Tire Chain Tensioners

[kco]

I have close horizontal clearance to the fender supports (vertical clearance is fine) and don't want to add wheel spacers. Accordingly, my chains need to fit snuggly and fairly high on the inside wall (above the sidewall centre line).

I used bungees for tensioning but found they deteriorated and broke fairly quickly.

I have spare side chain and cross hooks from modifying DUO chains last year and decided to use them for chain tensioners. I planned to build something like the TireChains.com tensioners:



but decided they would be difficult to install.

I used 1/8" cable, springs, and pieces of cross chain to build bungee-like tensioners as shown here:






The open hooks are from the open links resulting when I cut out the 1, 2 and 3 link pieces.

These are easier to install and provide more tension than regular bungees. I use a screw driver through the open hook's cable loop. With the 2X mechanical advantage it is easy to stretch the stiff springs and place the hook in the appropriate link. As with bungees the entire length is under tension so there are no loose parts rattling around.

 

[vtsnowedin]

It looks to me like you have about two or three links of slack in your side chains. I'd take the tensioners off and re hitch the side chains as short as I could keeping them even so the total links each side match then reattach you mega tensioners ( nice job by the way ) . They shouldn't have that much work to do.

 

[kco]

I might be able to take out a link and perhaps try that in the spring. Part of the problem is the chains are offset slightly to the outside so the inside side rides higher on the tire for better clearance to the fender support. The best solution would have been shorter cross chains so the pattern was centred and riding higher on both sides.

My DUO pattern was the standard when I bought them but they changed it to a shorter cross chain pattern the next year. That would be much better for my setup. I suppose I could shorten all my cross chains but it would be a lot of work.

 

[vtsnowedin]

I might be able to take out a link and perhaps try that in the spring. Part of the problem is the chains are offset slightly to the outside so the inside side rides higher on the tire for better clearance to the fender support. The best solution would have been shorter cross chains so the pattern was centred and riding higher on both sides.

My DUO pattern was the standard when I bought them but they changed it to a shorter cross chain pattern the next year. That would be much better for my setup. I suppose I could shorten all my cross chains but it would be a lot of work.

A set of 1 1/2" spacers would work better. You certainly could just unhook the outside side chain and take it up a link or two right now. Just hook one of the tensioners in the lose end of the links you bypass.

 

[buickanddeere]

What is all the chain stuff cross the side of the tire? We just our chains on tight enough so they don't come off. It's fair to deflate the tire to install the chains then air them up again after installation.
If the cross chains are too short the chains won't stay on.

 

[kco]

What is all the chain stuff cross the side of the tire? We just our chains on tight enough so they don't come off. It's fair to deflate the tire to install the chains then air them up again after installation.
If the cross chains are too short the chains won't stay on.

As explained above, the chains need to be tight and offset to ride higher on the inside wall due to tight clearance to the verticle fender support as shown here:



The clearance is about 2" and the rims are not adjustable. The tires are loaded with Rim Guard so deflating and reinflating is not an option. And even if it was it would not work because I need to keep the chains offset. Wheel spacers would work as would buying chains with shorter cross chains.

Despite the tight clearance there is no contact with the fender support.

 

[kco]

A set of 1 1/2" spacers would work better. You certainly could just unhook the outside side chain and take it up a link or two right now. Just hook one of the tensioners in the lose end of the links you bypass.

Spacers would work better but cost more than using left over chain parts. I could try removing a link as you say but would that would require reworking one of the DUO patterns since the tightening lever and the link it fits in are as short as possible(without spanning the last DUO pattern across the end connections).

I could also buy a new set of chains with a shorter DUO cross chain pattern. Again $$$. Or, I could cut one or two links out of my existing DUO cross chains. That would require opening all the hooks, cutting the 3/8" cross chain(which is a lot harder than cutting the side chain), and reclosing all the hooks.

For the work and $$$ involved I can live with the side chain not forming a perfect circle.

 

[vtsnowedin]

Spacers would work better but cost more than using left over chain parts. I could try removing a link as you say but would that would require reworking one of the DUO patterns since the tightening lever and the link it fits in are as short as possible(without spanning the last DUO pattern across the end connections).

I could also buy a new set of chains with a shorter DUO cross chain pattern. Again $$$. Or, I could cut one or two links out of my existing DUO cross chains. That would require opening all the hooks, cutting the 3/8" cross chain(which is a lot harder than cutting the side chain), and reclosing all the hooks.

For the work and $$$ involved I can live with the side chain not forming a perfect circle.

I've had that problem of already being back to the first crosslink on the loose end. You can just go to any space between other crosslinks and put in a clevis that links link one with link three. You can cut out the extra link or links later but they will just hang around until you get to it. But as you say it don't need to be pretty so as long as the chains don't walk themselves off the tires you can just leave it be.