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Author Topic: Need info on snow chains/cables Bruce Hansen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 847 From: Stone Mountain, GA, USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 01-17-2011 08:49 PM                     Now that we are getting more snow and ice more often here in Atlanta, I have been thinking about buying snow chains or snow cables for my car, a Ford explorer. Since I would only be using them for a couple of days at a time, I would want something that is easy to get on and off. The stuff tends to melt somewhat fast, so we end up with dry roads with ice in places that are in the shade. The cables sound interesting, but I know nothing about them. We just got the same sort of thing that the nothern states get early in the winter, with trucks jack-knifed, and cars left all over the road. So what do you think, all you notherners?  |  IP: Logged Sean McKinnon Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1712 From: Peabody Massachusetts Registered: Sep 2000 posted 01-17-2011 09:33 PM                        I dunno... Ive lived in Boston and up-state New York all of my life and I have never used snow tires/chains/or cables. Until this year I never drove a four wheel drve vehicle (though, I will admit it is nice) My advice is to make sure your all year round tires are good, and take it slow. Try to build your speed very gradually. Most people get stuck or spin out when they stomp on the gas pedal and try to build up speed too fast.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-17-2011 11:10 PM                        If you have four-wheel-drive you probably don't need chains. Make sure your tires are in good shape, always be aware of your stopping distance and don't make "sudden moves" while driving on ice. I've driven a Ford Ranger for years and have never used chains. We're currently having the worst winter in at least 10 years here...If not for the 4 wheel drive I'd probably have gone nuts by now.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 01-17-2011 11:14 PM                        I agree with Sean of the McKinnon clan. Start out slow. It often helps to start in second gear to reduce torque.  |  IP: Logged Dave Macaulay Film God Posts: 2321 From: Toronto, Canada Registered: Apr 2001 posted 01-18-2011 08:23 AM                     This is pretty normal for folks in warm states to use chains when there's a sprinkle of snow. Snow tires are great but if you deal with a day or two of snow every few years, not worthwhile. I've used chains on a Jeep but only when venturing on uncleared country roads or offroad. They work great in really nasty deep snow but there comes a time when the vehicle body is just sitting on packed snow and you get to do a lot of shoveling. I'm not sure about chains on an inch of snow over pavement. Regardless, asking at an auto parts place would be best. The chains I had were fairly easy to get on and off: I laid them out in front of the tires, drove on, and wrapped them around and did up some clips. These were somewhat loose and made a heck of a noise on pavement.  |  IP: Logged Jarret Chessell Master Film Handler Posts: 288 From: London, Ontario, Canada Registered: Jan 2009 posted 01-18-2011 08:36 AM                     Usually people slide off the road because they're driving too fast! I do a lot of highway driving, so a good set of snow tires is a must (piece of mind too!) I recommend getting your new snow tires put on separate rims. You can usually get new rims and tires off-season pretty cheap, or you can get rims from the wreckers. If you get them installed on another set of rims properly you can change them yourself fairly easily.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-18-2011 09:39 AM                        I also recommend snow tires and have never used chains. As mentioned above, snow tires are probably not worthwhile for once or twice per year, however. Chains are not allowed on all roads (they tear up the surface). Check into this before using them. The key to driving in snow is to go slowly and use gears rather than brakes to slow the car. Front-wheel drive helps. With a rear-wheel drive car, it can help to carry something heavy-ish in the trunk to provide extra traction. Most (but not all) drivers will benefit from anti-lock brakes. The braking technique is entirely different: with conventional brakes, you push down on the brake slowly until the wheels lock and the car starts to skid; then, you ease up until the car rolls again, and repeat this pumping process until the car stops. With anti-lock brakes, you push the pedal to the floor and hold it there and let the car do its magic (the brake pedal will vibrate). An excellent driver can usually do better than an anti-lock braking system, but ABS will be better than the average driver. If you get stuck, "rock" the car back and forth, and remember that reverse is the lowest gear (and will thus give better traction than any of the forward speeds). Always carry a shovel, ice scraper, and extra washer fluid in your car.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 01-18-2011 10:48 AM                        Attention Notherners: The main problems we are dealing with are: 1. The people don't have the life experience you have in dealing with snow/ice. 2. The states don't have any snow moving equipment or the knowledge of how to use it. You haven't lived until you have seen Atlanta in a snow or ice emergency. 18 wheel trucks are moving (with me) at 55 to 60 mph, the expressways are "closed" by order of the governor, and the police are in the ditch. louis  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-18-2011 10:53 AM                     I agree. There is a certain amount of overhead involved in using tire chains. If the conditions are severe or if there will be snow on the ground for a long time, they are fine to use. If snow is light or if it will melt in a short time, they are more trouble than they are worth. I used to drive a Dodge Neon. Never bought snow tires for it. Just used all-season radials. Never had any trouble driving it anywhere that I would usually drive. There were a couple of times when I drove it through snow as deep as the headlights. (Only for a few hundred yards.) As long as I keept momentum, the car would go through almost anything. I think Scott is on the right track with his driving advice but I'll add that, however you drive, you should always try to maintain consistent speed and direction. You could theoretically drive 100 mph. on solid ice. As long as you KEEP going 100 mph. and keep going straight ahead, you can drive like that all day. The problem arises when you try to change speed or direction. If you try to stop or turn too fast, you'll end up in a slide. If you can't stop that slide before you come to any obstacle, you'll "have some trouble." The trick is to know how fast to drive for given conditions so that you can maintain constant speed and stay under the threshold of controllability. When explaining winter/ice driving to people who have never done it before, I use the analogy of driving a boat. When you drive a boat, you don't directly control your direction and speed. You control the direction and strength of thrust. You have to judge your thrust to steer the boat where you want it to go. Essentially, the less traction you have, the more lag time you have between the time you change thrust and the time the car reacts. Yeah, it's almost like driving a boat. When driving in the winter, no matter where you are, slow and steady wins the race. If you only can drive 5-10 mph. and stay in control then so be it. My father used to say, "You could be out walking in this stuff!" If you don't use your head, you might end up that way!  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 01-18-2011 01:04 PM                        Randy; the reason I mention "life experience" is that if you don't know this from previous experience, then the only adequate solution is suction cups. To our friends in the South: even chains and snow tires are not as good as dry pavement. (I drove from McDonough Ga to Florida one Saturday morning on blue ice with the truckers as I mentioned above. About every 6 miles was the sure sign of a large crash from the night before along with the "doghouse" (hood and fenders) of Billy Bob's pickup. Must have seen 15 or 20 of them in 150 miles. louis  |  IP: Logged Bruce Hansen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 847 From: Stone Mountain, GA, USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 01-18-2011 07:49 PM                     Thank you all for the advice. I have done well driving on the stuff, but one of the problems is that north Georgia is rather hilly, and we have a lot of idoits that will just about stop before trying to make it up an ice covered hill. This screws everyone behind him who does know how to drive. The truckers here don't have a clue. They are the biggest problem, jack-knifed across the expressway so no one can get passed. I freelance, and being able to show up on a job, when some of the crew could not "make it", is a nice feather in my cap. I see the chains/cables as good insurance.  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-18-2011 09:04 PM                     You could certainly try them. If they don't work as advertised or if you decide you don't like them it won't hurt anything. However, don't forget that you must limit your speed when you have them on. They aren't meant for highway speed. It doesn't take long to get used to driving in snow. Does it? All summer long, people have been driving fast and stepping on the brakes whenever they want. The first time it snows, the roads are full of idiots slipping and sliding all over the place. After about two weeks, everybody gets their snow chops back and things proceed normally for the rest of the winter. Every winter, we go through the same ritual.  |  IP: Logged Sean McKinnon Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1712 From: Peabody Massachusetts Registered: Sep 2000 posted 01-18-2011 10:03 PM                        I used to drive a camaro with regular touring tires all year long. (I know... I know... If you want to drive a sports car in the north you should also have a winter vehicle) The only thing I did was take a 50lb bag of popcorn seed and put it in the trunk to get some extra weight on the back tires. Adding to what scott said if you are trying top brake and turn at the same time that can cause trouble on snow and ice. Hitting the brakes will make the car want to go straight. If you cannot slow down enough before you start to turn and have to use the brakes you have to pay attention to when you feel the car start to not respond to the steering wheel then LET UP on the brake a little. This will allow the car to respond to the steering wheel again. Sometimes it can be a dance of hitting the brake and then letting it go while trying to steer around an icy/snowy corner. Like Louis said experience is everything and your communities ability to clear and salt/sand the roads makes a big difference.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-18-2011 11:41 PM                        Lots of good advice in this thread. quote: Randy Stankey The first time it snows, the roads are full of idiots slipping and sliding all over the place. After about two weeks, everybody gets their snow chops back and things proceed normally for the rest of the winter. That's a nationwide phenomenon, apparently...the same thing happens here. One time for added weight, I put an old radiator from the theatre in the back of my pickup truck. The thing probably weighed at least 250 pounds. I didn't have much trouble with traction that year! (Course my gas mileage sucked, but life is full of tradeoffs.)  |  IP: Logged Robert E. Allen Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1078 From: Checotah, Oklahoma Registered: Jul 2002 posted 01-19-2011 04:17 PM                     If you have a WalMart in your area with a TLE (Tire and Lube Express) go there and the TLE staff can give you all the info you want on chains and cables. If you buy a set from them and don't use them through the winter they will buy them back from you. As a former TLE associate I can tell you we sold very few cable sets. Talk to the TLE manager.  |  IP: Logged

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