I have real nice michelin M&S tires but we're taking a trip across the smokies in Jan and I thought I should carry the tire chains that I've never had to use yet. If I do have to use them on this truck where should I put them? Front, rear or both axles? My rear end is a locker and kinda squirrely on ice but great in the snow! I'm just worried about the mountains and no experience at all with tire chains.
I am carrying my 100 gallon fuel tank and tool box so it will be about 1500 pounds worth of weight in the back for added traction.

 

I would think on the rear would be best, but I couldn't tell you why.

 

Chains are fitted to the primary drive wheels.

Rog

 

Thanks guys. I'll do that if I need them. I hope I don't! I used to run studded snow tires in Pa and Alaska but not here. Illegal.

 

Where's a good place to get a set of chains. I wouldn't mind having a set.

 

Most light truck chains are rather little.
Couple years ago we had about 3 feet of snow on top of an inch of ice.

So I went out and bought two sets of 10.00 x 20 chains and cut them down to fit the 285/75-16 tires on my plow truck.

Chain up all 4 wheels, not much stops it.

I usually chain the front axle first.
More weight on the front axle, with better steering and stopping ability than you get with the rear axle chained.

You do have to watch driving with chains on though.
Clear patches on the pavement don't offer much traction against steel.
I was rolling down a hill when I had all 4 chained up with a stop light at the bottom.
The highway department had piled on the salt, so the pavement was bare on the approach to the light .
Touched the brakes and the chains on bare pavement slid me sideways before I got stopped.

I think at the time, that was the only bare pavement in the county.

 

I was quoted $160 for a set of chains for my 285's from Advance Auto...

I need a set for moving from NC to Oregon in a month or two.

 

Can't remember for sure, I think I bought my chains in 03 at NAPA.

If I remember right, I paid 100 dollars a set.

Real heavy duty chains, even after all that time they look almost new.
With traction lock in both axles, I usually only have to run them a couple times a year.

But when the weather gets serious, so do I.

I have two driveways way out in the country.
Usually when I go out there, I have to plow the roads most of the way there to get there.

Last winter when I made my first trip out there, they had been snowed in for three weeks.
They sure were glad to see me.

 

Now would it be better to get the cable chains or the actual chain link chains? Basically just need them in case of emergency and if I'm required to carry them over the passes. We'll be staying on my major highways.

 

I don't think much of cable chains, but that might be because of my age and what I use mine for.

When you are blazing a trail through several feet of snow and are out in the middle of nowhere, the last thing you want to happen is a chain break.
Been down that road before when I was young back in the 60's.
We were trying to get our cattle out of the summer pasture when an early storm dumped a couple feet of snow on us.
My dad and I took our 60 model 3/4 ton 4x4 with a plow on it to go open the road so the trucks could get in the next day.
He was busting through a drift about 6 feet deep and shredded a chain.
Miles from people on the side of the highest mountain in the state.

A handy man jack saved my life that night cause we were stuck good.
Finally shoveled off a clean place beside the truck, then jacked up one end with the jack in the center of the bumper and pushed the truck over sideways.
Then do the other end.
Repeat till we were back on the road and had all the snow out from under the truck frame.
Fix chain and off again plowing.

So now when I buy something like chains, they are serious chains.
Each one weighs about 85 pounds, but the cross chains are not going to rip off if I spin the tires.

 

Good advice Dave.

 

RRranch, For cars the chains/cables need to be placed on the drive wheels. For our trucks that are 4x4 the front should be chained first. Don't use cables, their two small and your power can spin them right off your tire (makes a mess cause they wind up wrapped around the axle). Heavy chains are the best. NAPA and out here in the west Les Schawb sell the heavy duty tire chains. Never drive over 45 with chains on (I cruse at about 35 or 40 if I'm chained up). And remember, It's not the going that's hard in the Snow, it's the stopping!

 

Yeah, I've driven in snow many times. Just never had to use chains, but since my truck is 2wd and we will most likely be going through some mountain passes it would be good to have them.

Still not sure what route to take back from NC to Oregon... I'd like to visit my cousin in Indiana along the way but that would take me across on I-80 through Laramie, WY and Ogden Utah. Probably pretty rough for the next few months.

The only way I can think to avoid as many mountains as possible is to go down south and take I-10 all the way across and then up the coast to Oregon.

 

Maybe plan a couple different routes and watch the weather for each one when it comes time to go. May be a good idea this time of year..

 

That is my problem. I've driven in the snow a lot just never with chains. I have a huge set for my old tractor though. NO idea why. I can't get that thing stuck if I try. I'm just worried about those mountain passes requiring chains. We've had to spend the night before in my 65 mustang up in colorado because the cops wouldn't let us over the mountain without chains. I tried putting some on but there was no room in the wheelwells so we sat in an auto zone parking lot idling all night while 4 foot of snow got dumped on us. Do the cops do the same thing with big 4x4 trucks? Or do they let us go usually? We got a couple feet here last christmas and I was just fine in it. Even having to plow through drifts that were as high as my hood it was fine.