay the chains on the ground, attach a HD bungee cord to the front end and pull as I back over the chains. The aggie lugs grip the chain and pull it up and over. Then I jack up the back end and spin, letting the chain settle before tightening things up and cinching it down.
Pete
snowman
Gold Member
I lay the chains on top, get them as snug as possible in the front of the tire, drive forward, then hook it up. I then use bungee cords liberally (on the inside and outside) to get everything nice and snug.
