DUO Chains - planned modifications

[kco]

My DUO chains are very effective but can be improved. The gap between the patterns makes for a rougn ride and slippage, and I had to fill the large gap at the end with a couple of ladder cross chains. Each chain now has seven DUO patterns plus two added straight cross chains to fill the end gap.

Here is a photo of my existing chains plus one from a website:

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1_DUO_existing2.jpg


A standard option to fill the inter-pattern gap is to add straight cross chains, converting them to DUO-ladder style as shown here:




What may be more effective is to convert them a more dense H-pattern scheme similar to these two photos:




It would involve moving six of the patterns so they connect to the cross-hook of the previous pattern. It would free-up twelve sidelinks, making room for three additional DUO patterns. The chains would also be a bit higher on the side wall making room for one more pattern. So each chain would have 11 patterns instead of 7.

I checked with the local supplier where I bought the original chains. They have 125 bulk patterns of my chain in stock. The cost is $21.90 per pattern or $175.20 for the 8 patterns.

If I do it, this will be a spring project. I have chain pliers. At say, 5 minutes per crosshook and 84 crosshooks to open/close(4 per pattern, 22 patterns, and 4 hooks do not have to move), it would take 420 minutes (7 hours) to rebuild the chains. I'm retired and have the luxury of being able to do this over several nice days. So the labour isn't a concern.

I'm interested in hearing if others have built or used such a pattern, and opinions on whether or not it is a good idea.

[Gordon Gould]

I use this H pattern and find it very good on my R1 tires

[RedNeckRacin]

That looks Excellent! my duo's help out alot, but they fall down in the deep R-1's so I know im not benefitting from them fully. I think this is going on my to do list! Did you get yours from tirechains.com?

[dstig1]

These guys are a lot better thtn tirechains.com...
Tire Chains, Truck Chains, Car Chains and Traction Cables

[Hammy]

My Duo Chains work on my R4's but they leave a lot to be desired. I too want to add chain to mine. I think adding chain length wise, similar in idea to Gordon Gould's chains would work the best at keeping the chains from falling into the deep tire tread. You also wouldn't have to tear yours apart, you would simply be adding chain. I've been wanting to do this for several years now but haven't gotten around to doing it.

[kco]

That looks Excellent! my duo's help out alot, but they fall down in the deep R-1's so I know im not benefitting from them fully. I think this is going on my to do list! Did you get yours from tirechains.com?

I got them locally from Western Equipment who build them from bulk cross-chain stock. I'm in Canada so ordering chains from the US is expensive. A popular supplier here is canadianchains.ca who sell Quality Chain Corp chains which are in the US and Canada. My local supplier uses Laclede chains which is a US company. The Quality Chain Corp and Laclede DUO patterns appear to be the same, so perhaps they are connected. My chains have the 13 link DUO236 cross-chain (see the attached catalogue page) which isn't even listed in the bulk continuous chain (the closest are 12 & 14 links).

[kco]

My Duo Chains work on my R4's but they leave a lot to be desired. I too want to add chain to mine. I think adding chain length wise, similar in idea to Gordon Gould's chains would work the best at keeping the chains from falling into the deep tire tread. You also wouldn't have to tear yours apart, you would simply be adding chain. I've been wanting to do this for several years now but haven't gotten around to doing it.

Yes, those would work better. I'm not sure how one would connect the new length-wise pieces to the DUO cross chains, and it may be expensive. The Scandanavian manufacturers seem to use a pin coupler or chain extension similar to what is shown in this attachment.

ChainExtensionPinCoupler.pdf

But the price is shown as 11.40 Euros(approx $15.00) each. A similar item in Quality Chain's last year catalogue is listed at $32.36 each. Perhaps just simple cross chain repair links would work. Quality Chain's price for a 7/0 repair link was $1.48 last year. I believe the DUO cross chains are about 9/0. They only list 9/0 square cross chain repair links for that size at $10.34 each.

There may be easier ways to make those connections.

[Hammy]

KCO,

For some reason that link isn't working but I would love to see what you're talking about if the link can be fixed? I would sure think there would be some type of chain connectors to make it work but I really have no idea. I was also thinking about taking my chains into a rigging / chain shop here locally and see what they could do. It might be way too expensive though.

[kco]

KCO,

For some reason that link isn't working but I would love to see what you're talking about if the link can be fixed? I would sure think there would be some type of chain connectors to make it work but I really have no idea. I was also thinking about taking my chains into a rigging / chain shop here locally and see what they could do. It might be way too expensive though.

I'll try this again and include files with more information on items you may possibly use for linking the chains. One file is prices and parts from the 2012 Quality Chain catalogue, the other from a LongLife Chains company with a price I got by searching for the part number.

LongLifeChainParts_p10_11_new.pdf

QualityChains2012_p76_77_withPrices.pdf

I hope these work OK.

I did not include the prices for the DUO patterns. Let me know if you want them. The patterns are VERY expensive if ordered as separate units. For my DUO296 patterns CanadianChains.ca wanted around $40 I believe. But I can buy 8 patterns of continuous DUO296 from Western Suppy (where I got my chains) for $21.90 per pattern. The CanadianChains price does not make sense when compared to buying complete chains, which are similar in price to the set I purchased locally. I did not ask if CanadianChains sells bulk continuous patterns.

I intend to order my 8 patterns next week (the local branch brings them in from another branch).

Let me know if you can't read the .pdf's in this post. You could PM me with your email address and I could send them that way.

Cheers

[WVBartMan]

I really dislike the ride I'm getting from my tire chains and wanted to know who in the USA makes a chain like this https://www.qualitychaincorp.com/pro...alloy-wear-bar in a 17.5x24 R4 Tire? I believe the style of chain contained in the link would ride a great deal better than what I have now, all my snow plowing is on asphalt and concrete in the mountains on very steep roads. I operate an 8-feet wide plow on the front and an 8-feet wide broom on the back, it's a one pass spotless combination.