Tire Chains - Buy tire chains online - How to install snow tire chains

Nov. 2, 2010 - PRLog -- If you live where the climate calls for snowy winters, then there's a chance you'll eventually need tire chains. Even here in California, the need for chains often surfaces in the mountain areas of places like the Sierra Nevadas and the Mountain Lake regions of Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead in San Bernardino County.

Snow chains, or tire chains, are devices which are affixed to the tires of vehicles to provide superior traction when driving through snow and ice.

Snow chains are attached to the drive wheels of a vehicle. Chains are usually sold in pairs and must be purchased to match a particular tire size (tire diameter and tread width). Driving with chains will reduce fuel efficiency and can limit the speed of the automobile to approximately 50 km/h (30 mph).

In snowy conditions, transportation authorities may require snow chains to be fitted on vehicles. This can apply to all vehicles, or those that lack certain motive combinations such as four-wheel drive and/or specific classifications of tires. Local requirements may be enforced at checkpoints. Snow chains should always be fitted to one or more drive axles of a vehicle, with varying requirements for dual-tire or multi-driven-axle vehicles that range from 'one pair of tires on a driven axle' to 'all tires on all driven axles' being required to have snow chains fitted when conditions and/or signage require it.



Installing Tire Chains


•1 Determine whether your car has front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive. Tire chains always go on the driving wheels.

•2 Check your owner's manual for any reference to "class S" or limited clearance for tire chains. If your tires need a limited clearance product, consult the manual for additional instructions, as traditional chains aren't recommended for your car.

•3 Pull completely off the road and out of the way of traffic.

•4 Set your emergency brake and turn off the engine before you climb under the car. Passengers can stay in the vehicle or wait in a safe place away from traffic.

•5 Lay the chains flat on the ground so each side is parallel. Make sure there aren't any twists in the links.

•6 Drape the chains over each back tire, keeping the "speed hook" (or "J hook") fastener on the inside. The other side of the chains has a lever fastener with a "keeper" link.

•7 Make sure the smooth side of the cross member end hooks is lying against the tires. You'll recognize these parts when you see the chains.

•8 Reach behind each tire and fasten the speed hooks by inserting the J hooks through the third link from the other end of the chain. Pull the slack toward the outside edge of the tire.

•9 Pull your car forward several feet and pull the rest of the slack toward you. Insert the lever fasteners through the third links from the opposite ends of the outside chains and pivot the levers back on themselves, then fasten them under the keeper links.

•10 Drive forward several feet, then pull all the slack out of the chains and refasten them as tightly as possible. There should be about the same number of loose links on each side of the chains.

•11 Secure these extra links with zip ties, or remove them with bolt cutters.

•12 Add rubber tighteners to lengthen the life of the chains.

Buying tire chains

  Tire chains can be purchased online from http://www.barretire.com/Tires/thulechains.htm



If you are looking for more information on tire chains please visit the web site listed above.

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Todd Hebert is the owner of BT Automotive Tires. He is a writer and blogger for the automotive industry. Order tires online http://www.barretire.com