Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives driving with tire chains

Hello, midwest hunter here that is heading to Wyoming for a DIY elk hunt. We will be in the sierra madre range from October 12-25, and I've been advised to bring tire chains. I have a complete set of 4 chains, that are cam lock with v-bar chains. I've practiced putting them on and off in the yard and feel confident i can do that in the field, but I've never driven with chains before.

Looking for some tips/advice on driving with chains and maybe some "whatever you do, don't do this" advice to keep me from doing something stupid.

Thanks All.

Matt

just be sure to get them as tight as possible and use a good set of tensioners in the middle. The faster you travel the tighter you'll want them to be.

Just go slow, avoid spinning the tires. Stop and tighten them after a couple of hundred yards. Then check them again in a little bit to be sure.

And just in case nobody mentions it, get them tight!

Think centrifugal force. The looser they are, the wider they fly. There are lots of things under a pickup that don't do well in contact with flying steel.

Running them on bare roads will wear them out fast. Take them off as soon as you can safely.

Also, read your pickup's manual on chain type. Some don't have enough clearance for anything heavier than car chains. Some don't have the clearance for any chains at all on the front.
They might look good rolling straight, but what will they hit in a tight turn?

Use them to get out, not to get in. Unless it's just driving on ice, then rock them both ways.

Chains work best when you keep them loose and floor it. Don’t worry about clearance, they will beat themselves into submission.

Leave the tails loose at least.

Keep your speed down.
If you hear any clanking, stop immediately and re-tighten.

One thing no one tells you is that the rubber band on the outside can sometimes not be enough for good tension.
Think about using bungies on the inside, that way you are tightening from from both sides.
Keep steel S-hooks away from your sidewalls.

Carry a tow strap (20') and some (5/8"- 3/4") shackles (clevises).
Best place to buy is at your local rigging shop.

This is the best advise, other than keep them tight and go slow. ^^^^^

So, I guess I should say keep them tight and go slow.

Better than the rubber or spring tighteners is some good quality NON-STRETCH rope and some knowledge about knots. Pull them tight with a truckers hitch.

There are two types (MUDDERS and CHIPPERS)

What do you guys think about runing them only on the back of a 4X4? The rears always seen to have enough clearance.

Check your owner's manual some new trucks, won't take chains. Not enough clearance. Especially on the font end Some cable can work on those models.

Put them on before you need them not after you get stuck.

In a 4wd, putting chains only on one axle can screw it up. If only one set of chains and the truck has clearance, always chain up the fronts

In the winter I use chains everyday when in the bush.
I make it so the inside chain is exactly the length I need so as there is nothing whipping around to catch my brake lines etc.
I leave the outside with several links long, its easier to hook them, drive a short distance, then tighten.
I make sure to put a bungie on each one starting with the loose links on the outside as described.
I bend the bungie hook so it just hooks the chain link so it doesn't go through the sidewall.
Always carry several connecting links if case of a break.

On a four wheel drive, if your spinning your wheels then hopefully your chains are heavy duty and not cheap crap, a broken chain almost cost me my life, having to walk out of the bush in sub zero is to be avoided.

I have an extra heavy pair that I got used years ago for a very low price. They were actually made for a skid steer with 1/4" links. I adapted them to my pickup. I've only used them once. On a hard road, they'll really get things shaking but in nasty stuff, those big links have lots of grip. My pickup is an '08 Dodge 2500. It has lots of room for front chains but I wouldn't put these heavy ones on the front. I'm not that trusting.

Thanks all for the advice and tips. I'm in Michigan, so used to snow and ice, but never used chains over here.

When you talk about securing the "tails" of the chains, is that by attaching them back to the chain, or using a bungee cord to pull thmm tight and hook the bungee to opposite side of tire? I do like the idea about using 2x4 to drive up on to give some working room. I'll be using that tip for sure!


These seem to be what i would consider well made? They are made by ICC, international chain and car. I've got an 2003 f150, so clearance is better than on newer trucks. I will practice putting them on and taking them off a few more times.

Hopefully i wont need them, but better to have and not need than need and not have.

Matt

If you get up much speed, the centrifugal force will overcome the bungee and let the tail fly. You need some extra links on the outside for adjustment but keep it to a minimum. If it's too long, you can use non-stretch rope to keep it from flying.
The 2x4 trick is a good one. I've done it that way for years.

I'm trying something fancy this year, took a couple of scrap pieces of 2x8 lumber about a foot long, routed out 2 channels to lay the cross links in spaced to fit my chains. I expect it will be a step up from a 2x4.

Chains on both axles are great if your truck will handle them.

Chains on rear only is better than none. If I'm running chains there is enough slip I don't worry about driveline bind.

I'm thinking about buying some S clearance chains for front axle. Yes, less effective, but less chance of damage to truck. And I'm not on mountain "roads" in elk country

Last winter one of my cousins borrowed poor fitting chains, he spun his tires, chains flopped around and cut a brake line. He had an interesting drive home.

also bring a snow shovel ,axe, bag of chicken rock grit and a dirt shovel . good luck,Pete53

I've used a chainsaw to get out but only needed chains on a 4x4 to get into trouble. If you chain up going in you had better know what's up ahead.

Oh, and just a a word to the wise…..it’s hardly any fun putting chains on after you get stuck. Especially in mud.

Yep. Chain up when and where YOU want to. Not when and where the truck NEEDS to. It's WAY nicer if you can jack the tire up off the ground. Link up your inside first and short. I use those barrel nut "monkey links" to secure the tails. Tighten the outside as tight as you can get it. Move 50 yards or so and re-tighten. Put your tensioners on and GO SLOW. Slower yet if you have to run any pavement with them on. Iron don't stop for crap on pavement.

I'm really bad about that

Built a couple of these to carry in the truck when hunting in winter. It's a 2x12 with 2x4's bolted to it creating a space/slots for the chains. Lay the chains out with two of the links in the slots and drive up on the blocks. Chains are easily attached with this device.

I am old and the written description on the blocks are so my kids will know what they are when they clean the garage on my passing.

I have never seen this type of device ^^^^^ I can see the value in the device.

I just put the chain over my tire from the top and ease my truck forward, then connecting the links.

I hang my chains on the side of my truck the same way so when I grab them to put them on they are all facing the correct direction and I don't have to figure it out everytime I put them on. I have a place to hang 4 chains so it works for me.

Commercial version.

Well I'll be....learn something new everyday!

I don't need chains often enough to get that fancy. I just use a 6" 2x4. But, those do work very well and can save you a lot of time and hassle. They let you get the chains a lot tighter the 1st time which minimizes the tightening after you drive a little. On soft ground, a 2x4 will sink some. If it sinks more than 1", the chains don't move for you.
With that homemade version, a 2x6 is wide enough and takes up less room under the seat.

Are you going to be hunting with someone that's local?

Never had a pair of car chains.

Threw lots of truck chains on, and we used them to build the chains for pickups.

Carry extra bungies(tarp straps) small enough to tension your chains.
Have a spool of mechanics wire and pliers. You should anyway.


If you can find them to fit in the links of your chain shackles/threaded clevis are invaluable for repairs.





I've run a lot of miles using them as the only thing holding chains tight. Just pull and pin, and repeat until you can't get tighter.
Drive 50 yards and repeat. It ain't pretty, but you make do.

I always found, if I had chains, I seldom needed them. If I didn't have them, I often wished I did! GD

No, we don't have a local contact or anything like that. Really DIY for the first time for all of us for elk hunting. Really excited as we leave in 10 days, but also getting nervous about what we don't know!

The biggest thing about hunting elk since the wolves came around is that they’ll move drainages at first hint of danger. They’ll go 20 miles or more before you’ve caught your breath.

If you spook elk out of a bedding ground, that's exactly what they'll do. Hunt around those areas but stay out of them.

Hard thing to impress on young hunters. Especially archers. They think they have to camp in the middle of the elk.

Double check yer brake lines speed sensors/abs sensor or whatever else. I cut the metal ends off braid bungees and loop around lines you don't want getting slapped. I tie off to the frame. So when your suspension articulates, the brake lines articulate inwards towards the frame.

Got a 170 miles with chains. Last run on the Taylor Highway in a few days towing a trailer:
37 bales of straw, 1000 lbs of dog kibble, team of dogs, freight sled,fuel jugs, river boat, snow machine, tools, blazeking king woodstove.

Road is closed (no more maintenance). It's gonna snow everyday. Gonna be a rough one. Then gotta boat bunch of sht down the Yukon in the snow. Madness.

If snow gets deep, I will abandon my truck and run a dog team to Eagle. Then have good Samaritans help me snow machine my supplies. Fkn madness.....+chains!

Better than paying air freight though....

Ran chains a lot for years in the gas patch. I always put them in the rear axle. Lots of sensors on the front of new trucks. I don't know of any newer truck that says you can put chains on the front axle. Some winters we would run chains everyday until the snow and ice melted.

Sometimes you can find tires that are narrower but the same diameter and load capacity. For example, some Dodges come with 265-70-17 but 245-75-17 will fit fine. They're about an inch narrower and will allow more room for chains.

Bleach on tires for ice?

Last year in the 80’s I lived in my home state of CO, I camped in my little 1950’s trailer for all 4 seasons up on the mountain. Rode my horse or walked around for a month either alone or with my uncle. When it was all over I had to chain up all four wheels of my 1978 ford to back up and hook to my trailer. Came off the mountain pushing snow with the bumper. Great memories of those days. Chains were always in the toolbox in those days.

Years ago I had a Jeep CJ3A. We were pushing snow with the bumper going up an old logging road. It was raining on top of the snow at the time. We got to the top and it was very flat where they'd staged the logs and loaded the trucks. We parked and hunted for a while. When it came time to go back down, we were stuck. The rain on top of ice was as slick as any snot could be. The tires had melted down about 1/8" and didn't have the traction to get out of the shallow holes. Throwing branches under the tires didn't work as the tires would grab the branches and just throw them out. We had to chain up one end to move a foot. We left them on until we were down just in case.

Don't do what this guy did!!!

The video above^^^^^ looks like the chains were not fitting right to begin with and when buddy put the chain tighteners on, they just took up the slack until centrifugal force took over.....they have to fit tight or your just looking for trouble.

A broken chain almost cost me my life.
I was around 17, went up the mountain, put chains on and continued up the hill, got messed up and tried turning around on a spot I shouldn't have, broke a chain and wrapped it around the axle, at the same time the truck went over the bank.
6-8" of snow, 3pm in the afternoon, start walking the 20 miles (40 km) down the mountain, starts snowing hard, made it to the bottom the next morning, but was walking through 2 ft of snow by then. Was cold for 2 days.

Lesson's learned....don't by cheap crap, buy once, cry once.....don't take chances that far from help.

my guess is that the guy in the video was driving faster than he should've been to begin with, and well, his tensioners probably gave out because of the speed and extended time of travel at those high rate of speeds.

It's not hard to figure out the problem in the video. Look at the cross links. They're flat as a pancake, just plain worn out. Icy or not, hard pavement wears chains out fast. Ice links are much thicker and will last longer even though they ride MUCH rougher.

3:30 on the video he said... he just bought the chains at wallmart, they are brand new.
They are just not vbar cross links, I use the same chains on one of my dually's.

He just hasn't fitted them properly for the job he wants them to do, and that is what happens. I use my spare tire and in my shop fit every chain so they are the same and don't slip.

Maybe he did just buy them but look at the pic at the bottom left. Those links are worn out. I wonder how many miles of bare road he ran them on that he's not telling about in the video.

I thought the same lol, in the video he is driving pretty fast too.