Tire Chains

[TheGuyWho]

So anyone know what size and/or kind of tire chains ill be needing? Ive got those General Grabber AT2's in 295/75/16
I just want to see if I can find chains before winter when the price triples... Thanks!

 

[tallsville]

do we need chains here(CA) with a 4x4?

 

[KWT2000]

if you have a 4x4 cal trans does not require you to have chains

 

[TheGuyWho]

Well I dont know how many times you guys go to the mountains in the winter, but Im an avid snowboarder and 90% of the time I go up (and there's a checkpoint) they have always stopped me to see if I have chains. Ive never had to use them, but they've always checked to make sure I have them. And ive always had 4x4 too.

 

[tallsville]

KWT thats what i thought. spartacus dont go up much during winter to big bear or wrightwood(not sure where you snowboard). But i do go to angeles national forest and i have seen the signs that say chains required unless 4x4.

 

[walnuts4x4]

wow chains... never thought a 4x4 would need them... but don't think I've seen them ever used in NY and we get tons of snow....

 

[panda24619]

talls. there have been a few times this last winter where they closed the mountain roads unless you had 4wd and chains at least on the rear tires. sometimes they recommend them on all 4 tires too.

o and spartacus idk what size chains youll need, but you can just do a google search at some companys and they will tell you what chains you will need. or just email a few companys theyll tell you what you will need.

 

[Thermo]

Spartacus, tire chains are based on your tire size. so, if you tell them that you have 295/75/16's, they will know what size to get. As for the style of chains, please, please, please don't get the cable ones. I'm sure that they help some, but I have seen them cause more problems then they help, especially if you forget about them and drive with them on dry pavement (they turn into wheels and you go to stop and the cable spins and you slide on dry asphalt, seen it happen). Get a traditional chain setup and you will be golden. odds are though, you will end up needing to special order them as those are going to be a fairly unique size. But, if you go for them now, you should have them by winter.

As for needing chains, I have gone up into the mountains a few times in WA State and all the cops asked was whether I was in 4x4 or not. No mention of chains in addition to 4x4. Granted, they probably looked at my lifted truck and figured I knew what I was doing too.

 

[Soldier777]

Same In Rockies I have never been stopped for not having chains... all they care about is 4x4

 

[KWT2000]

the OP didn't say he was towing not that it matters but yes if you are towing and they put up the chain restriction you have to put on chains or they will shut you down

 

[KWT2000]

FWIW oregon is the same way when towing

 

[TheGuyWho]

wow chains... never thought a 4x4 would need them... but don't think I've seen them ever used in NY and we get tons of snow....

You may get a lot of snow, but they only ever require the chains in the mountains anyways. Why do you think there's so many accidents in the winter in NY. Hahaha

Spartacus, tire chains are based on your tire size. so, if you tell them that you have 295/75/16's, they will know what size to get. As for the style of chains, please, please, please don't get the cable ones. I'm sure that they help some, but I have seen them cause more problems then they help, especially if you forget about them and drive with them on dry pavement (they turn into wheels and you go to stop and the cable spins and you slide on dry asphalt, seen it happen). Get a traditional chain setup and you will be golden. odds are though, you will end up needing to special order them as those are going to be a fairly unique size. But, if you go for them now, you should have them by winter.

As for needing chains, I have gone up into the mountains a few times in WA State and all the cops asked was whether I was in 4x4 or not. No mention of chains in addition to 4x4. Granted, they probably looked at my lifted truck and figured I knew what I was doing too.

I would NEVER EVER buy those stupid cable chains. They're retarded!


And like I said, I wont be needing the chains to use them, but more for the inspection, and the "just in case." Been driving up to Big Bear and Mammoth in my old Jeep for the last 5-6 years and ive never used chains. I just need to get them because CHP & CalTrans runs checkpoints before going up the mountain to make sure you have chains, regardless of 4x4 or not. You never have to actually put them on, but they almost always check to see that you have them with you. This is of course only during a snow storm or right after one when the snow hasn't been plowed, which is the best time to go up the mountain…

 

[2000eb]

i actually prefer cables i have used them countless times along with chains and i will personally stick with my chains but thats on 2wd trucks and cars i used to have a set for my corolla. when i worked for the sheriffs office we had a set that we had to use for our 4wd silverado we had the road was closed but they let us through we had to eventually use the chains cause it was a long steep mountain and road was iced over so tires had no traction i couldnt believe how well the cables worked plus they are not nearly as loud as chains and as for driving with either on dry pavement if you slide and crash thats just nature taking its course. one less moron on the road

 

[TheGuyWho]

i actually prefer cables i have used them countless times along with chains and i will personally stick with my chains but thats on 2wd trucks and cars i used to have a set for my corolla. when i worked for the sheriffs office we had a set that we had to use for our 4wd silverado we had the road was closed but they let us through we had to eventually use the chains cause it was a long steep mountain and road was iced over so tires had no traction i couldnt believe how well the cables worked plus they are not nearly as loud as chains and as for driving with either on dry pavement if you slide and crash thats just nature taking its course. one less moron on the road

Well unfortunately there are no "moron" checkpoints... I wish there was though!

 

[nvycrmn]

well if you only need them for inspection, i would just find a cheap ass set and throw them in the truck. not like they check to make sure they fit your tires...just a thought.

thermo, i agree that SOME with lifted trucks know what they are doing, but here in SoCal where everybody lifts a 2wd truck, they just get retarded sometimes. i had to pull an f150 on 39's out of the water at the beach cuz he was an idiot...AND I DID IT WITH BOTH OF MY JET SKIS STILL ATTACHED TO THE TRUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Thermo]

nvycrmn, I have pulled an F-150 out of the sand on 40's that was only 2wd. I guess in my case, I had an out of state license that was from a state that gets tons of snow and I was making my way through the line a lot better than others. But, I have to agree, just because you have a vehicle capable of doing things, doesn't mean the driver is capable. When I lived in Washington State, I would say 90% of the vehicles in the ditch were 4wd SUVs. But then, they were the same ones that I would drive past because I figured they weren't going to change their ways and I would only help those that had the sole intention of going home to stay there.

 

[KWT2000]

just because you have 4wd and can go don't mean you can stop... typical non sense and thats why you see alot of 4x4's in the ditch

 

[panda24619]

i agree with you on the stopping. ive seen quite a few people spin out on the roads here. and in the snow in the mountains. and i see both tires (on the side i see) getting power. i want to get a set of chains. but i need to know what size tires im gonna get first.

 

[TheGuyWho]

well if you only need them for inspection, i would just find a cheap ass set and throw them in the truck. not like they check to make sure they fit your tires...just a thought.

thermo, i agree that SOME with lifted trucks know what they are doing, but here in SoCal where everybody lifts a 2wd truck, they just get retarded sometimes. i had to pull an f150 on 39's out of the water at the beach cuz he was an idiot...AND I DID IT WITH BOTH OF MY JET SKIS STILL ATTACHED TO THE TRUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thats impressive...

And I had thought of that; just buying some random chains or using the chains I still have from the other 4x4 car, but then I didn't see the point. If Im going to buy chains I might as well buy the right ones. Its the just in case factor. Driving up to Mammoth is pretty sketchy sometimes, and on the off chance that Im driving in the blizzard, I want to know that if I need chains ill have them.

 

[tallsville]

Mammoth thats a long drive. And a different drive from big bear where there is basically a freeway to it.

Has anyone ever seen this snow chains
http://www.thule.com/en-US/US/Products/Snow-Chains