Educate me on snow chains

That's new. Something I've not heard of before. Hmm. Interesting.

I've gotten stuck in about 2 feet of snow with AT's before. Nothing would had helped but a giant snow plow in that situation.

 

Indeed MO, that Siskyou Pass on I-5 is the worst than many of the mountain passes I've crossed in the Rockies when a front comes through. Cascade Concrete!

 

Depending on which state, chains may be required, even for 4x4. (CA law says you are to have them with you, even if not mandated to apply)

 

Many state highways and local roads are susceptible to chain requirements in CA. Theres 2 areas on my road just to get to town thats 5 miles away... Yosemite NP has chain requirements too. Most of the main valley is in shadows all day during the winter and ices over quite easily. Most visitors (tourists) have no idea how to drive in snow, much less iced roads. The chains/cables have prevented many an accident. (its also fun to watch those who disregard the chain up areas only to slide off the road a 100 yards later!)

 

That's news to me. I live out here and frequent Tahoe during the winter, even during HEAVY snow conditions in Tahoe I have never been required to just have them let alone use them.

 

Yes they will check your tires, if you're 4x4 and then chains. Depending on the conditions, if you're 4x4 they won't check possession of chains. Once the officer asked me "4x4?" I said "yes" (I'm not) and drove away. Just locked it and boom.

 

And yes, chains are required to have, but NOT always to use.

 

This company is good to work with.

http://www.tirechain.com/

I chose these. Some chains require more fender clearance, but these are designed to work in cases where the tires are closer to the fenders.

http://www.tirechain.com/square_alloy_cross_chain.htm



I hear good things about these. But they are not recommended for mud and I wanted the option to chain up in muddy terrain as well.

http://www.tirechain.com/DIAMONDSTYLECARCHAINS.htm

Cables don't suck. In fact in many cases they work much better than chains. Here in N GA we don't get a lot of snow. When we do it is often 2-4" and is as likely to be ice as much as snow. The problem is that they only clear major roads. Not enough equipment to get back roads where I live. We just wait a few days for it to melt. In the mean time steep hills are impassable without chains/cables and you'll have long stretches of clear pavement where sun hits it and long stretches of icy conditions in the shade. Nothing worse than snow that partially melts in the day and re freezes at night. If you're driving in mixed pavement and ice cables do far better when you have to drive on pavement. And in 4" of snow or less do just as well as chains.

I have cables that get used more often. I have the chains for hunting trips to western mountain states and those rare deep snows in the south. Driving on dirt roads that have frozen and then thawed is as muddy as you'll get. Chains in this mud does far better than even the most aggressive mud tire.

 

Legally you are required to have them even in a 4x4 during chain control in CA. I go through a few dozen chain checks every year. Only once have I been asked to show chains and only once have I been required to install them on my 4x4

 

exactly. and if its that shit bad out there, I'll just wait it out and go later.

 

It was kinda awesome. The wife and I were headed to sierra at Tahoe up off highway 50 early in the morning. We heard on the AM radio they closed 50 but we were only a couple miles out from the chain check. We got there and they were turning cars around. We drove up to the check and noticed 3 trucks ahead of the check pulled over putting on chains. The CHP said to pull over with them and put my chains on then the 4 of us were allowed to head up. We drove in over a foot of snow in a blizzered in the middle the highway as a group at about 15mph. When we got to sierra we were the only customers there and they had closed it down due to avalanche conditions. We ended up doing donuts in the parking lot and drinking hot coco in the resort till the afternoon.

 

Sounds like a great day!!

 

I actually live in SOCAL so weather isn't too big of an issue. I go snowboarding up in big bear and mammoth and sometimes they require you to have chains. CHP will be on the side of the road checking cars as they make their way up the mountain. If you don't have chains, they won't let you up.

 

I just want to have them in the truck just incase. I don't always plan my trip well and sometimes they are spontaneous. I'd rather be prepared rather than drive all the way there and have to turn back. Plus if its snowy conditions there will probably be less people on the slopes!

 

Try going during the week, very few people up there. Best conditions obviously a day after a storm. Horrendous conditions the weekend after a storm.

 

Any tips for post season care? Figure a good hose down to get rid of salt and some fluid film might do wonders for making them last?

 

I've always just given them a good soap and water wash to get all the salt/chemicals off. Bucket of warm/hot water, dawn dish soap. Drop one chain in and shake it around in the water for a minute or two. Pull it out and rinse it off. Repeat for the second chain. Then hang them up and let them dry, then back into the box until the next season.
Self adjuster type, do the same but blow out the adjuster with compressed air when it is set up to dry.
I don't put any oils on chains. Mainly because that stuff will be there the first time I have to use them, and somehow I will have forgotten gloves. Not to mention whatever is on the chains will get onto the tires. But that's just me.

 

I give them a good rinse, let them dry, then spray them down with Eezox. Its a gun care product but the corrosion resistance is excellent and it dries to a non-oily film. Installing chains in nasty weather is bad enough. The last thing I want is an oily greasy mess on top of it.

 

SR 18
[IN THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA]
IS CLOSED FROM THE JCT OF SR 138 (LOS ANGELES CO) TO THE LOS ANGELES/SAN BERNARDINO CO LINE 24 HRS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK THRU 2359 HRS ON 12/31/16 - DUE TO BRIDGE WORK - A DETOUR IS AVAILABLE

CHAINS ARE REQUIRED ON ALL VEHICLES EXCEPT 4-WHEEL-DRIVE VEHICLES WITH SNOW TIRES ON ALL 4 WHEELS FROM UPPER WATERMAN CANYON TO MITSUBISHI PLANT (SAN BERNARDINO CO)

CHAINS ARE REQUIRED ON ALL VEHICLES, NO EXCEPTIONS, FROM SNOW VALLEY TO THE JCT OF SR 38 (SAN BERNARDINO CO)

PLEASE RESEARCH CHAIN CONTROL LOCATIONS AS CALTRANS IS CURRENTLY WORKING TO UPDATE CHAIN CONTROL DESCRIPTIONS FOR CONSISTENCY WITH INTERNET MAPPING, LIKE GOOGLE MAPS & MAPQUEST.

 

SR 330
[IN THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA]
CHAINS ARE REQUIRED ON ALL VEHICLES EXCEPT 4-WHEEL-DRIVE VEHICLES WITH SNOW TIRES ON ALL 4 WHEELS FROM THE JCT OF SR 18 TO LOWER PASSING LANE (SAN BERNARDINO CO)

PLEASE RESEARCH CHAIN CONTROL LOCATIONS AS CALTRANS IS CURRENTLY WORKING TO UPDATE CHAIN CONTROL DESCRIPTIONS FOR CONSISTENCY WITH INTERNET MAPPING, LIKE GOOGLE MAPS & MAPQUEST.