Posted: 12/31/2016 5:16:01 PM EDT
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I was watching a Wranglerstar video where he put his snow chains on the front of his 4 wheel drive.
Made sense as he claimed it increased steering traction, braking, and pulling when in 4 wheel drive. To the hive members in more snowy climates than I where do you put the chains on your 4x4? I have my first 4x4 and wish to be prepared for the next ice storm here in arctic Atlanta, should I get one set of chains and use them on the front or rear. Or should I get two, one for each end? I have plenty of weight in the form of 5 gal buckets of sand to add weight to the rear. In our last storm it took me 11.5 hours to get home in a Honda CRX. It and I did well, the other drivers, not so much. I wish to be prepared and avoid issues in the future. Thanks for the constructive input. |
| I spent 7 years driving every day in some of the worst on and off road conditions found anywhere (oilfield roads no maintainence) chains were on the front only unless the mud got really deep then front and rear. Chains in snow only when icy and zero traction. Chained up every day for two really bad winters back to back LOL. |
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When I go up in the mountains for wood in the old beater F-150 I chain all 4.
Coming down the trails with an 8' bed overfilled with cut wood is fun enough without the added excitement of sliding around corners with hundred foot drop offs. Normal roads rear wheel only as I don't run in 4 wheel drive all the time. |
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I carried chains for all 4 in my Tacoma. Only needed them a couple of times over the studded tires... and I was glad to have them. Big link old time ice breaker chains on the back and newer style flat link chains for the front. Chains on all 4 are great when the snow is heavy, wet, and deep. On just ice the studs and 4wd did fine. Chains are great when the snow/ice is deeply rutted and you're trying to get out of the of some other rig that can't stop or get out of the rut.
Toyota says not to run chains on the front of our Tundra. Try your chains on for fit when it's nice out. Some times there's a lot of stuff in the way of those chains in front. |
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I have chains for all 4 corners on my truck but have yet to ever use them, thankfully.
I imagine the most likely place to use them would be up hunting in the back woods, all season tires are not that good. Or of there was a bunch of freezing rain, but at that point I either stay at work and make OT or stay home. |
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Quoted:
I was watching a Wranglerstar video where he put his snow chains on the front of his 4 wheel drive. Made sense as he claimed it increased steering traction, braking, and pulling when in 4 wheel drive. To the hive members in more snowy climates than I where do you put the chains on your 4x4? I have my first 4x4 and wish to be prepared for the next ice storm here in arctic Atlanta, should I get one set of chains and use them on the front or rear. Or should I get two, one for each end? I have plenty of weight in the form of 5 gal buckets of sand to add weight to the rear. In our last storm it took me 11.5 hours to get home in a Honda CRX. It and I did well, the other drivers, not so much. I wish to be prepared and avoid issues in the future. Thanks for the constructive input. All 4 tires for sure. You need to also make sure you hang chains off of your front, and rear bumpers. Mirrors? You bet'cha, chains. If your 4x4 doesn't put any, and everything from Mad Max to shame, you're doing it wrong. |
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Quoted:
Always chained the front two up first. You're really in a fucked spot if you need all 4 chained 
https://scontent-dft4-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/486194_483605825018469_1375309240_n.jpg?oh=359efb90b9734bcffad149ead18e4f1b&oe=591FEB69 Same, on the front if it's hairy, on all four if it's hairy.
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| I carry v-bar chains for all 4 corners in my truck. I had to chain it up for the first time this winter to go up to a job site to shoot some elevations. I just chained up the front as there was only one spot which was a climbing hairpin corner that gave me trouble. Chained up the front and we went up with no problem. |
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Quoted:
Same, on the front if it's hairy, on all four if it's hairy.
https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/3446/44880.JPG https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/3446/44879.JPG I see you have some good chains as well,shitty chains are almost as bad as no chains. Pewag,Scantrac's ect FTW none of those hardware store special chinese vbar's 
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If your profile location is correct, you're in GA. Ga law says studs are legal. It might be easier to have a set of studded snow tires mounted on wheels, ready to go and throw them on when bad weather is coming rather than putting on chains.
Studs aren't prone to breaking and do not have speed restrictions like chains. You can drive studded tires on dry roads. And it's a ton easier to change a couple of tires than it is to put on chains. |
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Snow tires are universally awesome as they have a rubber compound that stays soft in cold temps, and grit in the rubber to help with ice and compact snow, as well as tread design to help with the thin water later that can make ice and snow so slick. A set on cheap steel wheels makes an easy on-off swap. Clean, dry and wrap up for storage till the next season.
As far as chains, see what people do in conditions most closely associated to yours, with vehicles like yours. For some reasons threads like these always end up being 4x4 dick measuring contests. There's everything from weird tire socks, chains, easy fit chains, to crazy stuff like cheap studded zip ties that thread around the wheel/ tire and you just put them on spaced out. Driving around Atlanta is going to have different freeze/thaw conditions, or hill climbing requirements than say, where I live where everything is iced up mountain foothills, which are harder to drive on with LESS snow because everything does it's freeze/thaw game, and deeper snow gives more traction. Or Alaska, or 200" of snow in some of the flatlander states. |
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Chains break so better to carry enough for all four tires.
It's the conditions in-between All-Season tires and Chains where most problems occur. Only Winter tires solve those. Driving in snow is easy compared to slippery sheets of ice. Even with chains on all four I've slid around uncontrollably. If conditions are right the chains turn into ice skates. |
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Quoted:
Snow tires are universally awesome as they have a rubber compound that stays soft in cold temps, and grit in the rubber to help with ice and compact snow, as well as tread design to help with the thin water later that can make ice and snow so slick. A set on cheap steel wheels makes an easy on-off swap. Clean, dry and wrap up for storage till the next season. As far as chains, see what people do in conditions most closely associated to yours, with vehicles like yours. For some reasons threads like these always end up being 4x4 dick measuring contests. There's everything from weird tire socks, chains, easy fit chains, to crazy stuff like cheap studded zip ties that thread around the wheel/ tire and you just put them on spaced out. Driving around Atlanta is going to have different freeze/thaw conditions, or hill climbing requirements than say, where I live where everything is iced up mountain foothills, which are harder to drive on with LESS snow because everything does it's freeze/thaw game, and deeper snow gives more traction. Or Alaska, or 200" of snow in some of the flatlander states. Cleaning, treating and proper storage will keep a set of snow tires usable for many years. Just like with my race tires when I ran autocross. I would clean them up and seal them in large vacuum bags during the off season. I'd get a couple of seasons out of my tires since I would only have a couple of dozen runs on them. I've seen snow tires that weren't even sealed last for a decade, just cleaned and given a coating of Armor-All before being put on the shelf. The MIL has a set of studded snow tires that she's used for 7 years now and they look almost brand new with only Armor All and proper storage in the garage. |