I recently picked up a used Toyota Tacoma (small) pickup truck. I needed a good little "farm truck" for around the property; and it could be useful as a BOV too.
As I've been working on stocking the truck with various emergency kits and items, something else that's been in the back of my mind is whether it would be a practical purchase to get some Tire Chains to keep in the truck?

I am located in Middle Tennessee, so we don't see much in the way of Wintery road conditions. But, when we do, it's often an Ice storm instead of snow.
And, when we do get snow or ice, the majority of drivers in this region are so inexperienced with it, that they totally freak out.
Through the years, I have had to make it home from work a few times when the weather and roads were "bad". Usually, avoiding other drivers is the biggest challenge; but, there have been a few instances where the roads have been treacherous.

I imagine I might never use tire chains; but, if they saved me from being stuck one time, I would be glad I had them.
I am just starting to research, so any tips and comments you can share are welcome.

if you decide to get them, go for the cables instead of chains. I understand they are easier to use and store. I have also heard they are better on ice. (Information provided by Colorado residing friends who let me know what to bring when visiting.)

I am a huge fan of tire chains.

Link chains are great on ice, good in mud, sometimes useful in sand. The bigger the links, the better they dig, but the lumpier
they are to drive.

The cable kinds are easy to put on and work good on ice, tho don't
have the digging power for snow, mud and sand.

Keep it under 25 mph.

Bring a shovel.

Learn the right way to install, every now and then someone around
here gets squished putting them on with a jack.

Jack??? You just "pull-up" after laying them on or out I thought?

I've used both, and never found much difference. Interestingly, folks in cold weather climates don't use them (?!?!) I don't get it. I never saw them once, living in Pennsylvania, Michigan or Missouri, or while passing through Wisconsin and Idaho.

Also, don't assume 4x4 helps. It's OK for snow, but does absolutely nothing on ice.

[/quote] Jack??? You just "pull-up" after laying them on or out I thought? [/quote]


Exactly -- DO NOT JACK UP THE CAR to put on chains.

Cable type are required on many cars because of a lack of
tire/wheelwell clearance.

They are banned in some states on large
trucks because they are not as effective as link chains.

Cable chains will not get you out of a hole or the ditch
like large link chains will.


Flatland states have less need of chains for the highway,
but if you are going bumper to bumper over a mountain pass
with ice or packed snow, you can appreciated being able
to stop. Also that the other cars are required to
have them on too. They help reduce the overall
speed of the traffic to safer levels.

Mr Kim probably could have driven back out if he
had thought to carry chains and a shovel.

And remember to grab a good supply of various sized bungee cords as well. It can make a big difference in how long the chains will last by keeping the slack parts from flopping around excessively.

Generally for city/highway use cable chains are preferred, for off road or rural areas where snow can accumulate, link chains are the better choice, generally.

While living in northern Canada for the better part of 10 years where annual snow is measured in feet (around 8' on average), we never had to use chains...even in the highest mountain passes nor did anyone else we knew .

The best investment for the money is a set of 4 winter tires mounted on spare rims.
Where we live now, there has been 17 inches of snow in the last couple of days and with winter tires mounted on the car, it is no problem driving around on unplowed roads and streets.

The reality is that you can be safe if you:
1) Have winter tires
2) Maintain sensible driving habits, including knowing when not and where not to drive. (see # 4 below in case you forget this)
3) "It won't happen to me attitudes" are left at home
4) Be prepared for the driving conditions by having the proper emergency gear and supplies in the vehicle.

Take one or more of the above points out of the equation and you are on a fast track to being another statistic...

I've always carried the link type, never tried cables, and almost always(since 1981) in a two wheel drive Toyota Tacoma. Never put any extra weight in the back--didn't need it. Bring repair links, bungees, some wire to tie down loose ends of chain, and a grubby jacket to wear, while you're laying on the ground hooking them up.
Ditto on the 25 mph.

Info from CA DOT site.

http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/traffops/trucks/ops-guide/chains.html


Funny how California requires chains and Northern
Canada doesn't seem to use them.

When you say winter tires, are you talking about tires that are "studded"?
Meaning metal studs sticking out of the tread.

Chains will stop you in 1/2 the distance of good snow
tires.

http://www.4x4abc.com/ML320/ml_chainss.html

I think it is foolish to drive in
winter where snow is expected
without carrying tire chains for emergencies.

Just look at the other
thread where two guys died after getting stuck in
snowbanks.

http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=159695#Post159695

You are correct, chains will stop you faster. In winter driving conditions, you never, ever drive or follow too close to the vehicle in front of you. You need at least 5 times the normal distance and obviously much less speed. I and my fellow firefighters have spent many cold and miserable nights out on the highways and roads trying to save lives because people cannot (or refuse to) remember this.

As for the people who died as mentioned in the link you supplied, they made a number of simple but deadly mistakes that cost them their lives. Not having tire chains is not the cause of their death. They died by not being Equipped to Survive.....period.

Sherpadog, since you're in Canada, I think the Snow Tires might make more sense for you than they would for me.
From what I have heard, Snow Tires will have worse gas mileage than either "summer" or "all season" radials.

Since we don't see snow conditions that often here in Tennessee, I think it would probably be best for me to stick with "regular" tires, and then have the Chains or Cables as a backup for the few times that they might be needed.

Those two poor folks likely could driven out of those snow banks if they had been "Equipped" with tire chains on.

Shovel, cell phone, chains, tow strap, flashlight
warm clothes etc.

The fire department here runs chains on all
fours on every call in the winter on its ambulances.
The fire trucks have automatic chains that deploy
by themselves.

School buses run chains. The post office jeeps run chains.

If you want to be extra sure you get where you are going,
that's what you do.

I think you are missing my point. Driving in whiteout conditions and you veer off the road into a 2-3' deep ditch, having chains on is not going to help if the vehicle is buried uo to it's frame and axles. Also the article does not mention how much snowfall there is on the road. Many times, the wind is bad enough that the snow is literally blown off the road and the people crash simply because they are driving too fast for road conditions and they cannot see 2' in front of them and loose sight of the road. There are some current or ex Leo's and some firefighters/1st responders in this forum and others who can attest to this also.

Lets assume they had tire chains on and the same situation occurred and they got stuck. I am almost certain that if they would be foolish enough to walk anyways..regardless of the extenuating circumstances.

Anyway, I think we have beaten this subject enough....time for me to move on to some other subjects and threads.

This is where I disagree. Often you can drive out of a
2-3" ditch with snow up to the axles if you have good
chains on. And you may not end up there in the first place
as you will be driving slow with chains and have better
control.

Dismissing use of chains just because one has snow tires will
be fatal for some.

People around here are driving with chains (both kinds)... on the freeway... at freeway speeds. There are chains all over the place on the roads and freeway. I saw one guy in Seattle today pick up a link-type chain and drop it into a pothole. Not a bad idea!

One thing I am noticing as I'm driving slowly through the unplowed, lumpy, wet, sandy, chunky-ice city streets, is that if you create a gap in traffic so those on the cross streets can turn in front of you, they are less likely to get aggravated and cause trouble. I noticed after I let people in front of me as we all crawled along, they would wave their thanks, and then they would let someone pull in front of them farther on. You're not going fast enough to make good time anyway, so you might as well do something to help reduce some of the frustration.

Seattle is going to be a REAL mess tomorrow morning when all the wet stuff freezes again.

Sue

I`m getting some for my ATV to plow with

I`ll post pics and comparison chained vs. not when I can test.

My rules re chains:

Read your owners manual to see what type of chains are right for your vehicle. Some vehicle, Saturn for one, make you sign a form when you buy a new vehicle stating that you have been informed to use only cable chains. Regular chains will damage the vehicle.

Learn how to put them on in your driveway. Do not wait 'til it is snowing like crazy to learn.

Carry them all the time, or at least all the time during winter months, or whenever going high up in the mountains.

I am pretty lucky, I have purchased chains for every vehicle I have owned since the early '70's, and never had to put them on. Sure as heck, first time I don't own chains I will need them...

Yep, Tire chains in the car, rain gear on the motorcycle. As long as they are there you will never need them. Be gone 5 min from the house without and a freak blizzard / rainstorm is on the way NOW.

That is a pretty small truck. A problem with pickup trucks is they are too light in the back and have no traction on the rear wheels.
A couple of bags of coarse sand and a shovel will likely do more to get you unstuck on icy or snowy roads than chains.
The sand should be in bags that keep it dry, if it gets wet it can freeze. A bit of salt in it can prevent that too.
The shovel can dig you out of a snowdrift, spread sand and if you do get stuck on ice it will chip the edge away from the little hole you melted in the ice by uselessly spinning your tires..
Snowtires are a help, If you need them get the all-season radials. They look just like regular tire but are more grippy.
A lot of the people with small trucks use mud and snow tread tires all year here.
~northern Alberta~

I grew up and learned to drive in Michigan, and I never even saw tire chains until I moved to Seattle. For the flatter states, if you know what you are doing and have snow tires, they really aren't necessary. In mountain passes, however, they are great!

I just checked the code, and in Michigan they are actually illegal unless the road is completely covered by snow/ice. The law states that they are "not allowed to come in contact with the surface of the road," because they tear the hell out of it.

There are also counties in Wisconsin that do not use any road salt on secondary roads. They might put out some dirt, but the state doesn't want the salt eating the roads and the taxpayers agree wholeheartedly. You have to just slow down.

We have a friend who lives about 50 miles from Telluride, CO. She makes the commute daily, and never puts chains on. That is sure not flatland, but she has lived in that area for 'bout 20 years. Lots of snow, never chains up...

Myself and Rantor ALWAYS carry link chains in our vehicles but I can not remember a time that we have had to put them on except in conditions that we were off the beaten track. However, with that said, we also carry a shovel, cold weather gear, extra weight in the back for traction and our vehicles are set up for getting through DEEP snow (winches, snatch blocks etc...).

I have seen and heard of I-70 in Colorado being closed to vehicles unless they are 4 wheel drive or have chains. Now with that said, refer to the post above that said to have chains / cable for all four wheels. This is a pretty important piece of advice. Because if you only have chains for the back of your truck you will get it moving - that part is the fun part! The not so fun part is if you didnt chain your FRONT wheels. These are the wheels that are important to keep from sliding so they will allow you to turn and stop! Stop power is much more important to me then go power.

Just my 2 cents...

I can personally verify the chains requirement on I-70 up to 1993. I was turned back from the Eisenhower tunnel due to no chains. I was westbound and was able to go back to some town and pay 5 times the normal price for 4 wheels worth of chains.

Chains seem to be a thing on the west coast of the US, the upper mid west you never see them and actually don't think they are allowed on our highway system.

If it's warm enough for ice like it is today they just salt and sand the hell out of the road and wait for it to get cold enough to snow to cover up the whole mess. easier to drive on packed snow than ice