noob question- tire chains (1 Viewer)

[ttFJC]

could not locate a definite answer..

it says not to put tire chains on the front of my FJ Cruiser in the owners manuel, and i have read that this is the case for all IFS Toyota models because of the upper control arms.

But is this true?

Could i run tire chains front and rear if it clears the UCA's and this is just a symptom of Toyota being too careful..

Thoughts?

All the threads i see have very polarized opinions...with no answer.

 

[1911]

could not locate a definite answer..

it says not to put tire chains on the front of my FJ Cruiser in the owners manuel, and i have read that this is the case for all IFS Toyota models because of the upper control arms.

But is this true?

Could i run tire chains front and rear if it clears the UCA's and this is just a symptom of Toyota being too careful..

Thoughts?

All the threads i see have very polarized opinions...with no answer.

Because it totally depends on your tire size and which UCA's you have, and the chains you run.

If you have any tires larger than stock, then there will not be much room between the tires and the UCA's; in many cases, not enough room for tire chains - but no one can tell you for sure on your setup without seeing/trying them.

IF they do clear when you put the chains on, will they still clear when you put weight on the truck? When you drive faster than a crawl? When you turn full steering lock? When you really flex the front suspension? These are all things you will want to know before you go very far.

 

[ttFJC]

Thanks for the advice.

I just wanted to make sure clearance was the main concern and not something else i need to worry about like breaking something else up front.

Do you really even gain a lot if i went chained up in the rear? seems like a great way to become over confident and get yourself really stuck instead of just stuck

 

[pb4ugo]

I don't know about chains on your application, but I do run 4 chains on my old Chevy 4x4 farm truck to get firewood on my property.
Chains on the rear will help. Chains all the way around is amazing. Tires rarely slip, but when a tire does slip you will know it, it shakes the truck immensely. If my FJ40 locked frt and rear with boggers can't navigate my trails, I know my open/open chained up farm truck can. I would not use chains for trail riding, they will leave a mark on, or break rocks and scar trails. I'm sure they will add stress to the driveline too.

 

[1911]

Thanks for the advice.

I just wanted to make sure clearance was the main concern and not something else i need to worry about like breaking something else up front.

Do you really even gain a lot if i went chained up in the rear? seems like a great way to become over confident and get yourself really stuck instead of just stuck

If you don't have the clearance, then yeah, something will break - most likely the chains, but it may not do your UCA or bushings much good before the chains break.

In the snow, if I only had one pair of chains, I would rather have the front chained than the rear, especially on a 4WD truck. Much easier to steer and stop in the snow and ice with chains on the front.

 

[Jeepster09]

When I lived in Laramie Wyoming I only used on front it worked fantastic considering you have the weight of the motor to help.

 

[hj 60]

yes it ends getting more stuck than before, I have front and rear locker and front and rear tire chains, awesome grip in mud, snow, sand and I dont try on rocks or any hard soil, no spinning or fast driving, just slow.
Now I get stuck with the rear wheels off the ground and the front too after a few rotations