chains and speed limits.

[colbystephens]

so i haven't driven a whole lot in the snow, and portland is getting it's first taste of snow for the year. if it gets to the point where i might need chains, what kinds of limits should i take into consideration? not going over what speed, etc.? if it makes any difference, my dd is a 95 s series blazer and i got my chains from les schwab. thanks for your help!

colbystephens.

 

[74 chev]

im not sure about a smaller tire but i dont go over 30 with mine on my 38's. but i also dont use them on the street.

 

[74757685k5]

so i haven't driven a whole lot in the snow, and portland is getting it's first taste of snow for the year. if it gets to the point where i might need chains, what kinds of limits should i take into consideration? not going over what speed, etc.? if it makes any difference, my dd is a 95 s series blazer and i got my chains from les schwab. thanks for your help!

colbystephens.

prolly 45 tops.make sure they are real tight to the tire.

 

[diesel4me]

Good advice given!!..and I'd keep a box or two of "monkey links" to repair any broken cross chains in the glove box..nothing beats the crap out of federwells more than a cross chain breaking while going over 30 mph..which is about my top speed with chains on..any faster invites disaster,even though with chains on it feels perfectly safe!..

I took the rear fender right off my 63 VW beetle with tire chains years ago,when one cross link broke..took only 30 seconds,I couldn't stop right away on the highway!..

I love the traction and stopping ability chains give you--some bad blizzards we had I used them on all 4 wheels on my 4x4!..(they all rusted away though..so I'm screwed if we ever need them again.. )..my truck plowed like a bulldozer with chains on all 4's!..my friends laughed,but they couldn't even push half a blade width of heavy wet slushy snow we had in one storm with their trucks,with big half bald "mudder"tires..--my truck pushed it like it was on tracks!.. with my stock summer tread "all season" radials..

..last time I priced a set of chains,they were over 100 bucks a pair,just for the chains alone! --no adjusters,etc..but they are worth their weight in gold in bad storms if you MUST get around!..its a pain taking them on and off though,especially if the roads go from impassable,to bare tar and back often,like they do here a lot..

I used to keep spare tires and rims with the chains already on,ready to go in my shop,and just swap them on with the impact gun..easier than freezing your fingers off trying to buckle them up on the vehicle..

 

[mudhog]

we never get enough snow here to use chains on a 4x4. just put it in 4hi and go nice and easy and you will be fine

 

[diesel4me]

One thing I've learned..

I've learned to never say "NEVER!"...our usual "average" snowfall in the Boston area is about 40" a year..its been several years since we've been "average"!..one storm last winter we got 33" here in one day!...nearly the whole winters worth in one storm!..we got a total of just over NINE FEET for the 2004-2005 season!..and we got at least 2 other 36+" storms I can recall,in 1996,and in 1978!..

I "never" thought I'd see winds of 65-90 mph come thru here a week ago friday,and blast the ground with 9" of snow in an hour and a half either!--many parts of Cape Cod had thousands of trees downed,and power was out for days!..and its not even winter yet! ..it was like a hurricane--9 Pilot whales and 24 dolphins were washed ashore 20 miles south of me--along with a giant sea turtle and huge octopus!..none of our weather reporters predicted it either..

I got by OK last year without my chains,despite the deep snows--we were rather lucky every time it snowed,it was also cold enough to keep it light and powdery,not too wet...usually it most always mixes with,or turns to rain here,and 2 feet of slush is like plowing wet cement!..its hard to push,you need lots of weight and chains to do it,especially if you don't get out there and start plowing right away..some storms are so severe,all we can do is hide indoors until its over--then pray pur trucks can move it all..

 

[Silver84k5]

we never get enough snow here to use chains on a 4x4. just put it in 4hi and go nice and easy and you will be fine

took the words outa my mouth...

its so damn funny how.. we get about a half inch of snow.. and people act like we all just got snowed in (im not talking about you colby, im talking about the whole city)

people going 25 mph on the highway when theres a half inch of dry dusty snow.. pretty hillarious...

 

[AKbigsub]

I grew up in Lake Oswego and cannot remember ever having chains on the family rig (except the '55 Willy's wagon when winter wheeling on Mt. Hood). My dad lived there for 42 years and says he never chained up except in the mountain passes. In Portland, freezing rain a bigger problem than snow. We now live in Alaska and in twenty years of driving here, I still have yet to chain up (except in the mountains). Just drive safely and watch out for the other guy. Oh yah, and if you don't use your chains, Les Schwab will take them back in the spring .