Being from CA, I only drive in snow maybe once every ten years.

Honda Accord, not a lot of room between tire and wheel well, I’m guessing I need some sort of cables?
You boys in snow country have any recommendations for the best system?

Thank you.

Don't know if they still make them but when I used to travel the Interstates a lot I had the ones made of plastic bars and nylon straps. Easy to store and put on. legal when you hit a chains required area. And good enough if you drive carefully.

I live in Michigan, drive in the snow and ice all the time. Only things you need to drive in the snow are good tires, and be smart enough to drive for conditions.

I have a set of these for my van but in 11 years since I bought it, I've never used them. They also fit my camp trailer so I carry them in there in case I get nasty roads during hunting season. I've never needed them there, either, so they're unused. I don't know how durable they are.
They can be pulled very tight to protect delicate stuff under the wheel wells. They're quite easy to put on once you've tried it a couple times.

I like a heavy twist link with the cam over adjusters.

Then put on a bungee "spider" to keep it all tight.

Those are the best but he needs a set for a small car with no room under the wheel wells. I assume it's for highway use only.

Maybe stay home with your Honda?




Tire studs would be the best I think in that situation.

Konig's self tightening chains are what I use on my Taco and camper and are the best I have seen.

I don't know if they make anything that will clear on an Accord. Probably not. My only suggestion there is that someone will try to sell you cables since they are more likely to clear your suspension, but skip those as they are all junk. With only a little spinning they'll lose what little traction they had when they went on.

Not much room for chains on the newer rigs. Four wheel drive, and good tires, and drive slow.

This. And chain up all 4 wheels if it’s that bad. I run snow tires in the winter, Michelin LTX the other 6 months.

That is hilarious!

With an Accord, I don't think chains are going to be a consideration. If one came loose whatsoever, you'd ruin the fender. Good snow tires, studded if possible, are about the only thing you're going to make it with.

I'm guessing what the OP wants is something to keep in his car to get him through the "chains required" high elevation areas on Interstates and major highways. The plastic chains worked great for that on my little car. Durable enough.

Do they make you chain up if you have studded tires?



Do people honestly drive their Prius through the high mountain passes in "chains required" areas???

Gave me an idea.........



http://automobileexpertshq.com/best-tire-chains-for-prius/

Depends on the state. Most states that I know of say chains or snow tires. They call the all season tires 'snow tires' but they aren't that great. If you need snow tires, you want REAL snow tires.

Knowing when you shouldn't get out in the mess is most important. When you absolutely must get out, start with good snow/mud tires and then chains.

If you're stuck in an emergency, I'll try to help. If you're stuck because you only "wanted to see if you could", you're on your own.

In real snow.........your Honda Accord may bottom out..........chains not gonna help

The Accord is a fine car.......one of the highest stolen vehicles......

If you would live in the snow belt...you might wanna have something more suitable

tires with 'teeth' (my wife's quote) and ground clearance

CA would probably give you a ticket for studs and they are hell noisy on dry pavement. All I know is it was chains required or 4WD. Actually driving conditions weren't that bad if you knew what you were doing. But it is CA after all. they don't want people in the ditch at, say, the Donner Pass, munchies might set in.

That winter they figure they had 25' of snow. A few years ago, at the height of the drought, we had to go over it in January. The ground was completely bare, only a little spotty snow back in the trees. Both times were extremes.

Somebody would try it in a Prius........with studs!

Went through Donner Pass late winter sometime in the mid 80''s. Walls of snow on either side. You could tell they were working on the shoulders going the other direction by the plume of snow shooting above the top of the wall. That was in the old Ford Fiesta overloaded with enough stuff to set up an apartment for a four month audit. The only place that I remember where chains were required AND needed was around Flagstaff.

^^^^^^^^^^^^These^^^^^^^^^^^^

My first recommendation would have been snow/ice tires. But California is too warm to run them without burning them up. They might only last 10000 miles in that environment.

Like Rock Chuck said, buy those, practice putting them on so it's easier on the side of the road and you're all set.

Studded snow tires would be the best if its a winter long deal.

If not see if you have clearance for chains. Just get regular chains. Or if it is just to be legal or basically no chance that you'll really need them, then maybe the cables. I run studded snow tires on my 98 corolla just fine. Before I had them I put chains on a few times and they worked great. Bought a set at the walmart in Evanston and put them on in the parking lot. I-80 was closed the whole place was a mess. I barely got out of the hotel parking lot to get to walmart. Slapped the chains on and I could go anywhere. You can't go fast with them but they'll absolutely work. And there are times when they are needed even if there isn't enough snow that clearance is even an issue.

Studded snow tires are a game changer even on a stupid little car like my corolla. There is a little extra noise on dry roads at slow speeds, but once I get going I don't really notice it. On a slick road, traction-wise, I'd rather be driving my corolla with studded snow tires than an all wheel drive with regular tires.

Jim, I've been over most mtn passes in Wyoming with my corolla with the studded tires.

Many newer cars AND trucks say to not run chains on the front at all. There isn't enough clearance. Chain damage isn't in the warranty.

Barkoff:

In Colorado, when the mountain passes get dicey, the rules state "chains or adequate snow tires". I run Goodrich All Terrain T/A tires on my pickup. When I think it might be prudent, I carry real chains for all four tires, just in case. I only have to put them on when I have done something stupid and have to get my truck unstuck.

If you really want your Honda Accord to be able to perform in snow then buy two extra rims and two Goodrich All Terrain T/A tires and put them on the front drive wheels, under the weight of the engine, in the fall, OR before you think you may be driving in snow.

I think it's a joke to try to put real chaines on a small front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive SUV sedan like a Honda Accord. There's not enough clearance between the tire and the wheel well to put on real chains and anything else is worthless. I pull at least one such vehicle out of a snow bank every year.

I have a friend who has a real nice pickup. He tried those redneck chains with the heavy duty plastic electric wire ties holding lengths of chain onto the tires. They lasted just long enough for him to get around the corner from camp before they broke and came off, They might be good enough to get your car unstuck, but not good for anything else.

KC

P.S. I've never used studded snow tires. But, that may be another alternative.

yes

These are slick as goose crap.

I didn't believe in them at first, but someone here posted a review.

Walmart carries them. Self-tightening. Easy on.

Not heavy by any means but that makes them perfect for cars or occasional light use.

I will throw them on if I get into crap crossing Wyoming in the middle of the night and they haven't started plowing yet or if it is really icy.

I carry a set of heavy chains with cam tighteners for when stuff gets real.

If the roads are bad enough that those chains aren't good enough for a small car, it's time to find a Motel 6.

I have 4 Z cable chains in my 4Runner. Easy to put on and plenty of clearance for cars. I also have heavy chains, but I have not used them since I got the cable chains. Search YouTube.

Hey Bark,

Get yourself a great set of cables and make sure you have fairly new tires.

Most on here don't understand that CalTrans and Highway Patrol close down the major roads through the Sierra when regular cars like your with cable chains cant make it. That means the snow clearing equipment can't clear the roads fast enough.

Been driving the Sierra highways and roads since the early 80's in everything from Motorcycles to TractorTrailers.

I always drive in snow in a 4x4 with snowtires myself but always carry a set of chains mostly for off road in muddy and ice conditions.

You'll be fine staying on roads Cal Trans services during snow storms with chains.

I recommend these.

https://www.amazon.com/Security-Chain-Company-SZ143-Passenger/dp/B000HZFDPU/?tag=car-bibles-20

Practice practice practice putting on and taking off before leaving home.

Take a nice mat or rug, Mechanix winter gloves, a good rain suit like those from Sterns. Carry a heavy long screw driver and large channel locks for adjustments.

Watch a bunch of youtube videos.

Enjoy the Snow, looks like its gonna be a good year in the Sierra for it.

Oh forgot go here for updates and also get the App for your phone.

http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/

Thank you for the replies. Studded tires are not a realistic option for driving in the snow once every ten years. Most of my runs to Tahoe are in the summer months.

As somebody mentioned, not a lot of clearance in the wheel-well, so after checking the different methods mentioned, looks like the cable chains would be the best option. HWY 50 to Tahoe, usually have to pull over in Placerville or Pollock Pines, then ride the chains the last fifty miles. If I did more snow driving I would invest in the studded tires or the ATs. Ten months out of the year are T-shirt weather where I live, the other two require a good sweatshirt, but hey, I have to put up with all the liberal BS for that mild weather..

Studs are for ice. A downside to studs is dry road braking, they skate on dry roads.

when the roads get that bad stay home ,as a lineman i hated people out in these conditions when i am trying fix power lines and not get my big truck struck . i also hated putting on and taking off chains on these big trucks ! chains just suck

ttt

Actually that made a lot of sense to me. I speak from the perspective of many New England (icy road) winters,

The highest elevation in the state of Michigan is less than 2,000 feet.

You don't drive out here where the plows don't make a pass every 15 minutes.

What Wabigoon said, studs are effective on ice, that's it. And can be a PITA if you drive across states. Quick Google: Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia set seasonal restrictions for metal-studded snow tire use. ... Ten states prohibit metal-studded snow tires:

Does anyone make chains for 35x 12.50 tires? I can’t locate them

Michigan is pretty flat. You need more than good tires in mountains.

We only get a decent snow about once every other year here, but with limited equipment to clear it you're on your own on back roads. Nothing is going to get up my hill the last mile without chains or cables for a few days after a snow. We always park one vehicle in a hay field at the bottom and I'll chain up the rears on the other truck to get up and down the hill. Once down we swap to the other truck without chains. After I get on level ground it is only a few miles to the main roads which have been plowed.

Can't say as a fit but i always liked the ones i did not have to put on.

Back up.

Fully understand that studs are not what the op needs.

That said they do not skate on dry pavement. I hear that from time to time and it’s just not true. And they work great on hard packed snow as well as ice. For a cold wintery place they are a great option. I’ve been using them in Wyoming for quite awhile and I have to drive much of the state year round for work.

You do have to buy them and either another set of wheels or have them switched out every fall and winter. Those are the downsides. The upside is outstanding traction and no worries about putting chains on, going from snowy icy patches to dry and back and forth which happens all the time.

Chains on suvs and cars are not a joke. If they don’t fit then they don’t fit. But for hwy travel you don’t need all that much clearance and they work great. If they fit and work on my corolla I’m pretty sure they’ll work on a lot of other cars.

I have to go over Donner on Monday and Tuesday, and these are in the minivan. Even though it has brand new Blizzaks on it, and I will park the darn thing if they won't cut it.

The problem with California CHP is that they use the chain control to slow people down on the mountain. If there is a CHANCE of a snowflake on the mountain, the signs go up, and the chain check stations will turn you around if you don't have chains on your drive axle or 4WD.

It is insane, it is rips the pavement to shreds (think 400 semi's an hour at 80,000 lbs churning chains on bare pavement), it causes untold $ in vehicle damage, but it's Cali, and so it's what you would expect.... SNAFU.

Would chips let you by if someone did happen to have snow tires and no chains?

I guess probably not if you are carrying chains in addition to the bizzacks.

It's also very expensive for the truckers. Besides the time it takes to hang and remove them, running chains on bare pavement tears them apart. Chains are expensive to repair.

Hey Dutch,

Safe travels over that hill. Doesn't look too bad right now:

[img]http://cwwp2.dot.ca.gov/vm/loc/d3/hwy80athwy89.htm[/img]

Yep, pain in the ass when they start closing them. I always try to remember of those 400 trucks per hour, 10%-20% minimum are driven by South Asians who have hardly ever seen snow in their lives, much less driven 80K pounds of tractor and freight over Donner Summit. And there's another 20% or so from Eastern Europe and Russia who's attitude is probably "We drove through worse from Gdansk to Irkutsk, while drinking wodka" so they think they can pass their truckin' buddies going up or down that hill.

Wish there was a way around it. Maybe leave it open until someone goes over the edge?

What really amazes me is folks who live in, and have for awhile, that think because they have an SUV with AWD and Antilock brakes, they can just go down the road at whatever speed they desire. Seems like when I lived in Juneau, there was at least one new one in the center divider or off in the bar ditch every morning in the winter.

Again, safe and prosperous journey.

Geno

Barkoff I lived in California for many years. Driven over the Sierras more times than I can count. For a Honda Accord the chains Rock Chuck recommended are the best. The cable type are a pain in the ass. In California if the snow accumulates on the road the chain requirements go up. My two cents.

Safe travels

Only 4WD with snow tires are exempt. They will actually block the Interstate and check each vehicle before they are allowed to proceed. In comparison, in Idaho we'll think about lighting the lantern that says "chains advised" when we get 10", and when they can't get to the lantern to light it, they close the road. We'll try to find survivors in the Spring.




You've pegged it, bud, absolutely. Snow-idiots abound around that place. Fortunately, weather gods seem to be in a mood to humor me... Had to go around and come down the Feather River one time last year. That was an experience I'd rather not repeat. Still, that was less upsetting than being missed by 10 minutes by the giant mud slide across 80 just west of Truckee the year before.....

What I would have CHP do instead of using chain control to slow things down is to put variable speed limits up. They can do it all across I-80 in BFE Wyoming, they can do it for the lousy 60 miles of the Donner district. But it's easier to just throw the chain law up. SNAFU.

FWIW I have driven all over MT(for the last 25 years) and never had to chain up.


Talking a little Honda Civic on a mountain pass in very sketchy weather conditions. Semi's on I-90!



It was icy as a mofo here last week but luckily no hills.


I can see chains on icy snow pack being handy.

Sam, this was over 15 years ago, but remember it like it was yesterday. Was rolling down 15 into Butte in the semi, empty, when I lost traction on the drives, and basically skittered from the pond all the way down the hill.

Fortunately, MT DOT saw fit to sprinkle a little sand right before the hard right curve, and I managed to hold it together.

That was a day I wished I had chains on in MT.....

I've put 140k on our minivan in since I bought it from Mom in '09. I've never had chains on it but I do run studded snows on all 4. I have chains but just haven't had the need. The Blue Mtns in OR and Snoqualmie in WA can be pretty nasty sometimes but the car handles it nicely with the snow tires.

Dutch, I meant to say we were passing semi's in a blizzard going up the hill in a Civic!


I've never driven semi's on I-90.

No chains but a new set of studded tires and AWD helped some, but my wife still did the white knuckle thing. There was over 100 miles of this crap. . I was doped up in the passenger seat after some surgery. Didn't bother me much.



We put studs on here Nov 1 or so. Haven't seen the need for chains...................yet.

Geno

Dutch, there is probably another way, but likely not looked at as economically feasible by the higher ups.

The CHPs were escorting folks over the Grapevine last week at 30MPH, but that hill is not nearly as high as Donner and whatever they get on it doesn't last as long. I bet they could do the same on Donner, but it would mean OT for the workers and we can't have that.

And that story about the semi, Butte, and the hill puckers my butt and I'm in the cozy confines of my house!

Geno

They did that on Donner quite a bit last year, too. They call it a "rolling slowdown", and basically put a cruiser at 30 mph splitting the lanes. Still beats hanging iron for all the truckers. It's not just damage by the chains to the road and the wear and tear on the chains, but the damage done by broken chains to the trucks and trailers. One broken link can do hundreds (and hundreds) of $ in damage to everything from mud flaps, brake lines to cross members.

I got you there, chains suck except in the very worst of conditions.

And 80-90% of the folks driving in those conditions could probably reconsider their trip and delay it a bit.

A detour by way of the Feather River? You head from Reno up to Quincy and then down to Oroville? Whichever way you went would not be nice in winter weather.

Geno

One of my favorite Donner Pass stories. I'd just picked up a load of fingerlings in the Bay area, and am heading back over Donner. First trip with any kind of snow, and we're in the Dodge diesel with full snow tires all around, plus four chains ready to go. I mean, we'd heard the stories, we'd seen the documentary. We were READY. At Applegate, traffic stops, and we're sitting there getting snowed on. Wondering WTF? Semi Crash? Fatality accident? What?

After about half an hour, a CAL-DOT dude comes sauntering down the middle of the two lines of cars, checking for chains. We roll the window down and we hear the snow-idiot in a Nissan X-Terra looking thing in the other lane ask the CAL-DOT dude "sir, do you know how to put this in 4WD?".

When it was our turn I asked him if I should put the chains on, and one look at the Idaho plates and the tires and he sheepishly nodded "no", and off we went. There was maybe 5 inches of snow on the road, and we had it all to ourselves all the way from there to the ski hill at the summit. Made pretty good time, too. Nicest drive I've ever had over Donner.

My wife lived in Anchorage for 35 years. She got really good at driving in white stuff. However, for the last 11 she's been here in sunny southern Idaho and has got spoiled. Now slick roads give her the shakes.

Yup, Reno-Quincy-Oroville. Would LOVE to do that trip on a street bike in the summer, some time. On that trip, a young guy in a rice burner car blew my doors off passing me and the rock-knocker in the rain. I stopped for a tinkle, and when I started up and came around the next curve he'd lost control and center punched the rock wall -- still not sure how he pulled that off, but the car was rice-pudding..... Anyway, I put my lights on the wreck, the rock-knocker turned his flashers on and used his radio to call the Sheriff and the wrecker, and was told it was 60 minutes before anyone would be there.

So, I agree. Not nice in inclement weather.

But, in summer, on a bike? Oh, my, what amazing country!

Dutch, that's pretty funny about the Nissan driver.

Hazards to navigation used to get blown out of the water or sunk in 100 fathoms.

Geno

Exactly what I was thinking about your detour, having been up in that area a few times.

Go over the side in winter weather and you might not get found for a few days.............or weeks.

Geno

Last January I drove over Donnor in my truck. They had just opened it back up. I was the only person on the road. Was the most peaceful drive I have ever had on that road.

Most of the issues on that road are do to the idiots out of the Bay Area going skiing. They have no idea about how to drive in the snow. They think because there in an all wheel drive or 4 wheel drive they can drive as fast as they want. Oh and stop fast too...

To be honest I see some snow tires on cars of people who live up in Tahoe, but for those who only drive in snow once or twice a year, hard to justify a second set of wheels and tires, and the room they take up to store them.

4WD fitted with ATs are not required to wear the chains, but other than that, when the CHP says to wear them, it is mandatory.

Cables are all you will be able to find for a Honda Accord.