Leave Room for Tire Chains!

[Noisycow]

I did a search for this and did not find anything. There are a lot of threads on lifts/tires to get just enough room for a tire to fit, but if you live in an area that gets ice in the winter, you need to remember to leave some space for chains. No fancy off-road tires do well on ice, or at least I have never heard of any. No substitute for chains.

http://www.tirechain.com/TRUCK-SUV-CHAINS.HTM

Put all all fours, about $96-$114 a pair for high quality chains.

[utah tojo]

I think you just opened up a big can of worms. Had not even thought of that.
I wonder how much extra room you get from cutting the body mount?

[inthewall]

Three inch lift 285 70 17 has enough room for chains in back. In the front you have enough room near body mount at least I do with adjustable coilovers. The biggest problem I see is space between tire and A arm. Might need offset rims.

[rusty_tlc]

I would disagree that offroad tires don't do well on ice.
I drive offroad tires year round here in Reno and we get plenty of snow in the winter. I've never chained up any of my 4WDs. Even to go over the passes.

If you get that much snow do what the people at Tahoe do, run a second set of wheels with studded tires in the winter.

Chains are a PITA.

[Noisycow]

Not snow, black ice. No substitute for chains.

Coming down off Mt Hood four years ago I was behind a slow poke going down a long downhill run, so I took off on ice about 50mph -- to pass with nice MTs on. Let's just say going 50 and then just having the entire truck turn sideways at 40-45mph headed toward oncoming traffic was a wake up call. Black ice - the stuff we get here in Portland - is nasty. You need to have metal studs at least. Nothing sillier looking than a nice 4x4 in a black ice ditch while people in chained up Camaros are cruising by.

Plus ... a chained up 4x4 just looks bad ass imo.

[rusty_tlc]

Originally Posted by Noisycow

Not snow, black ice. No substitute for chains.

Coming down off Mt Hood four years ago I was behind a slow poke going down a long downhill run, so I took off on ice about 50mph -- to pass with nice MTs on. Let's just say going 50 and then just having the entire truck turn sideways at 40-45mph headed toward oncoming traffic was a wake up call. Black ice - the stuff we get here in Portland - is nasty. You need to have metal studs at least. Nothing sillier looking than a nice 4x4 in a black ice ditch while people in chained up Camaros are cruising by.

Plus ... a chained up 4x4 just looks bad ass imo.

Sounds like operator error not the tires.

I'd go with studs. Black ice is unpredictable enough that I doubt you would be chained up when you needed to or you would be driving 30 MPH with chains on a dry road while everybody was cursing you. ( I see the second thing happen a lot in the winter here.)

[Noisycow]

Yes - it was a stupid stunt. Showing off for a hot brunette. Her IQ was not that high, she didn't even know what was happening, and she almost died that night.

[Zack1978]

Actually if you go to the dealer and get a copy of the Spring 06 edition of the FJ booklet, they show/talk about putting chains on the FJ to use in the snow! I just read it this morning.


Zack

[ridgerunner]

Originally Posted by rusty_tlc

I would disagree that offroad tires don't do well on ice.
I drive offroad tires year round here in Reno and we get plenty of snow in the winter. I've never chained up any of my 4WDs. Even to go over the passes.

If you get that much snow do what the people at Tahoe do, run a second set of wheels with studded tires in the winter.

Chains are a PITA.

Ever chain up for mud?

[woody]

studded tires are nice, but if you travel, it's not too practical to carry a spare set of tires versus installing chains...as someone who will "travel thru" an occasional chain/stud area, it's not practical...

I've run chains on my FJ40 with 33's...it's simply amazing where you can go, deep snow or ice...

a tire with LOTS of sipes will help a ton on ice/snow, and many shops have a sipe-machine to add to those...many local plow trucks here will take new BFG-AT's and have them siped...

[rusty_tlc]

Originally Posted by woody

studded tires are nice, but if you travel, it's not too practical to carry a spare set of tires versus installing chains...as someone who will "travel thru" an occasional chain/stud area, it's not practical...

I've run chains on my FJ40 with 33's...it's simply amazing where you can go, deep snow or ice...

a tire with LOTS of sipes will help a ton on ice/snow, and many shops have a sipe-machine to add to those...many local plow trucks here will take new BFG-AT's and have them siped...

What I was saying was if you live in an area prone to black ice in winter, studs are a good idea. You will rarely have chains on, or know when to put them on, when black ice conditions happen. Even so I ran some kind of generic Cooper MT's last winter and made it through all the ice storms and what not we had. Dropping the speed down and leaving plenty of room between cars seems to be the key.

Personally I wouldn't bother with chains on a 4WD unless I wanted to get into the real back country. I've been cutting X-mas trees the past couple of years in the Sierria with nothing more than BFG At's on my GMC.

All that said, I wonder how much chains would cost for my 36" TSL's?

[treerootCO]

After sliding backwards down a mountain on the last spooky night run, I put chains on all four tires of my Fj40. 37's with chains are so much fun in the snow!!

[woody]

black ice, yer right.....studded tires aren't legal in WI, but I've had a couple 360 rides on the highways here....not fun

odds are, with a good tire, you'll never need chains....BUT, a cheap $120 set might be the fast ticket to getting unstuck, or may be "just enuf" to allow you into a chain-only area...

guys around here use studs on their motorcycle tires and do ice racing

[powderpig]

You can always get a decitated set of winter tires. Geolander IT, Blizack's, etc. work way better on black ice then studs. I have not got a set, But have looked into this lots for people around me. I run decitated studless tires on the saab and the companies make sizes up to 35's(a little smaller then normal sizes, but great for winter. there are a couple of good threads in the 80 archives that make good reading, with Sean from ferny BC, comenting on different tires that work well for his snow/ ice season. later robbie