# 1 or 2 sets of chains?



## Megunticook (Dec 1, 2006)

I plow my own 1000 ft. road with a '73 Dodge W100, BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A tires. Traction is generally excellent, but there are times when chains would help.

Should I do the rear only or do the front also?

Any recommendations on where to buy the chains? I was looking at the "Heavy Duty" ones at Tirechains.com (http://www.tirechain.com/32X11.50-15LT.htm, cost about $85 for a set.

Any suggestions appreciated. I am pretty experienced with winter driving and plowing but have never used chains.


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## WingPlow (Jun 18, 2007)

i would think that one set would be more then enough


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## augerandblade (Jan 17, 2009)

Megunticook;757417 said:


> I plow my own 1000 ft. road with a '73 Dodge W100, BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A tires. Traction is generally excellent, but there are times when chains would help.
> 
> Should I do the rear only or do the front also?
> 
> ]When I was in the Canadian Army we put the chains onthe front only. Now ya got better traction and steering. Any recommendations. Yah make sure the are on good and tight, otherwise like what happened to me the chain started to loosen while going up a hill with about a foot of snow. I didnt wanna stop by the time I got to the top the bottom of the fender was dented. Oh well I guess the taxpayers :realmad:had to pay for another fender!!!!!!!tymusic


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## gene gls (Dec 24, 1999)

Megunticook;757417 said:


> I plow my own 1000 ft. road with a '73 Dodge W100, BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A tires. Traction is generally excellent, but there are times when chains would help.
> 
> Should I do the rear only or do the front also?
> 
> ...


Tirechain.com is not a good brand to buy. I found out the hard way. Go with AW Direct.com......................


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## dneiding (Mar 25, 2008)

I have two sets from tirechains.com. My neighbor bought them for me as a gift for plowing their driveway. I have only used them a few times and they do help a lot. I have them on both the front and the back. I haven’t used them enough or had them long enough to speak to the quality of them but I have nothing but good stuff to say about tirechains.com.

My neighbor bought them for me at the end of the 07-08 winter. I test fitted them and then put them behind my seat. About four months later I bought a new truck and sold my old one. The new truck had different size tires and the chains didn’t fit. My neighbor didn’t have the receipt. I called tirechains.com and told the guy that answered my situation. I had an order number from the packing list. He says to me that if I promise to send the old ones back he will send me out two new sets at no cost. He didn’t ask me for a credit card or anything. Just my address and my promise to return them. He even told me that the address that I was returning them to was their warehouse so he wouldn’t know if I went back on my word. A few days later I had my new chains and I shipped the old ones back.


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## chcav1218 (Jul 31, 2008)

i would do two, just to keep the tire sizes even. u do hav 4x4 right?


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## MAGNUM SERVICES (Nov 25, 2008)

I plow a few places with hills and am buying four if they will fit the front tires without hitting anything while steering. It is VERY SCARY sliding in a loaded truck so I would recommend four over two. Better safe than sorry !


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## WingPlow (Jun 18, 2007)

dont worry, pretty soon somebody will tell you , that you need a loader or bulldozer to do it


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## Megunticook (Dec 1, 2006)

chcav1218;757747 said:


> u do hav 4x4 right?


Of course. My instinct is to go with chains on all 4 wheels, only my neighbor told me that the local wrecker driver advised him not to do the fronts, to avoid damaging brake the front brake hoses. I had never heard that before, it seems to me if the chains are properly installed you should not be having any issues like that but I wanted to check with some pros on Plowsite who are running chains on their trucks.

So it looks like about a $200 investment when all's said and done, that seem right?

Is there such a thing as "Made in U.S.A." tire chains these days? Don't mind paying a little extra for quality.


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## augerandblade (Jan 17, 2009)

Damage to front brake hoses. No wouldnt happen with the proper chains for the tire size


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## ghlkal (Dec 18, 2008)

dneiding;757688 said:


> He says to me that if I promise to send the old ones back he will send me out two new sets at no cost.


Wow, that's great service. :salute: Thanks for sharing.


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## gene gls (Dec 24, 1999)

augerandblade;757990 said:


> Damage to front brake hoses. No wouldnt happen with the proper chains for the tire size


If a cross link breaks you have a 50/50 chance of some damage.


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## augerandblade (Jan 17, 2009)

gene gls;758389 said:


> If a cross link breaks you have a 50/50 chance of some damage.


same for the rear axle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## justme- (Dec 28, 2004)

WHEN a cross link breaks you WILL damage something.. here's the thing.. it you're responsibility to routinely inspect the chains and make sure they are properly installed to avoid cross link breakage while in operation. Is the 100% foolproof, no. But is is 95%.

Yes there are USA made chains, Tirechains.com has many brands of chains, not just their own. I have Leclade (?) among other sets (3 in total plus enough cross links to build a dozen sets)

I would chain the rears myself- yes fronts only would give better traction in general, but it tends to make the rear end come around more easily and turning the wheels tends to walk the chains around the tire meaning more wear and more frequent tightening. 

I wouldn't double chain unless you find you need it- I've only needed to double chain once and that was to get unstuck from a nasty situation where I slid off a driveway into 2 feet of bank down hill. I wasn't even plowing, just visiting someone and his plow guy is a moron. Needed double chains to get out without a call for a wrecker, since the wrecker would have slid too.


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## Megunticook (Dec 1, 2006)

justme-;758691 said:


> I wouldn't double chain unless you find you need it


By that you mean don't chain the front wheels, I presume?

My gut still says do all 4 wheels, but I'm willing to listen to people who have experience with chains and know more than I.


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## rocknrollrednec (Oct 27, 2005)

if you only need 2, then do the front. I do all 4, and still get stuck on occassion. 
make sure they are sized right, and keep them tight.


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## Megunticook (Dec 1, 2006)

Sounds like all 4 is the way to go.

I have 31x15.0 tires (BFG All-Terrain T/As)--they have been pretty good in the snow, and they make heavy duty 7mm chains for these.

Would I be better off with a skinny snowtire with chains?


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## justme- (Dec 28, 2004)

yes a skinny tire is better, but really if the traction you have with those is good enough for you, stay with them. I run 265/75's which are 32x10 ish. Correct, you only need to chain the rears. Your gut will always tell you more than you need until you know from experience. My father used to constantly drive his 83 Blazer (lit up like a xmas tree, with full running boards and such) through lots of things I said there was no way it would go. I've learned alot about what my truck (and any truck) can do.
what I posted before is if you only chain the front the rear of the truck will tend to come around on you more easily, especially down hills. Yes chaining the front only gives you better traction, but it's not usually worth the extra hazards. I rarely use chains plowing, but they always go on the rear.

Try 1 set on the rear only and if you feel after plowing a time or two you need the extra set of chains get another set for the front. Listen, if you feel you want all four chained, go for it. have fun, and feel safe in that. Believe me, at some point you'll not feel like putting on all four and only chain two and realize how much traction just that 2 gives you.
Don't forget to get chain tighteners- at minimum you need rubber/spring like these http://www.tractiontirechains.com/store/template/product_detail.php?IID=224 but if you're planning on leaving the truck parked with the chains on all the time I would get Chain-it's instead. http://www.4myrig.com/
There's lots of reading on the web about installation of chains and they all say the same things. Try them before you need them, keepo them tight, and drive slowly. The faster you drive the faster they wear out.


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## HALH VT (Nov 14, 2003)

I wouldn't make a habit of chaining the front only. When you do that the rear axle is just along for the ride, and to keep the back bumper from dragging. With the weight of the plow and engine, you get phenomenal traction, and excellent steering control, but unless you have something like a built up Dana 60 in the front you will be wearing out or breaking front u-joints and axles. For a yard truck, I would chain all four, and leave them on. That way you don't have to worry about it, and as long as the tires hold air it doesn't matter what they are. The only drawback to that approach is that if you have a clean surface under the snow, with no hard pack or ice, the rig will steer as if you were in 4WD on dry pavement.


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## Tommy10plows (Jan 1, 2001)

Here is a 2001 oldie post from an old guy - me !

I did the steepest hillside drives in my town. Rule # 1 is SNOWCHAINS, and on all 4 wheels. Don't take a chance without them as there may be ice under the snow. If you only have two chains, put them on the front wheels, for these driveways. also, make sure you carry a shovel, logging chain at least 20' long and a come along to pull you straight if you need it. you can get turned sideways very easy in a downhill steep drive plow run. you chain around a stout tree and use the come along to straighten you out.

For the down hill plow, angle your plow toward the house, so that if you slide you will go away from the house on your first pushes to break open the driveway. go the slowest speed you can, lowest gear, and low range on your transfer case as you make your initial cleaning passes. Steep drives are not a race like a parking lot at the mall. push snow on angle toward the down side of the hill, NOT the upside.

For the uphill driveway, leave the plow straight and BACK UP the driveway about 30 feet or so. The reason you back up is that the weight of your truck is up front, engine and plow act as a fulcrom coming down a hill. Drop the plow and angle it left, so you are pushing toward the down side of the hill. Never angle to the up side of the hill, you could end up right off the side of the hill on your initial clearing runs. Again, you should have chains on. I would leave my truck in reverse, and let gravity take it down the hill. If I started to slide, I would let the clutch out and claw my way back up the hill. As I get to the bottom I straighten the blade and get ready to back up again as before. I repeat this pattern, each time going a little further up the hill, pretty soon you are at the top and you can clean up, collect your $$ and get on to the next one. 

Sometimes it helps to swing your front wheels left and right to help you claw up the side of the hill as you run up.

Steep drives are not for the faint of heart, and you need to walk them in advance of your first snow plow BEFORE there is snow on the ground, make notes, and figure out where everything is going to stack up before you plow it at night. 3 am in a snow storm is no time for experimenting.

Remember rule # 1, BUY CROSS LINK CHAINS AND USE THEM !!


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## Tommy10plows (Jan 1, 2001)

I strongly disagree with your position regarding chains on the front axle wheels. Front wheels do 70-80% of the braking on a truck. Truck direction is controlled by the front wheels, and in my experience it is absolutely essential to chain the fronts on a 4 wheel drive truck when plowing steep drives or extreme snow storms. If you are doing a drive that you have not maintained before chances are that there may be ice underneath the snow, a very dangerous condition on steep runs. In fact, if I had just two chains I would rather chain the fronts than the rears.

Chains must be maintained like every other piece of equipment. Each link should be checked closely every time before you put them on. Worn or cracked links should be replaced. Chains should be installed with a good snubber belt, either rubber or steel springs. I prefer steel springs. A properly installed chain will sit between the mid point and inner third (the point close to the steel wheel itself) of the tire sidewall. The chain must be the correct length. Too high on the tire shoulder wall? then add some links. Too low on the shoulder wall and you risk damage to your vehicle as the tire chain will be thrown outward from centrifical force when you drive. If the chain is too long that is when you catch fenders, wire or brake lines. This will become more dramatic as your speed increases. There should be no extra chain to wrap back into itself. Side chains should be one to three links longer than the circumferance of the tire at that point. 

Since most of us do not jack our trucks up to put the chains on, this is the method I use to install chains. To properly install your chains, drape your chains over the top of your tire, with the open end at the bottom. Make sure the cross links are equally spread out around the tire circumference. If you are doing your front axle, roll your truck in reverse until you have two cross links under the tire and in contact with the road. The chain will stay in place and then you can easily fasten your chains as the open portion of the chains will be on the leading edge of your front tires. You need to back up so that the end of the chain is at about 7 o'clock on your front wheels. Again, check your fit, if you have more than 3 side links in slack, your chain is too long. Cut it down, don't tie it back into itself. 

When installing the back axle chains, you follow the same procedure but drive forward to make your final connection. The chain end should be at about 5 o'clock when you connect. Again, watch your chain lengths. 

Make sure your truck is off, plow down and the brakes set before you get in front of or behind your wheels. 

If you do jack your truck up to install your chains you will find it will take that extra 2nd or 3rd link I spoke about above as the tire is not compressed from the weight of the truck, so its circumference is larger.

Install your snubbers in a 5 or six "star" pattern, equally around the wheel perimeter. This is really important, because you want equal distribution of the spring load from your snubbers. If you do not have as close to a perfect star, reposition your cross links on the tire to get that pattern. That means you may have to move some cross links around or over your tire lugs to get them in the right position. 

Watch your speed when plowing with chains. If you are snapping links you are accelerating too fast or you have too much wheel slip from taking too big a bite of that snow pile. You start slowly and let them do their job to bite into the frozen ground or packed snow.

Speaking of tires, all your tires need to be aired up to the maximum range of the tire when plowing. This is necessary because of the load you are carrying when your plow is on it, and because an underinflated tire is more subject to failure from cuts or bruises when the weather is cold. Tires, like old plowmen stiffen up in the cold weather. Adequate air pressure insures the stiffness of the sidewalls sufficient to support the load the tire is carrying as well as provide a stable "frame" for your tire chain assembly.

Once your chains are installed, drive a mile or so to "seat them" in the correct position of your tire. And after that, keep your road speed down. Nothing wears chains faster than driving too fast on dry pavement, so watch that. Take your chains off if your truck is an everyday driver as soon as the roads in your area are clear. After a major storm, they should be taken off, hung vertically on your garage wall and sprayed down with a heavy coat of WD-40 or equivelant. Again, check each link as you spray them down. Look also for end connections that are starting to open up. That happens when you drove too fast, or spun the heck out of your chains when plowing. Close those links with a pair of vise grips or chain pliers, taking care not to bend them so extremely that the end link binds on the carrier chain. Do not box your chains up or let them roll into a ball on the floor of your garage. You should take care of them as any piece of equipment.


As to your brake lines and ABS, remember that your brake lines on the rear are more exposed because axle travel is greater, and if the rear wheels of pickups don't lock up first, you would have ABS to start with! Correctlly fitting chains will end those worries.

Chains are your faithful partner on steep drives or long heavy pushes. Take care of them and they will save your butt every 
time.


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