Tire Chains, Home Made Anyone done it?

[smiley]

I've noticed a few mentions of horsing the heavy chains onto the tires. For any newbies, you'll eventualy discover it for yourself, but you don't horse them on. Lay them out in front or behind the tires, drive part way on, wire or bungee cord it around the wheel and drive the rest of the way on until the chain is in an easy position to hook up.

 

[SensibleNick]

I've noticed a few mentions of horsing the heavy chains onto the tires. For any newbies, you'll eventualy discover it for yourself, but you don't horse them on. Lay them out in front or behind the tires, drive part way on, wire or bungee cord it around the wheel and drive the rest of the way on until the chain is in an easy position to hook up.

... and how do you do it if you made them as a continuous loop with removable links only in the side-chains?

 

[smiley]

Don't put the links in until you have them wrapped around the tire.

 

[SensibleNick]

Hi again.

As promised, here's the finished job. Fronts and rears made using the same techniques but in different patterns.

One of the re-occurring comments here is "I did it once, I wouldn't do it again". You'll find me on the exact opposite side to that thought: I've had immense fun at a fraction of the cost of commercially available chains, and these things fit well and function flawlessly. The difference in grip is astonishing - more of a difference than I had expected :thumbsup:

When you do something like this, you learn techniques, processes and a working method. If I were to do this again it would take a fraction of the time and I'd probably enjoy it even more the second time round.

Total cost of making these chains (Including my own time which is free if I'm having fun) is in the region of $200... though chain may well be cheaper in the USA.

All photos can be found here. Picasa Web Albums - Nick - Tractor Chains and as said before, if you want to mooch about in my other albums, be my guest.

Cheers!

/Nick

 

[Mace Canute]

Those are good looking chains, Nick!:thumbsup:

 

[CowwFace]

Hi again.

As promised, here's the finished job. Fronts and rears made using the same techniques but in different patterns.

One of the re-occurring comments here is "I did it once, I wouldn't do it again". You'll find me on the exact opposite side to that thought: I've had immense fun at a fraction of the cost of commercially available chains, and these things fit well and function flawlessly. The difference in grip is astonishing - more of a difference than I had expected :thumbsup:

When you do something like this, you learn techniques, processes and a working method. If I were to do this again it would take a fraction of the time and I'd probably enjoy it even more the second time round.

Total cost of making these chains (Including my own time which is free if I'm having fun) is in the region of $200... though chain may well be cheaper in the USA.

All photos can be found here. Picasa Web Albums - Nick - Tractor Chains and as said before, if you want to mooch about in my other albums, be my guest.

Cheers!

/Nick

Hey Nick,

WOW!!! Your chains put mine to shame.. I'll get some pic's up ASAP.. I just did straight accross the tires. I may have to add some chains parallel to the tires like you've done.. VERY nice job!!

Tractor on

 

[SensibleNick]

Awww.. you're too kind. Thanks.

Things I've learned so far... If you look at my front and rear chains you'll notice that the "continuous lengths" that run all around the tread of the tyre are closer to the middle of the front tyres than they are on the rears. This was because I'd used the rears before I finished the fronts, and had already worked out that having these lengths slip off the side of the tread was a bad plan: it takes the tension out of the entire system.

The addition of a spring-loaded tensioner is a REALLY useful upgrade, and means that any slack will be taken up... stopping eventual creep and looseness. (Is looseness even a word?)

When this season is over, I'll be shortening the "bars" across the tread on the rears: This'll make them more stable on the tread, and mean I have to adjust them less.
I've had to re-adjust the rears once... and it was annoying. The fronts however have stayed exactly where I put them.

Usage:
With grip comes responsibility Before the chains my "not overloading the drivetrain" safety-net was the fact that I'd loose traction easily. Now I don't loose traction, I loose power.... and I think that this might well lead to me overloading the FEL ot drivetrain at some point if I'm not cautious.

Currently I park the tractor in my warm garage... I line up my entry accurately and ensure that I don't need to steer either way: I suspect the floor will thank me later.



Things I consider to be the most important bits..
The "inboard loops" should be continuous, and not "tensioned" by an extra system as this allows movement... and you don't want that.

The loops over the tread shouldn't go too far out towards the edges of the tread... because when they slip off you'll waste time levering them back on...

The "outboard loops" should be tensioned with an across-the-hub system (huge mechanical advantage) and a spring that keeps the tensioning system tight - even when the chains wear. Check these springs regularly to ensure that they're still tight, because early on in the life of your home-made chains they'll be bedding in a lot and shifting.

Oneday I'm sure I'll be making another set of these. :thumbsup:

 

[rScotty]

Awww.. you're too kind. Thanks.

Things I've learned so far... If you look at my front and rear chains you'll notice that the "continuous lengths" that run all around the tread of the tyre are closer to the middle of the front tyres than they are on the rears. This was because I'd used the rears before I finished the fronts, and had already worked out that having these lengths slip off the side of the tread was a bad plan: it takes the tension out of the entire system.
Oneday I'm sure I'll be making another set of these. :thumbsup:

Nicely put. I've made several sets of chains for 4 tractors now and noticed pretty much the same things you did. The critical thing is the width of the cross links. I like an X pattern because with an X pattern the crosslink cannot fall between the lugs - which obviously changes the way the length fits.
Also agree that adding rubber tension bands seems to improve the way that any chains work. Only one of my sets really needs the tension bands, but on that set they make a huge difference and don't even have to be very tight.
Congrats on your chains.

 

[David Devuono]

You did a great job on the chains. I also like the wings on your blade. I was going to make a 7 footer, but I think I will buy 8 foot and cut the ends like yours.

 

[KWentling]

You guys have inspired me, or maybe it was the being stuck on practically flat ground with a 1400 lb. bale, that did it. I got the pliers, delivered by UPS today. I have a set of 16.9x34 chains for my semi-retired tractor but the "new" tractor has 18.4x38s, so the chains are too short. They look to be wide enough though. I also have an old pair of truck (semi) chains for parts, so now when I get healed up from hernia surgery, I have a project. Them suckers are heavy! Should be somewhere around 200 lbs. when extended. I'll probably have to move the wheels out to get cab clearance too. Fun fun!

Kim