tire chains

[fishhead]

Hey Garandman,
Are your front tires 27x8.5-15?
If so can i ask where you got those and how they are holding up?
Tough tire size to get a good chain

Thanks

Ofa doesn稚 make them for the front size. Those are studded ATV diamond chains. They fit well and add a lot of traction, without overpowering them.

 

[John_Mc]

Hey Garandman,
Are your front tires 27x8.5-15?
If so can i ask where you got those and how they are holding up?
Tough tire size to get a good chain

Thanks

You aren't kidding. All I can find for that size are ladder-style chains (2-link or 4-link, available in plain or studded). I wonder if it would be possible to turn them into something like a duo-grip style chain by adding some links connecting pairs of cross chains?

 

[LouNY]

It looks like these would fit your tires;
KIMPEX Diamond V-Bar Tire Chain | Kimpex USA
They are made for atv/utv's

 

[Cougsfan]

I have gone to both the TRYGG and Ofa web sites. Neither site is all that friendly or useful in selecting an exact style and/or doing value engineering (How much do you pay for what you get). I have wrote to them both to see if they will give a quote so I can compare them to Aquilines MPC's

 

[Garandman]

Hey Garandman,
Are your front tires 27x8.5-15?
If so can i ask where you got those and how they are holding up?
Tough tire size to get a good chain

Thanks

Yes.

The Ofa distributor is Windy Ridge Corporation in Tamworth, NH. They weren't particularly responsive via email and I did everything by phone - very responsive.

They said Ofa's were not available for the front size (27x8.50-15) and that they'd shipped many ATV studded diamond chains for this application. They fit well and work well. The Kimpex product above seems very similar in specs and price.

I have gone to both the TRYGG and Ofa web sites. Neither site is all that friendly or useful in selecting an exact style and/or doing value engineering (How much do you pay for what you get). I have wrote to them both to see if they will give a quote so I can compare them to Aquilines MPC's

Rears. Aquiline MPC is much lighter - 5.5mm - so i'd expect them to be cheaper than the Eko8. Ofa also has an Eko9, not sure of sizes or prices.

The Acquiline AST chain is 10mm and looks more like the Ofa Eko8, they seem to run about about $200 more. Aquiline AST

 

[Cougsfan]

So here is what I ended up doing:

I bought some 3/16 chain and added some additional cross stitching to the cross links. So I have $130 in the original chains and $30 in additional chain plus a couple hours of my labor (I charge myself $1,000/hr for my labor). I started out using lap links but ended up just welding the cut 3/16 links back together. Won't know how well they work until next winter. They are obviously not as high of quality as a $300 set of chains (welding isn't my strong point), but I think they will work just as good and last for years. Only one is done and I still have the other chain to do as soon as I can afford some more of my labor.

 

[LouNY]

So here is what I ended up doing:
View attachment 599094
I bought some 3/16 chain and added some additional cross stitching to the cross links. So I have $130 in the original chains and $30 in additional chain plus a couple hours of my labor (I charge myself $1,000/hr for my labor). I started out using lap links but ended up just welding the cut 3/16 links back together. Won't know how well they work until next winter. They are obviously not as high of quality as a $300 set of chains (welding isn't my strong point), but I think they will work just as good and last for years. Only one is done and I still have the other chain to do as soon as I can afford some more of my labor.

I like your chains and your ideas, I have considered building my own also. I was going to price out the studded chain in bulk,run the two tread loops then fill in the cross pieces and outer runs.
One thing I see in your picture is that your cross chain ends are what I would consider backwards, the crimped open side next to the sidewall will chew into the tire sidewall. One time in my younger years I put a smooth street chain on backwards and in only a few hours of use it had chewed numerous chunks of rubber out of the sidewalls.
The opening needs to be facing out from the sidewall with the smooth side to the tire.
Lou

 

[Gordon Gould]

They will be way ahead of what you originally had for sure. Very good make over on your part :thumbsup:

Like Lou says - just turn them over like they were in the first picture you showed us and you'll be good to go.

gg

 

[John_Mc]

I like your chains and your ideas, I have considered building my own also. I was going to price out the studded chain in bulk,run the two tread loops then fill in the cross pieces and outer runs.
One thing I see in your picture is that your cross chain ends are what I would consider backwards, the crimped open side next to the sidewall will chew into the tire sidewall. One time in my younger years I put a smooth street chain on backwards and in only a few hours of use it had chewed numerous chunks of rubber out of the sidewalls.
The opening needs to be facing out from the sidewall with the smooth side to the tire.
Lou

Yeah, he just has them on inside out.

Let us know when you try them out. I bet that makes a lot of difference.

 

[Cougsfan]

Thanks for pointing that out Lou. I just put them on to see how they would fit and took them back off. In all honesty, it has never occurred to me that the cross chain ends could easily chew up a tire. Makes sense and will keep it in mind when I put them on for real use.