Discussion
They are compulsory down my way between 1st Nov and 1st April. They are easy to fit, provided you practice fitting before the snow starts. They consist of a steel loop with a 'bracelet' type link, which you pass behind the wheel then fasten. A 'net' of steel link chains then wrap over the tyre and are pulled tight by a stretched rubber link. You do not need to jack the wheel up to fit them.
Taking them off can be a pain, the wheel well will be caked with snow, and you need to stop the wheel with the right part of the chain on the road, and unfastening the bracelet link with cold fingers is bloody awkward.
You only need to fit them to the driven wheels for added traction, they help you start, they don't help you stop.
Taking them off can be a pain, the wheel well will be caked with snow, and you need to stop the wheel with the right part of the chain on the road, and unfastening the bracelet link with cold fingers is bloody awkward.
You only need to fit them to the driven wheels for added traction, they help you start, they don't help you stop.
For the UK, snow chains are fairly over the top. A good set of snow tyres is going to be a better investment for the vast majority of drivers, as they start improving grip as soon as the temp goes below 10C or so.
Chains are fine in deepish snow but you have to take them off again as soon as you're back on hard stuff.
Cheers,
FT.
Chains are fine in deepish snow but you have to take them off again as soon as you're back on hard stuff.
Cheers,
FT.
Or just invest in a set of good all weather tyres like the Vector Plus from Good Year (get a bit noisy when worn down, but your tyre/wheel changing days are then over!) There are also other less noisy one from Michelin.... Have them on all company cars and they save a lot of hassle and cost!
JMGS4 said:
Or just invest in a set of good all weather tyres like the Vector Plus from Good Year (get a bit noisy when worn down, but your tyre/wheel changing days are then over!) There are also other less noisy one from Michelin.... Have them on all company cars and they save a lot of hassle and cost!
This - although I too have heard very good things about the Snow Socks and will probably invest in some ahead of next winter (unless I forget all about it as I almost certainly will! 
)Winter tyres in the South of England anyway (maybe not so in the North or Scotland) are overkill 99% of the time and like racing wets soon loose their edge if used regularly on dry tarmac.
M.
OwenK said:
I saw people talking about something they called 'snow socks' last year too. Did anybody here use them?
I bought a pair of these & used them last year. Night & day difference between having no traction & driving away.HOWEVER, I'd advise they are only good for roads which are fully snow covered & to get you to the main road, as with mine I was limited to 10 mph or they started to come off.
(this might have been because I had to buy ones to fit 275/40/19 as they don't size for my tyres at 275/35/19)
http://www.autosock.co.uk/
They're just a textile fabric - snow and ice sticks to it much better than rubber. Works if you get stuck when walking too - put some wooly socks on the outside of your shoes and they'll grip nicely too.
They're just a textile fabric - snow and ice sticks to it much better than rubber. Works if you get stuck when walking too - put some wooly socks on the outside of your shoes and they'll grip nicely too.
To be honest mine were more hassle than they were worth really!
They were fantastic for getting me along a couple of small roads from my house, but once I got onto a main road I was struggling to find a safe place to take the bloody things off. Its a catch 22 thing, sure I could pull onto a nice quite street to take them off but these were snowed up themselves and I'd never get going again!
I eventually had to just pull up a quite busy main road and nip in and out of the traffic whilst I took them off - which was a bit dangerous really.
I suppose it depends on where you live.
They were fantastic for getting me along a couple of small roads from my house, but once I got onto a main road I was struggling to find a safe place to take the bloody things off. Its a catch 22 thing, sure I could pull onto a nice quite street to take them off but these were snowed up themselves and I'd never get going again!
I eventually had to just pull up a quite busy main road and nip in and out of the traffic whilst I took them off - which was a bit dangerous really.
I suppose it depends on where you live.
Fastra said:
To be honest mine were more hassle than they were worth really!
They were fantastic for getting me along a couple of small roads from my house, but once I got onto a main road I was struggling to find a safe place to take the bloody things off. Its a catch 22 thing, sure I could pull onto a nice quite street to take them off but these were snowed up themselves and I'd never get going again!
I eventually had to just pull up a quite busy main road and nip in and out of the traffic whilst I took them off - which was a bit dangerous really.
I suppose it depends on where you live.
Was that with chains or socks?They were fantastic for getting me along a couple of small roads from my house, but once I got onto a main road I was struggling to find a safe place to take the bloody things off. Its a catch 22 thing, sure I could pull onto a nice quite street to take them off but these were snowed up themselves and I'd never get going again!
I eventually had to just pull up a quite busy main road and nip in and out of the traffic whilst I took them off - which was a bit dangerous really.
I suppose it depends on where you live.
eltax91 said:
Fastra said:
To be honest mine were more hassle than they were worth really!
They were fantastic for getting me along a couple of small roads from my house, but once I got onto a main road I was struggling to find a safe place to take the bloody things off. Its a catch 22 thing, sure I could pull onto a nice quite street to take them off but these were snowed up themselves and I'd never get going again!
I eventually had to just pull up a quite busy main road and nip in and out of the traffic whilst I took them off - which was a bit dangerous really.
I suppose it depends on where you live.
Was that with chains or socks?They were fantastic for getting me along a couple of small roads from my house, but once I got onto a main road I was struggling to find a safe place to take the bloody things off. Its a catch 22 thing, sure I could pull onto a nice quite street to take them off but these were snowed up themselves and I'd never get going again!
I eventually had to just pull up a quite busy main road and nip in and out of the traffic whilst I took them off - which was a bit dangerous really.
I suppose it depends on where you live.
If it was my money I would be getting winter tyres,all other solutions give you the ability to get going and drive and drive with reasonable confidance but only tyres will give you the confidance to brake with any effect.The difference between winter tyres and the other options is like comparing night and day,there is no comparison.
A WINTER tyre will offer you more grip in the extreme cold dry conditions than the summer tyres most people have fitted, and also work extremely well in snow.
SNOW tyres are a different kettle of fish, and I'm not even sure if they're legal over here (a true snow tyre is studded and can make a mess of the roads.) Whether they're allowed or not, they're not needed in GB.
As there's a bit of mixed information going around, this should help a little: Reasons to consider winter tyres
SNOW tyres are a different kettle of fish, and I'm not even sure if they're legal over here (a true snow tyre is studded and can make a mess of the roads.) Whether they're allowed or not, they're not needed in GB.
As there's a bit of mixed information going around, this should help a little: Reasons to consider winter tyres
T84 said:
Might get some for me and the missus this winter then.
have a look here http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Edited by y2blade on Friday 10th September 15:41
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