Tire chains (home, to buy, prices)

[jenlion]

So, I need to get some tire chains. Not going to be stuck again at home if we get 2' of snow overnight. And, we keep driving into the mountains, and sooner or later we're gonna get into trouble. We really ought to have some chains.

I have never used tire chains and I have no idea what type I want or what size to get. When I browse tire chains, they keep asking me my tire size (google isn't helping me... I guess I have to call the place I got them from? Do tires say on the side what size they are?) AND what "type" I want. Cable? Twist? Grip? Diamond?

All I want is something that I can get on and off easily in my driveway in dry weather as a test that I CAN do it, and something I can stick in my trunk for the day that I screw up driving in the mountains and find the conditions worse than expected to get home. Or, something I can use to get to the grocery store next time the roads are all piled up in snow in town. Something that isn't going to take me forever to put on or take off. I hope I never need them, but there was a stage in my life when I never went anywhere without jumper cables (with good reason); now it'll be chains just-in-case instead.

How do I find out what I should be getting?

[Botev1912]

chains ruin tires and roads

[Heiwos]

Just go to Shuck's Auto Supply (or any auto supply place) and ask what you ask here. I suspect the answer is cable chains. AFAIK all chains are a pain to put on.

[allforcats]

That's what I did and the Shucks' fellow went out to the parking lot, looked at my tires and car, and told me what cables to buy. Then he showed me how to install one set and watched me in the parking lot while I practiced installing it.

Unless someone on City-Data works at Shucks or similar store, no one here can tell you what cables you need for your particular vehicle because they come in all sorts of sizes.

Oh -- the old fashioned chains are used only on the big, heavy commercial trucks, semis, etc. not on passenger vehicles. That's why cable-chains were invented, to minimize damage to road surfaces and tires. Chains are very hard to get on a tire; cables are not quite so hard but not simple, so it's a good idea to really pay attention when the Shucks fellow explains, and to practice at home as you plan. The package of cables (which is heavy) contains printed, pictured instructions.

[drewba]

We've driven over the passes in Oregon just about every winter for the last 20 years, so I've tried almost everything out there.

The best chains/cables that I've found in terms of the ease of installation and traction effectiveness are the SCC ShurGrip Z cables. Most cables are a pain to install and particularly tighten, but these just use a heavy rubber ring to tighten. More product information, including a chart for proper sizing, is includes on their website here: SCC Shur Grip Z. They are a bit more expensive than traditional cables, but it is worth it to me to spend less time on the side of the road.

One thing to be aware of is that some newer cars have very limited clearance on the inside of the drive wheels. Please check your owner's manual to see if it provides any guidance.

Other things that I've found to include in your winter kit if you may need to chain up:

• An old coat (or heavy shirt) because your sleeves will get dirty
• Lightweight gloves that you don't care about
• An old towel to kneel on
• A flashlight (or headlamp) as doing this in the dark is a real pain

I hope this helps

[Ira500]

Your tire size is on the side of the tire, so it'll say something like 205-80-14, always a series of numbers like that. Could Be 185-75-13. You get the idea.

[AzDreamer]

I also recommend getting SCC ShurGrip Z cables. Schucks doesn't have any brand of Z style cables. Look online at froogle for best prices.