Steve, you can purchase any of the chain parts at auto stores like NAPA. If you're concerned about one of the squeeze links being weak, I would strongly recommend replacing it and throwing the old one away.
Next thing I notice is you are short one set of cross chains. If you look at the huge gap from your last cross chain to the end link, you should have one more cross chain there, right where the M is on your sidewall. They follow a pattern of every fourth side link. If you still have the extra cross chains, I would put one back in that gap. You can add sidelinks pretty easy by using an add-a-link. They look like a side link except they have a barrel nut in the middle of them which allows you to open them up and add them to the last sidelink. If you need more than one sidelink, I would only add 1 add-a-link and the rest would be normal sidelinks. The main reason is that if you start spinning that tire in deep snow and it gets traction all of a sudden, your tire will try to exit through that gap. If it gets very far, it can rip off brake lines and scratch your fancy rims and make your fender look like it came out of a salvage yard.
It's nice to be able to put chains on before you get stuck, but that's not always been my experience. If you have an extra 3-4 sidelinks after your last cross chain, you will be able to still chain up while you're stuck, without having to jack the truck up. You would simply hook the sidelinks as tight as you can then get unstuck and either tighten them up and keep going or take them off and go home. I always have an add-a-link as my last side link. That way I can hook it to another sidelink thereby keeping it from trailing loosely as the tire rotates.
Like the others have said, definitely use rubber chain tighteners. Here is an example: http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/220728722104?lpid=82 Cheap insurance.

Lots of good advice here from everybody.

 

Good info. I've never seen that style link anywhere at hardware stores. I'll check the auto parts places.

I do have the cross chains I removed. I didn't think about prying the links apart for repairs, I cut them with a cut off wheel. Now I know.

The spacing is 4 side links per cross bar, however the latch on the outside and hook on the inside pretty much lay right on that link when the chains are tight. That's why there is a bit of a gap there. Should I install a cross chain at 2 links up from the last set there?

If you look at the first picture you can see how much tighter the chains are after we ran and re-tightened them compared to the close-up when we first put them on.

When I bought those chains I got a small cam style chain tightener. I tried to use it putting the tire chains on and I could get the side links a lot closer/tighter than by hand but I couldn't work the latch as the cam was always in the way of the latch closing.

Looking online it looks like some of the tire chain styles have a few cams around the outside that use a tool, like a mini breaker bar, to close. That looks like a good idea as it would allow you to tighten all the way around, not just at the main latch.

 

Ron knows chains, comes with the Wyoming territory, it's like a second language

 

Yea, must be.

To be honest with you, in all my travels I have never seen anyone run chains before on a road vehicle. I've seen them on tractors and other off-road equipment, but never road vehicles until this trip - even in the mountains of VA, WV, PA, and VT going to the ski resorts.

Being in the Midwest, tire chains are foreign devices Sometimes you see the cheap emergency cable rigs for car tires on the shelves, but a true tire chain is rare in our part of the country - which has me wondering if even the auto parts places will have the part I need. When I get out next time I'll check.

 

Very cool story!! I love hearing of adventures like this, On a side note, I bought and carry SCC Super Z (All Sizes) Tire Chain for Sale Online - Vulcan Tire Sales fro my dually as well as the camper. Never had to use them though as we try to camp in NC some during January and February. I bought the cables due to the dual wheels and the offset on the front wheel of it. Now they have a set of rear dually cables that go all the way around both tires but my wife told me I had prepared enough already! That is some serious 4 wheeling that I doubt my dually will ever see, but boy would that be fun!!!!

 

Really cool Steve, thanks for sharing

 

Steve, if you can actually tighten those chains enough to close that gap, that would be great. Buy yourself a couple add-a-links to tie back the tail of the sidelinks so they don't come loose and puree your fender or wheel liner and a set of chain tighteners, and have some fun. Nothing says learning like doing.

 

Some parts of California that I like traversing in the winter mandate you carry a set of chains, otherwise they can fine you, and you can come back and get your vehicle in the late spring

I carry one set of heavy duty v-bar chains from here: V BAR TRUCK CHAINS

Make sure if you are only using one set on a 4wd vehicle, to install them on the rear of the vehicle only so you don't slide out mid corner, and just manage your speed (I have seen people doing 50+mph with chains!!!)
I am yet to encounter any situation that a super duty can't get thru with a single set of chains, and in my experience (with a double chained AWD Audi) you can get almost as far with a set of single chains as you can with a set of doubles, you just have to go slower because your front might push a bit when it hits ice. Any set of well fitted chains really improve your traction in both mud and snow, and by carrying them I can just fit long lasting A/T tires, and just chain up when I need to to get to where people are getting with M/T's.

 

I can tell you that when the incline gets to be steep (~5+% grade, as measured on the screen, as to accuracy I don't know) that a set of chains on the rear isn't going to do much by itself. On shallow grades iced over that is one thing, but as heavy as these Super Duty's are that only goes to complicate things. Though, the spots we hit that stopped us were running 2wd and chains on the front and rear. The rear end would spin out even with the chains grabbing. When I sensed the rear end loosing grip I'd switch in the front - barely slipped a tire after that. I can't imagine the front tires, if we were running 4wd and no chains up there, would help a whole lot then. I would like to try that some time though.

 

I finally got out to the stores today to see about a new link. No one has anything close to it - NAPA, Autozone, Lowes, Tractor Supply... All I found were the screw gate quick chain links and the ones that look like a chain link version of a split washer that you hammer/bend closed. Looks like I am going to have to find something online.

Though, a friend of mine thought maybe a big truck stop may have what I need. They sometimes have weird odds and ends in the truck section at Pilot. I'm going to guess that what I am after is regional, and a region no where close to where I am.

 

Got some more pictures here. This is a good shot of the "road" up on the plateau. We were a few miles in here, about 3800-4000ft. The whole stretch from the overlook we stopped at before down to the other road we couldn't get to was 8 miles across. This may have been about 2-3 miles in? In any event, you can see the road up ahead over the hill. The terrain rolled like this the whole way, some hills were steeper than others, but aside from the drifted areas it was pretty easy going.

 

Now THIS is interesting!!!

 

I added the entrance

Fun times.

There should be some FTE outing's like this - they have the big meet out West somewhere (colorado is it?) and the trailer pull in Millersburg, OH. We need some cool rides to cool places.

 

And why we turned around... These guys made it in about 200 yards from the opposite side and sank. Just a mile over that hill was where we needed to go.. So close.

 

Wow, I don't think I'd get my horse trailer through that!

Great pictures, beautiful country.

-Karen