When are snow chains really necessary with a 4x4?

Necessary with 4x4 when you encounter ice.

 

I never had a problem running chains on the front I had factory sized A/T's and billies set at .85" with factory coils and factory UCA's at the time too.

Haven't tried chains with the bigger tires, new coils and new UCA's yet.

 

From the Cal-Trans web page:

Chain Requirements

• R1: Chains are required - snow tread tires allowed. (all vehicles must have chains in the vehicle)
• R2: Chains are required on all vehicles except four wheel drive vehicles with snow tires on all four wheels. (2-wheel drive must install chains, 4-wheel drive must carry chains)
• R3: Chains are required - all vehicles - no exceptions.
• R1 and R2 are the most common conditions. The highway is usually closed before an R3 condition is imposed.

The text in the () is from my enforcement documents when I worked in the mountains on chain control. Also, if you are pulling a trailer that is equipped with brakes, that axle must have tire chains installed as well.

http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/ChainRequire.pdf

http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/chcontrl.htm

Hope this helps.

Ray

PS: I use these: http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...vpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&ref=pd_sl_585j9k0fxe_e

 

I would say the majority of people with aftermarket wheels and tires cannot run chains at all. Check the clearances at the UCA and at the rear of the wheel well. I run 235/85-16 tires on stock wheels with 1" spacers specifically because I want to be able to run chains without hosing my truck. If not for that I would be running 255/85-16.

You need to buy a quality chain specifically fitted to your tire size to make sure you don't get slop in the fit.

 

Put the chains on the rear

 

The UCA on our trucks makes it impossible to use chains in the front unless you want to pay out the ass for some gucci-ass-no-go-around-the-backside chain tensioner.

Here I found two product solutions in this post here:

 

We all pack chains along to late elk hunting camp. We usually need the chains to get around and to get back down the mountain from camp. Mountain passes here sometimes require chains and you had best have a set on hand or you have to turn around and head back to where you came from. Chains are a good investment, they are worth their weight in gold when the time comes where you need them.

 

When the road enforcing officer tells you to. At least in Ca. Other times I could continued driving without them, only after he saw them in my possession.

 

The chains you use have you ever had a problem with one of the cables that go over the tire snapping and then you have a 14"-16" whip slapping your wheel well and possible wrapping up on your brake line?

Happened to me twice last year, I pulled over and cut the snapped cable with a pair of bolt cutters before any damage. One on each pair so they both had faulty cable or something.

Just curious.

 

I've never had a bit of trouble with these cables. Used them every winter for 3-years. Just sprayed them with a bit of WD-40 after I took them off and before I put them away each time.

Ray