This is my first time being in area where the news is saying that tire chains are required on some roads. Like, how does that work? What are they? I am so confused
Editing to add:
I dont actually drive, Im just really curious lol
In: Other
They are specially made attachments for your tires made out of chains, hence the name. They wrap around the outside of the tire for extra traction, specifically for ice and snow.
I’ve never been in a place where they are required, but on occasion wished I had some because we in the northeast US just got a decent snowstorm and the roads were extremely slippery until the plows and salt trucks caught up.
They’re like cleats, but for your tires. They usually start out as a flat strip the width of the tire, and then you drive onto them and fasten them so they go over the entire surface of the tire. They dig into snow and give you better traction. Most areas will have an area as you approach a place that requires chains where you can pull off and put them on. It’s not the most fun thing in the world, but they make you a whole lot safer.
When there’s snow or ice on the roads, car tires don’t have enough traction and cars can’t maintain control.
Tire chains used to be literal chains, and still are for some very large tires, but mostly nowadays they are cables that you physically wrap your tires in to add some traction in snow and ice.
Tire chains can be purchased in most auto parts stores. They’re made for your specific tire sizes, so make sure to get the tire size off the side of your tire before going in to purchase. Mine say P225/70R16, for example.
If your car is front wheel drive, you only need enough for the front tires (unless you’re going to be doing a lot of snow driving). If it’s rear wheel drive, you need enough for all four tires.
When you get to the point where chains are required, you can usually find somebody who will put them on for you for $$. We used to call those people chain monkeys, I don’t know if that’s still common.
Tire chains are a form of traction aid used in snowy and icy conditions. These add traction to your vehicle. Often only used on drive wheels the reccomend option is to use on all 4 tires to increase breaking traction and turning ability. Often times there are signs on roads in the mountains where there are icy conditions. In these cases a good set of winter tires or chains is reccomend. To install tire chains you first drive over them and then drape them over. You then secure them either using a cam lock system or a bungee system often times both will be used to provide tension. It is not advised to drive over 25-35mph in chains however cables will allow you to go faster on the trade off of traction.
The are often required for 18 wheelers (and I am sure still are) when I was going over Snoqualmie Pass from Eastern Washington to Seattle as a kid and often required for cars as well. I remember having the police stops and having to help my stepdad put them on.
They provide immense traction in snow/ice that is compacted as others mentioned above, metal chains on your rubber tires.
They are especially important for rear wheel drive cars as back in “the day” they were quite common as most the weight is forward, with no traction to the rear drive wheel.
Without them, accidents are waiting to happen, or you would slide off the road, or spin and go nowhere.
In places where chains are required do they allow you to use studded winter tires instead?
It is literally, metal chains that form a sort of web around your tire for driving in roads that are covered in snow. Basically it provides a really deep tread, kind of like the treads that off-road tires have, but you can attach to a normal tire. Basically, in really slippery surfaces, you need a tire with a deep tread to dig in and find grip and your tire sinking into the snow.
I’m sorry op, but why didn’t you just google this? Putting in your question to google will give you the exact answer in less than a second
They’re literally chains that wrap around your tires that you drive on. Nothing more and nothing less.
The chains dig into the road and give you much better traction on snow and ice, but you have to drive a lot slower while using them.
If I press all my weight down on your hand with the palm of my hand that’s going to be a lot of pressure, now assume I do the same thing but I put a pencil between our hands, there is going to be a lot more pressure possibly piercing your hand.
Chains do a similar things with tires on the road, semis use them and all road work things use then because if they get stuck it’s one of the few ways to get out, it adds like 500x the normal traction
The reason trucks dont always use them however is because they 1. Add lots of weight to your truck wasting fuel and 2. Can tear up the road
Source: my dads a truck driver
Latest Answers