Tire Chains: What Do I Need to Know?

January 8, 2020 2:52 PM

This winter I'll need to drive my 2009 Camry up to Tahoe several times, which means I need some tire chains. Online, tire chains that fit my car run the gamut from $40 to $400+ What's the sweet spot within this range? What else should I know about tire chains?
posted by boghead to Travel & Transportation around United States (7 answers total)

I went through an online wizard and entered the numbers from my tires and bought what it recommended and they still didn't fit, which I unfortunately discovered as I was roadside trying to put them on. I would recommend testing them ahead of time as I should have done. My observation is that beyond a certain price point which probably varies depending on what type of chains you need, the main differences are ease of use rather than performance. At the upper end of the spectrum you'll see options that are obviously superior but most of the price range seems differentiated on how easily they go on and off or can be adjusted, etc. and have pretty similar designs when it comes to the chains themselves.
posted by feloniousmonk at 3:12 PM on January 8, 2020 [2 favorites]

When I had a 2wd (Volkswagen Jetta) going to Tahoe I had both - at various times - super expensive "Spider Spikes" (which were about $350 if I recall at the time) and a $40 pair of tire cables from Walmart. Both worked equally well. The Spider Spikes were *so much* easier to get on - especially in a hurry, but you had to premount the adapter on the wheels which was kind of ugly and took up more trunk space - but it was literally seconds to get them on once you knew how.

If it is infrequent travel and you are staying within "main roads" I'd say get a pair of decent regular tire chains (and learn how to put them on *before* you need to do it in a blizzard with cars rushing past). Get a hi-vis vest as well. If you are going to be deep up some back road at a cabin on a steep driveway you may be up and down lots of times then maybe I'd get something fancier that is easier to get on and off as needed.

Careful selection of travel times and some flex there may mean you don't end up using them. Going over Echo Pass on the 50 in a blizzard with 10,000 of your fellow snow-seekers at 5 mph isn't exactly fun - and sometimes I've just said screw it and gotten a hotel room past Sacramento for the night until the blizzard passes.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 3:13 PM on January 8, 2020

Oh and ease of adjustment is pretty important. A key thing to remember with chains is that putting them on is a 2 step process. First you actually put them on and then you tension them so they stay on. If you can't really get the tension right you risk them sliding off and creating a real mess. This was primarily a concern with the cheapest ones I have looked at. Keep in mind the conditions for putting them on are likely going to suck so you want something that is easy with gloves and doesn't require a lot of fiddling.
posted by feloniousmonk at 3:17 PM on January 8, 2020 [1 favorite]

You can probably get some cheap chains at your local big box store (and that's what you'll get, at inflated prices, if you wait to buy until you need them). But those tend to be a huge pain to put on. The ones I prefer cost about $80, from Security Chain Company. There's a split in the middle that lets you swing the chain around the tire without having to move the car. There's also a tensioner that makes adjusting them pretty much idiot-proof. Consider getting a second set for your non-drive wheels if you're actually planning to drive long distances on them. Definitely practice putting them on before you have to do so in the snow. It's way easier to see all the parts and how they fit together if you have good light and no pressure. The split chains are so much easier that I have pulled up behind families working on their chains, put them on all by myself, and driven off while they are still working.
posted by wnissen at 3:19 PM on January 8, 2020 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I have a set of $40 cable chains I bought at O'Reilly and they have served me well several seasons now. Whatever kind you get, also get: a pair of work gloves, a headlamp, a small tarp or perhaps a sheet or two of cardboard. Then when you are parked on the side of the road in a slushy river, you can kneel on something dry-ish, keep your hands from freezing, and see what is happening in your wheel-wells. And do give them a practice on/off run-through in a parking lot, it really helps.
posted by niicholas at 8:23 PM on January 8, 2020 [9 favorites]

Aside from the other good advice here, I'd highly recommend a set of euro-style diamond chains. Les Schwab sells them in the Northwest, but they are also available from online retailers ranging from about $90 to $140 for a set (two wheels).

The advantage with these is you wrap them around your tire, and carefully laying them out and driving over them isn't required like with the cheap chains. There are also no loose ends that whip up into your wheelwell if your tires happen to be on the smaller size of the chain's range. And they're easier to wrap back up and store. They are also easier to put on with gloves - the basic chains usually have some small hook mechanisms that can be difficult to engage with a winter glove on.

If you have to use them, you won't regret spending the extra money compared to conventional chains.
posted by jellywerker at 4:20 AM on January 9, 2020 [1 favorite]

nth-ing checking out Les Schwab if you have one near you. They'll help you select the right chains, and even show you how to put them on. With most (all?) Les Schwab centers, if you wind up not using the chains that season, you can return them for a refund.
posted by xedrik at 5:55 PM on January 12, 2020