Winter traction devices aka tire chains

[ccw]

Drove through my first bout of snow for the season, reminded me I need to pick up chains.

How did those 7mms end up fitting on your rig?

Sorry for the delay on this! I was bad and didn’t actually fit them until, well, this week.

Turns out they are close, but fit!

The one thing I will note is when I ordered them from TireChain.com I specified I had “Load Range E, KO2, aggressive tire”, which I felt was accurate, even with my Toyo ATIII’s.

I don’t know if I would do that again.

They are right on the edge of being too big. They sit fairly low on the sidewall and I’m on the last link before needing to remove a cross-chain for length, and its close to needing to tighten one more link.

When it comes to clearances, here’s what I’m seeing:

Note that I couldn’t test clearances while the suspension is compressed, so I’ll still need to be careful while driving with them.

Also note that the radius arm does actually clear. The picture makes it look like it will hit. It’s close, but I reversed while at full lock and heard no contact, nor did I see any signs of contact on the radius arm.

To deal with the extra length on the inside of the tire I used bailing wire to tie the loose links back to the chain. They’ll stay like that permanently, but keeps the links around in case I need them in the future.

On the outside I picked up 4 bungee cords, one per tire, to retain the loose ends. That way I keep them available when putting the chains on if I want to start on a looser link, roll forward, then tighten it up the rest of the way.

 

[MTmudrunner]

Sorry for the delay on this! I was bad and didn’t actually fit them until, well, this week.

Turns out they are close, but fit!

View attachment 104472

The one thing I will note is when I ordered them from TireChain.com I specified I had “Load Range E, KO2, aggressive tire”, which I felt was accurate, even with my Toyo ATIII’s.

I don’t know if I would do that again.

They are right on the edge of being too big. They sit fairly low on the sidewall and I’m on the last link before needing to remove a cross-chain for length, and its close to needing to tighten one more link.

When it comes to clearances, here’s what I’m seeing:

View attachment 104473

View attachment 104474

View attachment 104478

Note that I couldn’t test clearances while the suspension is compressed, so I’ll still need to be careful while driving with them.

Also note that the radius arm does actually clear. The picture makes it look like it will hit. It’s close, but I reversed while at full lock and heard no contact, nor did I see any signs of contact on the radius arm.

To deal with the extra length on the inside of the tire I used bailing wire to tie the loose links back to the chain. They’ll stay like that permanently, but keeps the links around in case I need them in the future.

On the outside I picked up 4 bungee cords, one per tire, to retain the loose ends. That way I keep them available when putting the chains on if I want to start on a looser link, roll forward, then tighten it up the rest of the way.

Those look similar to mine but your crosslinks are definitely are longer no clearance issues on mine, tighten the cam locks you might be fine.

 

[ccw]

Those look similar to mine but your crosslinks are definitely are longer no clearance issues on mine, tighten the cam locks you might be fine.

Two of the three cam locks were already tightened in that picture. The third I needed to tighten after rolling, but ya I absolutely need all of the cam locks tightened to be safe.

Great picture!

 

[ccw]

Sorry for the delay on this! I was bad and didn’t actually fit them until, well, this week.

Turns out they are close, but fit!

View attachment 104472

The one thing I will note is when I ordered them from TireChain.com I specified I had “Load Range E, KO2, aggressive tire”, which I felt was accurate, even with my Toyo ATIII’s.

I don’t know if I would do that again.

They are right on the edge of being too big. They sit fairly low on the sidewall and I’m on the last link before needing to remove a cross-chain for length, and its close to needing to tighten one more link.

When it comes to clearances, here’s what I’m seeing:

View attachment 104473

View attachment 104474

View attachment 104478

Note that I couldn’t test clearances while the suspension is compressed, so I’ll still need to be careful while driving with them.

Also note that the radius arm does actually clear. The picture makes it look like it will hit. It’s close, but I reversed while at full lock and heard no contact, nor did I see any signs of contact on the radius arm.

To deal with the extra length on the inside of the tire I used bailing wire to tie the loose links back to the chain. They’ll stay like that permanently, but keeps the links around in case I need them in the future.

On the outside I picked up 4 bungee cords, one per tire, to retain the loose ends. That way I keep them available when putting the chains on if I want to start on a looser link, roll forward, then tighten it up the rest of the way.

Full update on the chains, which covers everything I posted here but in a bit more detail, is on my build thread:

Finally another update here! Life has been busy, so Shadowfax hasn't seen a ton of updates, though he has been getting used and working great!

Yesterday I finally got around to fitting the tire chains I purchased...last year. Oops. Life gets away from you sometimes. Reminder that a full parts list, with links, is at the bottom of the post.

Overall impression is that these chains are clearly well built, and plenty heavy, though I'm not sure how badly you can mess up chains.

I'm super happy to have gotten the storage bags for them! In some respects I would love hangers like the semis have, but given how frequently I'll be using them that would probably be overkill. The medium sized bags are perfect for two of the chains along with the tensioners. Given the weight of the chains I wouldn't want to be able to fit more than two chains per bag, and it nicely splits them up if I only want to chain up the rear tires.

When selecting your tire size on TireChain.com you can choose between "Regular Duty and Tread" and "Load Range E, KO2, AT Tires". I naturally chose the latter as, while I don't have KO2's specifically I do have E rated AT Tires. Quoting their FAQ:



In hindsight I really should have contacted them, as I'm not sure I should have chosen the longer size. Admittedly I can always downsize my chains if needed since I have the extra length, but I'm on the edge of them being too long. I'm on the last link before needing to remove a cross chain, with all of the cams tightened. They do seem tight (I can't get a finger under the cross links), but I would prefer to have a bit of room to tighten things up.

To deal with the extra chain length, the most obvious approach is to cut off the extra links. If they don't exist, they can't cause any damage! Downside is that you can't easily get that length back if needed in the future. I could see needing it if I go to a more aggressive tire in the factory size, or perhaps a true 35" size, and I just don't like making permanent changes if they're easily avoidable with no downside.

In this case there are two non-permanent ways to deal with it:

• On the inside, as recommended by TireChain.com, I used bailing wire to secure the extra links back on to the chain (picture below). Securing the links in two spots means they can't flop around at all, but I made sure the extra links aren't bearing any load.
• On the outside, I could have done the same bailing wire trick but instead opted for a bungee cord from my local hardware store. By keeping the loose end available, it allows me to hook up part way, roll forward to free up slack, and then tighten the rest of the way. I went for EPDM (thick rubber) bungee cords, rather than the fabric ones, from my local hardware store for durability. The smallest length they had four of were 19" long. This is too long to go directly from one side to the other, but as you can see in the picture I simply did one wrap around the opposite side to take up the slack. If you want to go directly across, I suspect you will want no longer than a 12" bungee cord.

View attachment 104607

Caveat on my comments around fitment: I was unable to test them with the suspension compressed.

Despite Ford saying we can't run chains on our trucks, the chains seem to fit well with tight, but reasonable clearance. As I expected from when I looked at clearances before purchasing the chains, the radius arms are the closest to making contact but avoid doing so at full lock (couldn't hear them making contact while holding full lock and reversing, and no witness marks on the arms). Even though my chains sit fairly low on the sidewall, they are plenty clear of any brake lines. Also enough space near the mud flaps, despite having Gatorbacks.

Something I purchased that is not noted in the parts list, because you shouldn't buy them, are the Sno-Chain Ramps. These are intended to let you easily drive onto the chains when you're mounting them. Note the product page claims they support 7000 pounds per pair. I'll quote myself from when I tried them last year:



Parts:

• From TireChain.com:
  • Chains (2 pair): Load Range E, Mud, and K02 285/75R18LT, 285/75-18 LT 7mm Square Boron Alloy Tire Chains with Cams
  • Tensioner (2 pair): 39229 Truck Spider Tensioner Tightener Bungee Tire Chains set of 2
  • Storage bag (2 bags): Medium Storage tote for Tire Chains
• Generic 19" bungee cords from the local hardware store (4 bungee cords)

Project Shadowfax

:ROFLMAO:...do you think there is any possibly that you could have left anything out......wow....birthdays etc,etc....lol Well, Shadowfax’s birthday is August 9, 2021 (build date), and birth location is the Kentucky Truck plant, of course. :P In all honesty, though, that’s a subset of what...

www.fordtremor.com

 

[ccw]

For anyone wanting to learn how to install tire chains, this video is fantastic. It's long, but it is incredibly thorough and well presented. While it's for semi trucks, if you're using ladder-style chains it applies to pickup trucks exactly the same.

 

[Gus]

For anyone wanting to learn how to install tire chains, this video is fantastic. It's long, but it is incredibly thorough and well presented. While it's for semi trucks, if you're using ladder-style chains it applies to pickup trucks exactly the same.

Very informative video but I’ll never throw chains as if the weather is that bad I’ll be at home or in a hotel somewhere & worse case scenario parked somewhere chilling in the truck waiting for roads to open

 

[toximus]

I bought the square link chains from TireChain.com for Load Range E and they are way too big on the stock Tremor Duratracs. The tails are on the tightest links and the cams tightened by hand (no tool needed since they're so loose).

I sent them a request to exchange so fingers crossed they're easy to work with.

 

[Gus]

I’ve been following Truckee CHP in anticipation of a trip acroo I80 and into California and once 80 crosses into California it seems they require you to carry chains or park the vehicle

Looks like Truckee and that area really gets hammered with snow and they actually have a CHP check point inspecting every vehicles tires for proper rating as well as chains if it’s not mandatory to have them installed

So it seems I need to research chains and how they will fit on the 305/70r18 Mickey Thompson AT tires

 

[ccw]

I’ve been following Truckee CHP in anticipation of a trip acroo I80 and into California and once 80 crosses into California it seems they require you to carry chains or park the vehicle

Looks like Truckee and that area really gets hammered with snow and they actually have a CHP check point inspecting every vehicles tires for proper rating as well as chains if it’s not mandatory to have them installed

So it seems I need to research chains and how they will fit on the 305/70r18 Mickey Thompson AT tires

View attachment 108798View attachment 108799

Definitely carry chains, but IMO if you’re staying on maintained roads and highways I wouldn’t invest much money in chains. You’ll almost certainly never use them.

I would grab the cheapest set of cable chains, of the right size, from Les Schwab or wherever and stick with those.

If you’re going into un maintained roads, then it’s a different story.

 

[toximus]

Definitely carry chains, but IMO if you’re staying on maintained roads and highways I wouldn’t invest much money in chains. You’ll almost certainly never use them.

I would grab the cheapest set of cable chains, of the right size, from Les Schwab or wherever and stick with those.

If you’re going into un maintained roads, then it’s a different story.

Even just a rear set may satisfy laws.

For me, I'm carrying a set for each axle since I'll have around 28k gcvw and that means many commercial chain up laws apply to me even if I plan to wait out storms.

 

[ccw]

Even just a rear set may satisfy laws.

For me, I'm carrying a set for each axle since I'll have around 28k gcvw and that means many commercial chain up laws apply to me even if I plan to wait out storms.

Oh ya good point! If you’re towing over passes in winter it’s definitely worth considering paying more attention to chains since you’ll likely be required to use them.

 

[toximus]

Oh ya good point! If you’re towing over passes in winter it’s definitely worth considering paying more attention to chains since you’ll likely be required to use them.

Yeah, a storm can brew up fast. I'd hate to be stuck at the top of a mountain!

I was worried these chains would be a pain to install, and was thinking I'd buy easier ones for the trailer, but they were actually pretty fast so I might just order 2 more sets in 33" for the trailer and call it done.

 

[2020Tremor]

Very informative video but I’ll never throw chains as if the weather is that bad I’ll be at home or in a hotel somewhere & worse case scenario parked somewhere chilling in the truck waiting for roads to open

All good in theory I had to use my chains last week with nice non stormy winter weather. It was in my buddies rental driveway since the markers weren’t on the edge of the driveway like he thought. Truck ended up buried to the top of the tires in snow on the one side. Weather has been fantastic but with ice underneath a bunch of snow the Duratracs need a little help getting through deeper stuff from a dead stop even in a empty truck.

 

[Gus]

All good in theory I had to use my chains last week with nice non stormy winter weather. It was in my buddies rental driveway since the markers weren’t on the edge of the driveway like he thought. Truck ended up buried to the top of the tires in snow on the one side. Weather has been fantastic but with ice underneath a bunch of snow the Duratracs need a little help getting through deeper stuff from a dead stop even in a empty truck.

Duratracs are hot garbage I’m running Mickey Thompson Baja Boss All Terrain tires and went from Colorado across Wyoming and Montana into Canada and back and the difference between stock tires and the MT is very noticeable and a great improvement

Only got stuck once the years we lived in Minot ND and that was with factory Goodyear AT Wranglers & never with the sipped BFG/MT even after the record setting blizzard of 97 that shut down the state and a rotary snow plow was needed to open up our street

Definitely carry chains, but IMO if you’re staying on maintained roads and highways I wouldn’t invest much money in chains. You’ll almost certainly never use them.

I would grab the cheapest set of cable chains, of the right size, from Les Schwab or wherever and stick with those.

If you’re going into un maintained roads, then it’s a different story.

I’ve never been in a situation when chains are actually a benefit, have been stuck once in a Raptor/deep snow where the Raptor did not have enough ground clearance and even with digging and traction boards needed several hard tugs from a 4” lifted dodge diesel to get out & chains would only have dug us deeper (lifted Toyota with chains dug the ruts and needed yanked out and then a road grater got stuck trying to clear it) This was the straw that broke the camels back in trading in the Raptor for the F250 Tremor

I’m trying to understand/learn what California actually requires (chains/cables/socks) and what will fit and work on the Tremor (305/70r18) so we will be legal and pass “inspection” We have reservations in Reno and it looks like the stretch of I80 from Reno to Colfax CA is where all the problems are so we plan on staying in Reno if roads are bad.

Colorado does not require us to carry chains on I70 across the mountains like it does semi’s and have never had any problems with CSP looking at the Tremor as a commercial vehicle

Like you suggested, want to buy the cheapest we can legally get away with as realistically we shall never have to throw chains

 

[Gus]

Even just a rear set may satisfy laws.

For me, I'm carrying a set for each axle since I'll have around 28k gcvw and that means many commercial chain up laws apply to me even if I plan to wait out storms.

I was always told if you run one set of chains on a 4x4 then run them on the steering axle, no idea if this is true or not

 

[MTmudrunner]

I was always told if you run one set of chains on a 4x4 then run them on the steering axle, no idea if this is true or not

If I run 1 set I always put them on the steer axle, but most of the time I put them on all 4.

 

[Gus]

Yeah, a storm can brew up fast. I'd hate to be stuck at the top of a mountain!

I was worried these chains would be a pain to install, and was thinking I'd buy easier ones for the trailer, but they were actually pretty fast so I might just order 2 more sets in 33" for the trailer and call it done.

We took Berthoud Pass once and went from clear/sunny to rain to sleet to icy fog and heavy snow it was a wonderful experience but the best part was they closed the road behind us and pulled the plows off till the snow squal moved on

 

[Donnie With A Dee]

I’ve been following Truckee CHP in anticipation of a trip acroo I80 and into California and once 80 crosses into California it seems they require you to carry chains or park the vehicle

Looks like Truckee and that area really gets hammered with snow and they actually have a CHP check point inspecting every vehicles tires for proper rating as well as chains if it’s not mandatory to have them installed

So it seems I need to research chains and how they will fit on the 305/70r18 Mickey Thompson AT tires

View attachment 108798View attachment 108799

As someone who has for 35 years crossed Donner Summit hundreds of times during the snow, I can tell you this. If you have four wheel drive, chains are not required. If the conditions where to get to the point that it was so bad a 4 wheel drive would need chains, they would just shut the road down. Yes, during chain control, you go through a checkpoint but they just verify that you're in four-wheel drive. No chains required. Most of the time if you're in a 4 wheel drive, they just wave you through. The part about having to have chains in your possession is in relation to big rigs. During the months from, I believe, November to May, big rigs are supposed to have chains in their possession whether or not chain control is in effect. They do inspect those vehicles for chain possession in situations where they may be going to chain control shortly. I have crossed in regular cars, four-wheel drive trucks, and big rig tractor trailers. Not going to lie, it sucks chaining a big rig. Glad those days are over.
Good luck and safe travels.

 

[ccw]

I’m trying to understand/learn what California actually requires (chains/cables/socks) and what will fit and work on the Tremor (305/70r18) so we will be legal and pass “inspection” We have reservations in Reno and it looks like the stretch of I80 from Reno to Colfax CA is where all the problems are so we plan on staying in Reno if roads are bad.

Colorado does not require us to carry chains on I70 across the mountains like it does semi’s and have never had any problems with CSP looking at the Tremor as a commercial vehicle

Like you suggested, want to buy the cheapest we can legally get away with as realistically we shall never have to throw chains

Chains, cable “chains”, and socks are all approved traction devices. Any of them will count if they are the correct size for your tires.

As @toximus mentioned, the only variable I’m not sure if is whether you need chains for one axle or both axles to be compliant. Wouldn’t surprise me if you only needed one axle.

I was always told if you run one set of chains on a 4x4 then run them on the steering axle, no idea if this is true or not

That’s a debate as old as time as far as I’m aware. Rear has the benefit of minimizing likelihood of spinning out, particularly while braking. Front has the benefit of the most weight for driving forward (assuming in 4x4), steering, and primary braking.

So likely I would go with front axle, but I would also be wary of the back end coming around.

 

[Dented]

A lot of people commenting here with far more experience than I have. That being said, when I've had to chain up, I chain all 4 tires. It's adds a few extra minutes and frankly, the cost of the chain's and time pale in comparison to what I've paid for the truck.

I hate waiting for a tow or dealing with insurance companies.