Tire Chains/Cables

I need some traction aid for travel to Reno (required by law) for Christmas and know nothing about them. How do i find the right size and where's the cheapest place to get them quick?

 

Stockers. 215/70-15
Walmart, cool.

 

a lot of the chain laws are for commercial vehicles only. Thats the case here in CO at least.

 

not here, although you most definitely have bigger hills there...here it's all vehicles, 4x4 exempt.

 

Go to Les Scwab. They have the easiest chains to put on.

 

Craigslist.com

 

Google tire chains. Most stores have info on what you'll need. Rear chains only. Practice putting them on before you need them. Don't buy cables, they are worthless. Diamond pattern links are good.
Get some canvas the legnth of the chains and roll them up when not in use. It keeps them from getting tangled.
Good luck, and go sloooow. A loose/broken chain will do big damage.

 

4 sets? You mean 2 sets for all 4 tires?

 

Good luck fitting chains on the front of the 2nd gen Tacoma. I think according to the owners manual they can only be put on the back tires. OP...have you concidered traction tires? Chances are you'll never need to use the chains unless they're required by law.

 

Yeah, it's unlikely I'll have to put them on, but it's a possibility. The pass over to Nevada does get some nasty weather and when it does they close the road unless you have chains or 4x4.

Traction tires?

 

Check THULE for chains: http://www.thule.com/en/CA/Products/SnowChains.aspx

 

Maybe REI rents them...

 

that's a thought. I should look into that. Thanks.

 

I have the manual in front of me... Rear chains only. It also cautions against incorrect tire and chain matchup, and that the cross chains should be 6.3mm and the side chains should be 5.0mm

 

Just go down to Kragen or some auto parts store and buy 'em. You need them in the car whenever you drive to the mountains, so you'll keep 'em for the life of the truck. Write down your tire size before you go in. The box will have a long list of tire sizes that fit - or it'll be in a separate sheet/book next to the display.

Despite what someone said above, cables work great. I've used them on many of my cars. They don't last quite as long, but I've only had one car where I came close to wearing out cables or chains, and I chained that little ford fiesta up for a *lot* of snow trips.

Some cable designs are easier to put on - they disconnect so you can swing them behind the tire, rather than having to lay them out and roll over it.

If you get "real" chains, you'll need to get ahold of a bolt cutter and snip off the extra links that you'll find after your test fitting. Otherwise, that extra few inches of chain will swing around and strike your fenders/body parts. That's double-plus-ungood.

For 4x4 wheelin' in the snow, yes folks do recommend chaining up all four. But for a highway trip, chain up the drive wheels and be done with it. I've never seen a car on the highway chained on all four.

Put them on for the first time in the daylight in front of your house. Way better to learn in daylight in dry conditions than on a snowy dark road feet away from heavy highway traffic. And if there's a fit issue, you'll find out so you can return them right away and get the right size.

You'll want pliers and flat bladed screwdriver handy, and a headlamp style flashlight. If you have to put them on, it's almost guaranteed to be cold and sleeting or snowing. So you'll want to be dressed warmly and have gloves and a waterproof jacket (even better, add waterproof pants) that you don't care if they get wet and filthy muddy.

Put them on tight. Use whatever rubber band or tensioner comes with them. Buy one if the directions tell you to do so. I have used one set of chains that didn't have a rubber tensioner, but they had a little lever on them for extra leverage in tightening. Drive a quarter mile and tighten them again. Tight is right. I suppose it's possible to overdo it if you're a big bulky strong dude, but mostly folks run them too loose rather than too tight.

Drive slow - stick to 25. Traffic may go as high as 30 and it's OK to hang, but once folks start going faster than that, move over to the right and hold it to 30.

 

^ Spot-on with the advice there, Steve. FYI to the OP and others, all vehicles in CA regardless of 2wd or 4wd must carry chains with them during R2 conditions (when chains are required on 2wd vehicles)...yes, even 4x4!

And even cables won't fit with the stock wheels on the front. You'd have to switch to the FJ wheels or something with similar clearance and the correct tire size for them to work in the front.

 

hopefully I won't have to use them at all. Thanks for all the help and advice, good stuff man!

 

what is going to be the first contact point? just general rubbing or upper control arm or spindle?

 

When I was shopping for a new taco back in the fall, I felt behind the tire for clearance on the various models on the lot.

I didn't check any "sport"s with 265/65R16, but on the 4x4s with 265/70R16s, the tire was *really* close to the UCA - less than a finger's breadth between them. Depending on the chains or cables, you couldn't even *mount* them. Others you'd be able to mount, but would end up striking the UCA as the tire rotated. I'd expect the same problem on the TRD Sport as well, since the offset looks to be the same...

On my truck with the OME shocks and coils, and 17x8 wheels with 4.5" backspacking, there's now more space between the tire and the UCA - so I have hopes of being able to mount front tire chains for snow-trail wheeling at some point. I'll know for sure after I get the chains. Either way, I'll keep one pair to put on the back for really icy conditions and to meet legal reqmts.

 

If you are two wheel drive, don't go without chains (trust me look at my location ). I have always owned 4x4s living in Reno and I have never owned chains. It is true you are required to carry them when driving over the pass but I have been through chain checks over 100 times and they have never asked me for them. Southern CA they will turn you around if you don't have chains, northern CA they are a little more lax on this rule and only seem to check the big rigs for chains. In generaly I-80 closes down before they require chains on 4x4s. I drive to Tahoe every weekend in the winter for skiing and in college drove to San Fran to visit family every other weekend, so I have driven over the mountain more times then I can count.