Chain snafu, and new review for tirechains.com

[Jay4200]

I bought chains for all 4 wheel on my L4200GST almost 5 years ago from tirechains.com. 2-link ladders for the rears, and 2-link v-bars for the front. I've run just front chains since, having never mounted the rear chains - which are still in the factory bags. Turns out just using front chains offers plenty of traction for my needs. Every year, however, I dread mounting the front chains - I HATE doing it. It always takes two hours, and leaves me with bleeding stumps where my hands used to be. Knowing how difficult mounting the fronts are, even with both wheels suspended in the air with the loader, makes me not even consider TRYING to mount the rears - it would be absolutely impossible. I have seen then on machines so I know it MUST be possible, but I've always suspected that professional tire-chain mounting guys actually do the mounting, using blow torches, hydraulic presses, cranes, and military aircraft.

While fighting with the first of the two front chains yesterday, I ended up giving up while still two links from being properly tightened - wouldn't budge no matter how much I wrestled with it or cursed. I figured I'd drive on it and that should help make it settle in once I had the other one on. I moved onto the other chain, which popped on easily, almost immediately accepted being fully tightened, and even felt like like it had a little slack. It then occurred to me that it was always one easy one and one hard, but now I started to wonder if it was always the same one that was hard, and why. I went back to the first and started investigating it closely, and found that the side chain appeared bound up - like it was twisted a half-turn or something. Turns out the side was WAS twisted, making the last few cross chains incorrectly mounted onto the side chain! Though the twist wasn't severe, it was enough to make the last several cross chains bind and sit wrong, taking up a substantial amount of chain. Well, raise my rent! I grabbed a set of dykes and a set of vice grips and removed the last 3 or 4 cross chains, carefully and correctly repositioned both side chains and the removed cross chains, then squished the cross chains back onto the side chains. Blang-blang!! I installed the repaired chain in 5 minutes to full tightness. Made me wonder if putting on the rears actually MIGHT be possible...someday, Grasshopper...

It's amazing how much a little twist messes things up - only took me 5 years of suffering to figure it out! That being said, I rescind my previous glowing review of tirechains.com...now I think they suck.

 

[AStanton]

Your issue might be operator error. I wrestled today with the rear chains on my B3030. For me, there isn't a lot of clearance, so I trimmed the chains down to no excess links. I got to thinking and I believe that the chains might go on easier if the links that privet on the border links were lubed.
I still believe that in the land of snow and ice, the man with chains is King.

 

[Jay4200]

Your issue might be operator error.

If you're talking about the operator of the machine that builds the chains for tirechains.com, you're absolutely correct. Otherwise, you're not. The chains were assembled incorrectly - I fixed them.

 

[MikeInEburg]

It could be that the chains simply got flipped around that one point, causing a twist in both sides. Don't ask me how I know...

 

[Wolfy]

It seems every year that my chains come off nice and straight, yet twist themselves over the summer. But I can do 4 tractor wheels in about 20 minutes. The key is a consistent method, and stick to it.

 

[Herkypilot]

It seems every year that my chains come off nice and straight, yet twist themselves over the summer. But I can do 4 tractor wheels in about 20 minutes. The key is a consistent method, and stick to it.

It might be helpful to "youtube" it so others may learn what the consistent method is....

 

[RedNeckRacin]

It might be helpful to "youtube" it so others may learn what the consistent method is....

You gotta hold your tongue at the right angle!! (I jest of course)

 

[RedNeckRacin]

It might be helpful to "youtube" it so others may learn what the consistent method is....

You gotta hold your tongue at the right angle!! (I jest of course)

 

[RickB]

It could be that the chains simply got flipped around that one point, causing a twist in both sides. Don't ask me how I know...

If both side strands were "twisted" between the same cross chain, it is installer failure. If only one was twisted, the chains were assembled wrong.

 

[David Devuono]

Unlike a turf tire, chains on R4s or AG's are not easy. I do the inside chain first and then use bungie cords and driving around while tightening up the bungie, to bring the outside together. Easily an hour per tire on a 48in dia AG tire with 150 lb chain. This year I left the chains on all summer as I have only dirt surface, bush roads.