Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Another tire chain question for half-ton owners

Is this about chains or boobs now?

In some places chains are not optional. Either you have them or turn around and go back.
Put them on before you need them. Don't wait until you get stuck.
Maybe practice putting them on at home?

Fit them BEFORE you practice......

More info please. Do you trust the guides for selecting the chain for a given tire size? How do you determine clearance in advance? I live in the desert and I lack confidence in the advice of the locals. Any advice is welcome.

mike r

I have a set of these for the front tires on my pickup: http://www.amazon.com/Security-Comp...;sr=8-4&keywords=cable+chains+for+LT

They go on easy and perform surprisingly well given they are designed for the snow packed highway.

I compensate by using modified log truck chains on the rear axle.

I've bought chains for a couple different trucks from tirechains.com. Be sure to get chains for the front and rear. Based on my experience elk hunting in Colorado there's about a 50% chance you are going to want them to get out.

I got medium duty twisted link with cams, they work great.

http://www.tirechain.com/Truck-Tire-Chains.HTM

Well, I have a set of glacier vbar chains incoming we shall see how they fit. There is a video on Etrailer.com showing them fitting on an 05 f150 so I think they will at least work on the rear. If they don't work for the front I'll try something else on front.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005PW6M8W/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1439601381&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SY200_QL40&keywords=glacier+vbar&dpPl=1&dpID=51Qf3pp5L%2BL&ref=plSrch

What's considered adequate clearance? One finger, three fingers. Wait, are we talking chains or scotch?
Thanks for the chain answer

Clearance needs to be checked with the wheels turned to the stops in both directions. Remember that rubber tensioners will be nice and tight when parked but will stretch at 30 to allow the chains to lift off the tire. Check the clearance without the tensioners for a better idea of how much you'll need.

I run a 2005 F150. Original tires are 255/xx/17. At the moment I'm running 285/xx/17 (don't recall the 'xx' numbers) but plan to switch back to new tires in the 265 or the original 255 size before the elk hunt.

For chains I am running heavy duty chins of an unknown brand. Picked them up in Craig one year after my standard-duty, v-bar chains broke for the umpteenth time. THe chains I have now have never broken and, while more expensive, have been worth every penny.

Every tire gets two rubber tensioners with 4-5 hooks each. They are cheap so be sure to take extras.

Some points others have mentioned and a few thoughts of my own:

1. Test your chains on your tires BEFORE you head for elk camp. Be sure you have a couple of extra links more than needed when testing them on dry ground. One of my first hunting trips in Colorado was with a friend in his 4x4. I asked if he had chains for all four. Yup, sure did. Unfortunately he also had new tires and when we got high-centered in axle-deep, freezing mud we discovered the the chains would "just about" fit - another link would have done the trick. Four of us spent a couple hours trying to get the chains on with an epic fail. Because "just about" was not nearly good enough, we spent the night on the hillside and stayed there blocking the road until the next morning when a couple of jeeps with chains pulled us up the hill.


2. Chains for all four are better than for two. Chains on the front work better than chains on the back due to engine weight and steering.

3. Your chains may feel tight when you first put them on but after 50-100 yards you need to stop and check them. Often you will find you can get another link or more, depending on how tight they really were.

4. There are two ways to put on chains: a) drive onto them and fasten them at the top, and b) put them on from the top and fasten at the bottom. I've done both ways but find the top-down approach is easier as gravity is working with you.

5. Having spent the night on a hillside (see above) and with multiple experiences chaining up in axle-deep mud because I was too stupid to chain up earlier, and a couple cases coming down a mountain out of control on icy gravel roads, I highly recommend chaining up BEFORE the going gets really bad. Worst case is it might turn out you "might" have been able to get by without them, something you will never know for sure. Best case is they might save your butt and your rig. A coworker ignored my advice, tried to go through a snow drift that at least one other vehicle had gone through and paid a $1,000 tow. He was just lucky that he was on a "main" road and the tow truck could get to him.

6. Chaining up in the mud or snow is much less unpleasant if you have the right accessories with you. Heavy-duty rubber-coated cloth gloves will keep your hands dry and much warmer. A large plastic bag makes a good ground cover and will help keep you cleaner and drier. A pair of coveralls that you can take off and throw in the back of the truck (or in the bag so they don't freeze, allowing you to use them again later when the chains need to come off) will help keep the inside of your truck cleaner.

7. Finally, don't be stupid. Even with chains on all four wheels, you can still get stuck. A come-along, tow rope, shovel and some long, heavy-duty chains accompany me on every trip. When in doubt, DON'T. Getting out of the truck in axle-deep mud that is under water is for the birds. This is especially true when you are by yourself.

Do you mean that a 2 wheel drive pick-up needs to chain up all 4 wheels?

Carry a couple 6" 2x4s. Drive up on them before chaining (unless you can't move). That will give you a lot more adjusting clearance.

I lay the chains out in front of the tires and put the blocks between the rails about 2 cross links from the end. Drive up on them then pull the chains over the tires. That puts the latches where you can get at them easier.

Thanks for all the pointers guys. My glacier vbars should be here tomorrow so we shall see how these fit. Hopefully they fit well on the front and I can order another set of them. Can one use rubber bungee cords rather than the tensioners that they sell or do you all recommend the tensioners made for the chains?

I prefer the rubber bungies over rubber tensioners any day. I keep 6 per chain. When you fit your chains, get them on tight and cut off all but 1 extra link on the inside. Leave all your extras on the outside and secure with a tensioner hook.

Use the thick black truck tarp kind, not the thin psychedelic colored ones.

Every now and then there is a poster on here that has been there/done that and knows how to get out a clear message.
You're one of those posters
Thanks

Dunno about that.....Shoulda been more clear. I use the thick black truck bunjees that 'chuck said. The short ones, maybe 9 inchers? When you stash your extra outside chain, stick the end link down thru a side link(as tight as you can get it )before hooking the bungee hook to it. Make those bungees snug, put a good stretch on 'em...... when putting on the bungees, I make sure the hooks point outward to keep from puncturing a tire if you get against a rock/log/obstacle.

another bungee hint.... Most come with open S-Hooks on the ends. Use a chain plier and CLOSE the ones in the rubber

We have always made our p/u chains out of heavy truck chains, cut down. Only a couple extra links on either side, makes it a little harder to put on sometimes. Make them as tight as possible, drive a little, grab and pull hard, retighten. We rarely use bungies, there is not much to sling around, but don't use them on highway. Used to throw chains on the log truck multiple times a day. No big deal if you have figured it out, and practice. If you can find ones that fit, a few small clevis (do not know the plural) can be used to fix a broken chain quickly, but they must fit inside the links.