How to Put on Tire Chains
If you drive on thick snow or roads covered with slush, you need maximum grip and traction. While many snow tires have deeper treads than regular daily driving tires, you may still need to put on tire chains. If you don’t know how to mount chains on your tires, here’s an easy way to do it.
Tire Chains
The kind of chains you need for your car depend on the size of your tires. Tire chains can be bought from any auto supply store. When buying tire chains, here are some of the things you should look for:
Link strength. Like the old saying goes, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Inspect every link of the chain to see if the links will hold up the weight of the car and the stress of the road.
Build and thickness. Tire chains should be lightweight but durable. Don’t get tire chains made with thin or broken links, and avoid ones with sharp edges that may nick the tire treads or puncture the tire altogether.
Steps
To mount tire chains on your car, follow these steps:
Pull your car over and park at a safe distance away from oncoming traffic.
Tire chains are always mounted on the driving axle of the vehicle. If you drive a front-wheel or a four-wheel drive vehicle, mount the chains on the front wheels. If you drive a rear-wheel drive vehicle, mount the chains on the rear wheels. Never mount chains on all four tires.
Drape the tire chains from the 7 o’clock to the 2 o’clock position on the tires. Make sure that the smooth side of the tire chains Some people prefer to lay the tire chains on the ground and simply drive over the chains, but you may end up breaking or snapping apart the screws and J-hooks on the chains.
Drive the car about a foot forward to pin a length of the tire chain on the ground.
Fit the chain around the tire securely. If you buy the right size of chains for your tire, you wouldn’t have a problem with the chains being too tight or too loose.
Secure the tire chains with the J-hooks, latches, and screws. To secure the chains as tightly as possible along the sidewall, tie the loose ends along the sidewall with twist-ties or a length of bungee cord.
Repeat the process with the other driving wheel.
When driving with tire chains, always keep your speed limit below 30 miles per hour to allow the chains to properly grip the road. As soon as you’re done driving, store the wire chains in a safe, dry place until you’re ready to use them again.