Extreme winter wheelin'

[southernspeed]

I'm planning a trip up to the High Alps in January and am starting to prep the truck. It's 4-5 days of pretty extreme wheelin'.
So I have a couple of questions for those from the mountains and faaaar north.

If you're running snow chains over rough terrain, do you air down as normal or leave it at road pressure? I'm not sure how chains react. (this is on 35" BFG MTs)

Also, I'm doing this in a TBI '91 truck. I've burnt my own chip but it's all been at sea level to a few hundred feet. Will the ecu be able to compensate for wheelin' at 3000 meters? Most of the time we will be between 2000 to 3000 meters apart from the 1200 mile road trip.

Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[Pookster]

As long as the tires are not rubbing against the chain, your ok. That said, the 3-5 PSI that some people run is not adventageous. with chains.. cuuses a lot of friction on the sidewalls..

 

[southernspeed]

Thanks. I've got bead locks but was thinking more of 10-15 psi. I hadn't thought about them rubbing on the side wall. I was thinking about bursting them as the tire squishes out at the bottom. Good thinking though, thanks.

 

[1985_K5_Silverado]

I can't speak specifically about your build of ECM, but I've been over Vail Pass in Colorado on Highway 70 (about 3200m) in numerous EFI vehicles of that era, and the ECMs seemed to do a decent job of adapting. There is still a small (but definitely noticeable) power loss due to the reduced amount of oxygen available for combustion (get out of the truck and do some short sprints, you'll see what I mean).

 

[southernspeed]

Great, thanks. That's what I was hoping someone should say! I'm taking my emulator and laptop just incase but didn't want to have to get into all that stuff while away!

 

[diesel4me]

regular PSI...

I dont "air down" my tires when using chains..in fact,I'd rather have them pumped up to the "normal" PSI,or a bit more..the main thing is to keep the chains TIGHT..use rubber "spreaders" or wire wrapped across the rims on the outer side,to prevent the chains from sliding off and onto the axle housing around corners!....low PSI encourages the tire to flex more,and increases the chances of the chains coming off...its no fun going 30 mph with chains on,and having one wrap itself around the axle tubes,and cause you to skid into a ditch!..been there!..

P.S. Better carry a box of "Monkey Links" to repair any busted links --they are cheap,and no tools are needed to install them..better than beating the fenders to death!...

 

[MTMike]

There's been times when airing down to 2psi and idling the engine with no throttle has been the only way I've been able to make forward progress in deep snow.

In most cases you want as much floatation as possible

Just make sure you wear good winter clothes, good boots and carry several extra pairs of socks. You will likely spend more time outside of your rig than in it

 

[southernspeed]

Diesel4me...monkey links??? You're talking to a guy who lives in a country where snow chains is thought of as some sort of winter sexual game!
MTMike, yep, lots of warm clothes and emergency food! It's an organised event and they won't let you take part unless you have certain obligetry equiptment.

 

[blazinzuk]

In my own travels I have done better without chains. I put chains on my 38s once and took them off later in the day and did way better. It seems to me that if the snow is a foot or so deep that chains would work well or if it is hardpacked but if you are on 2 foot to whatever depth snow its better to float on top. That being said I know some folks who swear by chains but they have much smaller tires than I do.

 

[dremu]

Diesel4me...monkey links??? You're talking to a guy who lives in a country where snow chains is thought of as some sort of winter sexual game!
MTMike, yep, lots of warm clothes and emergency food! It's an organised event and they won't let you take part unless you have certain obligetry equiptment.

Yeah, I had to google for a while ... here's an old Ebay auction with a pic:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1920...emQQcategoryZ34209QQihZ015QQitemZ250022363483

I figgered he meant like small carabiners for chain repair... apparently these are meant to be driven over to flatten them? If it were me, I'd use the threaded "quick links" ... check out

http://tirechain.com/TireChainParts.htm

lots of options.

-- A

 

[walla2k5]

Just air down,you'll be fine.

 

[Zeus33rd]

Just for shiits and giggles-

3000 meters= 9842.5197 feet.

 

[mrk5]

Mark, guys around here with TBI are routinely wheelin' at 3300m+ with no issues. That's why I'm doing a TBI swap, although my Holley does pretty good at those altitudes. Course we are starting out at 1500m.

I like wheelin' in the snow. I would like to try snow chains sometime. I don't think MTRs are the best snow tire. Dad did much better with his TSLs.

 

[southernspeed]

All interesting stuff guys. Great picture Scott. The event organizers say chains are mandatory. Apparently although there is a lot of fresh powder every year, going up through the forests and the exposed faces are really icey.
KJ.....that sounds a LONG way up!

Guess I should cover up my motor, trans and power steering coolers eh? It's 'minus brass monkeys' up there!

 

[diesel4me]

Wow--didn't know "Monkey Links" were antiques!

I used "Monkey Links" on tire chains for most of my life!--my dad worked at a gas and electric company,and most of the fleet trucks were only 2wd--therefore they ALL had a set of chains,and a few boxes of "Monkey Links" in the glove box to repair the broken cross links!..they had thousands of boxes of them..we ended up with a few cases of them, as they phased out using chains when 4x4's started becoming more popular..they only use chains now in severe blizzards on all 4 wheels..

Despite what the E-bay ad said about "wondering how many got killed using monkey links",I never had a problem with them..they often outlasted the cross chains original links!--in fact,I still have a set with a few "monkey links" holding them together!..I never realized they were so OLD!..

 

[DEMON44]

Winter wheeling here in Calgary usually requires chains for best success. Some slopes are impassible without chains and lockers or a winch to drag you all the way up...and thats just no fun. I have chains for my 44's now. winter should be fun

 

[broc944]

These are the Ice chains I run, they have a "V Bar" welded to the links.

They have to be tight as possible on the tire, I put them on, get them tight and drive for a ways, get out and get them tight. I do this until they are no longer loose. If you do not do this you will wear them out unbelievable fast. Tire pressure has to be normal, low tire pressure only causes problems with keeping them tight. I stress the fact they have to be tight.

Anyone that says they are more capable without chains has never ran a set, or have not had a set put on correctly.

 

[walla2k5]

Anyone that says they are more capable without chains has never ran a set, or have not had a set put on correctly.

Just my $ .02 Chains and DEEP snow = 4 big a$$ holes.

The idea to snow wheelin' is to stay on top. Once you break through,game over.With our big heavy rigs,anything over 4' deep,you're pretty much stuck.




In this pic the snow is over 6' deep,running 5# air pressure.Chains aren't gonna help here.

 

[eclipse]

only time I've run chains is on 33x12.50 and I've put them on when I've gottan stuck in a foot or so of snow and the've gottan me out every time.

 

[DEMON44]

OH Broc944 hit the nail on the head too. Have to be TIGHT on the tire for sure. I've also put about 4 bungees across each rim to assist in keeping tension.

These are my "new" ones for the 44s, shortened from a pair off a piece of equipment running 52" michelins. No ice lugs but they'll do. The v-lug chain is the ultimate in ice and hardpack and general winter traction. Theres often times during the winter when some of the highway passes in the Rockies are chain only, as in if you're not chained up the mounties turn you away.