Run Your Chains Floppy or Tight?

[Henro]

Hi,

I am going to buy wheel spacers for my Kubota B2910, which has R4 tires. Until now there was just barely enough space for the chains to clear the rear fenders (most of the time) when pulled as tight as possible with spring tensioners.

My neighbor (passed away now) on his somewhat larger tractor with ag tires used to run his chains so loose they would fall off the front of the tires and hit the ground before the tire ran over them and pulled them back up off the ground.

I have not had good luck with the ladder type chains on my R4 tires. They mostly fall between the lugs and while better than nothing, don't seem to work that well.

When I get the spacers I am thinking I will run the chains like my neighbor did on his tractor. I think it would work much better that what I have been doing for the last 15 years.

What do you guys do, and what do you think about floppy chains?

Grateful of any input/advice you may have... Bill

 

[4get gto]

Shug to tight IMO. Too much of a chance of them hitting under the fender or the sides of something else. Stay on better too...!

 

[ovrszd]

Your fender clearance is limited so watch that.

Otherwise don't worry too much about it. Fasten them as snuggly as you can and run em. Don't worry about tarp straps, bungee cords or whatever else is used for tensioners. Any tensioner that is elastic in nature isn't going to keep a tire chain on anyway.

 

[fruitcakesa]

I bought full wrap lugged chains for L4630 and when the dealer was fitting them, his helper, old Elmer, said "always leave 'em loose enough to stick your forearm under".
And so they did, but the important thing is to get the side chains snug because the full wrap style will not slip once they are tight.
They also don't need any springs, bungees or tighteners
The only time they would whack the fenders was when one or another link came loose[occasional] or broke[rare].
Also the faster one drives, the more likely the chains are to slap

 

[Jstpssng]

When I ran ladder chains I would put them on, ensure that each crosslink was over a Vbar, and get them as tight as I could. I then would drive forward about 10 feet and tighten them again. I have never used or needed chain tensioners, on my tractor or my pickup; and in the woods they are just something more to break or lose.

 

[Henro]

I plan to order 3" spacers, so I should have close to 4" clearance between the tires and fenders on the side. On the top I should check, but I think I may have at least 2" or more clearance there, and I don't expect to go fast with the chains on so I am not expecting them to fly up and hit the fenders above the tires, but that is a good point.

I am thinking a couple inches of clearance (forearm distance ) might be good. I will say again though that I was kind of amazed seeing how loose my neighbor had his chains!

Bill

 

[LouNY]

On conventional ladder chains I get the side chains as snug as I can,
it they have long enough cross chains to where the side chains are well down
the sidewalls and both sides are hooked in the same links distance wise they will uually work good and stay on.

The Euro or patterned Aquline or OFA style chains are designed to be run moderately loose,
my directions called for being able to put a fist under the chains.
They intend for them to walk around the tires while being used.

 

[Gordon Gould]

From the instruction sheet for OFA euro style chains and how I run mine. Which is loose.





gg

 

[Henro]

I took my chains off this summer for the first time in 15 years. This is what they look like on the R4 tires. Half of the cross links seem to drop between the lugs. After getting wheel spacers, I am thinking I may be much happier just using them in the winter and running them loose, as compared to all year round running them tight.

Of course if I do that I will not have chains on when I need them on muddy surfaces. AND just last summer I bought a new set of spring tensioner to boot, still unused.

Decisions, decisions!

 

[jimainiac]

My rear chains are very similar to Gordon Gould's. They are made by Trygg, in Norway. Their instructions recommend the same looseness indicated in Gordon's instruction sheet. The reason for the looseness is so they can be self cleaning. The mud or snow gets shaken out with each rotation. I widened the wheels as far as possible, and as long as any extra links are hitched down nothing hits the fenders. There is a video on the Trygg website that shows them being installed.

On the other hand, I stole a set of regular ladder type chains from my pickup to put on the tractor's front tires. They have to be snugged down tight because when the wheels are turned they just barely clear the loader supports.