Cross Chain
How to Put on Tire Chains
With winter fast approaching, it’s important to take the necessary precautions to make sure that you and your vehicle are safe. One of the biggest causes of accidents during the winter is losing tire traction and sliding on the road surface. Tire chains, or traction cables, are the best defense that you and your car can have against the ice laden, slippery road surface of the winter.
Most people call them “chains”. This, while it has a nicer ring to it than traction cables, is an incorrect assessment. Actual tire chains are usually only available to larger vehicles such as tractors and service trucks. What most compact cars require are traction cables. They’re metal cables with steel tubing wrapped around the cables. That being said, we’ll just refer to them as chains for the sake of ease. Installation is relatively easy and similar to old school chains, but the lever-lock clamps make it even easier to install them.
Most chains cost about 50-60 dollars, but nicer traction cable kits can be found for 150 dollars. They vary in size and strength by tire size and the cost of the chain goes up with the size of the tires. Look in your owner’s manual for the correct size tire and match it to the size chains that you’ll need.
Once you have your chains, it’s a good idea to practice putting them on and taking them off before you actually need them. On the side of a mountain, in a snowstorm, is not the place you want to find out that your chains don’t fit. I speak from experience. You wind up having to call a tow truck that has snow chains.
So, you’ve just bought your chains. It’s important to check that they’re the right size. So, let’s take you through how to put tire chains on your car.
1. Unroll and lay the chains flat on an even surface. Make sure that there are no breaks or frays in the cables.
2. After you’re satisfied with the inspection, lay them near the tires that you’ll be installing them on.
3. Lay the cable over the top of the tire, with the latch attachments facing out.
4. With the lever lock on the outside, make sure that the cable cross-members are lying straight across the tire’s tread.
5. Now roll the vehicle about a foot forward slowly, bringing the keyhole latch roughly even with the axel. The cable will fall back onto the ground, with part of the chain underneath it. But when you lay the chain back over the tire, the lever lock will be in a better position to handle.
6. First, secure the cable on the inner wall of the tire. Pull the end of the cable with the knobs up to the keyhole latch. Use the second knob from the end of the cable to secure it in place.
7. Now, check to make sure the cross-members are straight across the tread. Once they are, pull the outside cable with the knobs toward the latch, and secure it as with the inner wall. Use the third knob to make sure the chain is snug over the tire.
8. To secure the lock, pull the lever 180 degrees toward the top of the tire (away from the lock).
9. Some chain sets have a tightening measure (a bungee or cable of sorts) that you put across the side of the tire to ensure that the cables are as secure as possible. If your chains include this, pull it the furthest distance that it will reach across your tire and attach it to the outer chain. Some of these measures vary in application, so check with your owner’s instructions.
10. Perform this installation on all tires. If you have a front wheel drive vehicle and only two chains, apply them to the front wheels. The same goes for rear wheel drive cars; apply them to the rear wheels. Ideally, you want to chain all of the tires. But then again, ideally, you won’t be in need tire chains.
11. Drive about a half of a mile and recheck your installation. Make sure that the cross-member hooks face away from the tire. Otherwise, they could dig into the side of your tires and cause damage.
There are a couple of things you should know about traction cables before you’re through. You should never apply chains to snow tires. They come with their own traction and you’ll only mess that up by using chains. You should never drive over 30 mph while chains are attached to your tires. Accelerate slowly and evenly and avoid locking your brakes. Doing any of these may result in the need of emergency roadside assistance.
The life of your cables will vary with the conditions that you’re using them. Never drive on bare pavement; this will severely shorten the lifespan of your cables.
Now, with your newly acquired snow chains and knowledge of how to install and use them, go have fun!
About the Author
will wearing a gold chain with a cross on make god protect me?
No more or less than usual.
Cross Edge – Chain Attacks part three (Ex Combos, Arcane Tome 96-111)
