Neto Posted February 25, 2016 Report Share Posted February 25, 2016 Has anyone here used tire chains/cables for traction aids? (I have never had any, but am considering it, just looking for information at this point.) dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neto Posted February 25, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2016 (edited) I should have said that I was looking for personal impressions, not "information". I've seen them used years ago, but thought of them as more or less a thing of the past. It started as a curiosity first, so I did research on the technicalities before I posted here. Maybe this is not even the right forum to ask a question of this type. I already know that you are not supposed to drive over 30 MPH with them on, possibly it's even illegal in some states. There are probably also legal limitations for their use seasonally in some states or areas, as there are for studded tires. Thee are also a lot more different types out there now than there were back in the 60's, when I saw them in use. Edited April 4, 2016 by jkeaton dhh3 and jkeaton 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_T Posted February 25, 2016 Report Share Posted February 25, 2016 Neto, where do you live? Do you encounter roads that say "tire chains required"? If not, I wouldn't bother. A good driver, with a decent set of snow tires can get pretty much anywhere on normal roads, your limiting factor would be snow depth and the Journey's ride height. In my 20+ years of driving, (I drive everyday for a living, no, not a truck driver, but a service rep) I have driven in many parts of Canada during the winter, from Quebec to B.C. and have never once felt the need for tire chains. jkeaton and dhh3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neto Posted February 25, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2016 (edited) Neto, where do you live? Do you encounter roads that say "tire chains required"? If not, I wouldn't bother. A good driver, with a decent set of snow tires can get pretty much anywhere on normal roads, your limiting factor would be snow depth and the Journey's ride height. In my 20+ years of driving, (I drive everyday for a living, no, not a truck driver, but a service rep) I have driven in many parts of Canada during the winter, from Quebec to B.C. and have never once felt the need for tire chains. We live in East central Ohio, but south of the Snow Belt. So we don't see the heavy snows here that people just 50 miles or so north of us do, but we have a lot of hills, and my business responsibilties take me over a lot of narrow back roads that are really just dirt roads with a bit of gravel on top, and some are rather steep. (The county roads are pretty well maintained, but the township roads are often not, and they are probably the last to be graded after a snow. It does vary a great deal from one township to the next - some have a lot more funds to work with than others.) I am looing for a more general response - I'm not actually talking about our Journey, but another bigger vehicle. (My wife insists on snow tires for the Journey.) What I'm trying to get a feel for is whether people think that tire chains would be a workable substitute for the much more expensive option of getting full snow tires. (Currently running mud & snow treads on my work vehicle. That is all I ever used in the past, but the first snow of the winter was a really wet snow on top of ice, and this vehicle, which is new to me, seemed at first to be rather helpless on snow.) I'll just drop this here, because I don't want to aggravate anyone by talking about other vehicles. I suppose now that I should have posted this thread in the Off Topic section. Edited February 25, 2016 by Neto dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted February 25, 2016 Report Share Posted February 25, 2016 (edited) I found this on the Ohio DOT site: Use of studded tires or tire chains in Ohio is permitted between Nov. 1 and April 15 or times of extreme weather conditions. Extreme weather refers to the presence of snow and/or ice on the roadway. And this from the owners manual: Traction devices must be of proper size for the tire, as recommended by the tire chain manufacturer. Install on front tires only. Due to limited clearance, P225/65R17 tire with a Security Chain Company (SCC) Super Z6 low profile tire chain or equivalent is recommended. http://www.peerlesschain.com/brands/traction/traction-product-choices/super-z6-tire-chains/ Edited February 25, 2016 by jkeaton Neto and dhh3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted February 25, 2016 Report Share Posted February 25, 2016 California requires them when driving in the mountains, unless you have 4wd. jkeaton 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianS Posted February 26, 2016 Report Share Posted February 26, 2016 I'll just drop this here, because I don't want to aggravate anyone by talking about other vehicles. I suppose now that I should have posted this thread in the Off Topic section. Don't worry about aggravating anyone... we're a pretty thick skinned group here for the most part. I can't help you with the chains... never felt the need for any so no experience with them. Try them and see what you think... if you don't like them, you don't have to use them. From what I understand, and I "could" be wrong, they are not difficult to install/remove so not difficult to install on the side of road if you get into a situation where you need extra traction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfurth Posted February 26, 2016 Report Share Posted February 26, 2016 Mita Next Generation snow chains - they wrap around the tread of your tire only, and make no contact with the rims at all. I've never used them and don't know anyone who has, but the concept is pretty impressive (especially if you only have one set of rims, and they aren't steel). Otherwise, if you have a set of steel rims for winter (and those of you far enough north to need it regularly usually do), get classic chains that you know how to install quickly and fit properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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