Snow chains on UK roads, who'd have thought?....
Discussion
Well, my Landcruiser spends the latter part of the winter in the Austrian alps, so is well set up for snowy weather, winter tyres, tow cables, snow chains, first aid kit etc. as it's all required by law over there.
BUT I've never once used the snow chains. Never needed to, although I've been in some serious dumps of snow in Austria, the ploughs have always cleared it in no time at all, job done, and everybody moves on.
So imagine my surprise this lunchtime when I went to pick up a member of staff who couldn't get to work (no buses), he lives on a hill, on a major new housing estate, but no road treatment had been done at all, so I decided to have a go with the snow chains.
I was fully expecting some sort of jigsaw puzzle, but after looking at the instructions, it's really dead simple. Worked out how it all fitted, and I can now get them on and off in about 2 minutes per wheel (even first go only took 10 minutes for the pair). I also have a kneeling pad (so you don't get wet knees) and some rubber builders gloves (£1.89 from screwfix) to protect your hands from the harsh chains.
And my word, what a difference. 4x4 and winter tyres was already better than most other people on the road, but the snow chains just adds so much more grip, it's unbelievable. I'd spent the morning testing my ABS was working properly
, but in the afternoon, with the chains, there's so much grip you'd never need it.
So that's it, I'm a convert. Snow chains are superb.
The only down-side, is if you get to a rare part of the county where the road has actually been treated, you really need to pull over and take them off again, which is a bit of a faff. It was a bit strange purposefully driving on the snowy side of the road to protect the chains, when everybody else was doing the opposite!
Anyway, if you HAVE to drive in this weather, buy some. £50 very well spent, and a damned sight cheaper than my insurance excess.
That is all.
BUT I've never once used the snow chains. Never needed to, although I've been in some serious dumps of snow in Austria, the ploughs have always cleared it in no time at all, job done, and everybody moves on.
So imagine my surprise this lunchtime when I went to pick up a member of staff who couldn't get to work (no buses), he lives on a hill, on a major new housing estate, but no road treatment had been done at all, so I decided to have a go with the snow chains.
I was fully expecting some sort of jigsaw puzzle, but after looking at the instructions, it's really dead simple. Worked out how it all fitted, and I can now get them on and off in about 2 minutes per wheel (even first go only took 10 minutes for the pair). I also have a kneeling pad (so you don't get wet knees) and some rubber builders gloves (£1.89 from screwfix) to protect your hands from the harsh chains.
And my word, what a difference. 4x4 and winter tyres was already better than most other people on the road, but the snow chains just adds so much more grip, it's unbelievable. I'd spent the morning testing my ABS was working properly
, but in the afternoon, with the chains, there's so much grip you'd never need it.So that's it, I'm a convert. Snow chains are superb.
The only down-side, is if you get to a rare part of the county where the road has actually been treated, you really need to pull over and take them off again, which is a bit of a faff. It was a bit strange purposefully driving on the snowy side of the road to protect the chains, when everybody else was doing the opposite!
Anyway, if you HAVE to drive in this weather, buy some. £50 very well spent, and a damned sight cheaper than my insurance excess.
That is all.
maser_spyder said:
The Moose said:
Not got 'em on the '5?!?
Cheers
The Moose
I got a workshop! Just around the corner from where I live, so the Maser, and the '5 (and the other '5 next week) are all/will be all tucked up for the winter. Cheers
The Moose
Big plans for the silver '5 next year....
Would love to come and have a nosey at how my wheels are getting on...any excuse to have a good look at the maser
Cheers
The Moose
The only time I've seen snow chains in use in this country recently was when a gas board van got stuck across an ice covered hill near me last winter.
They couldn't get a recovery vehical anywhere near it.
Somebody who goes skiing went and got thier set and when fitted the
van just drove down no trouble at all.
Much to the delight of the guy who'd got it stuck!
They couldn't get a recovery vehical anywhere near it.
Somebody who goes skiing went and got thier set and when fitted the
van just drove down no trouble at all.
Much to the delight of the guy who'd got it stuck!
Just a word of caution with chains, keep your speed very low as my chains damaged my (apparently very brittle) wheel arch liners (due to the super low temps I guess - we saw -14 in Yorkshire a few weeks back) and has just cost me >£400 to rectify 
As stated, use them, they're brilliant, but take them off as soon as you can, minimise the use.
As stated, use them, they're brilliant, but take them off as soon as you can, minimise the use.
A few years ago I had a rav4, we made a number of trips to the alps whilst we had it and so diligently carried chains in the car, Never actually needed them. When the car was sold and thus chains redundant, I tried flogging them on ebay (during the winter) no once came close to buying them, not even for 99p. I ended up taking them to the charity shop as I was leaving the country!!
I have seen only 1 car fitted with them the whole of this current winter "crisis" & he was managing to get about in a fwd Renault no bother at all round Dorsets steepest roads, we have a set in each car I've always considered them normal winter equipment but as ever never needed them with the snowies on.
Once again the numpty uneducated motoring population rule the world, muppets.
Once again the numpty uneducated motoring population rule the world, muppets.
TonyHetherington said:
How do chains not slip round the tyrel (if that makes sense)? Do they clip onto something on the back of the wheel to prevent the tyre moving and the chains not?
They are tightened with a ratchet or cam thing, fine if fitted properly, I must admit they are hardly foolproof & can be a pain to get rightmaser_spyder said:
I went to pick up a member of staff who couldn't get to work (no buses), he lives on a hill, on a major new housing estate, but no road treatment had been done at all
Bet he loves you for that. "Day off, got the best excuse ever...! Oh, you'll pick me up?? Oh crap
"
andy-xr said:
maser_spyder said:
I went to pick up a member of staff who couldn't get to work (no buses), he lives on a hill, on a major new housing estate, but no road treatment had been done at all
Bet he loves you for that. "Day off, got the best excuse ever...! Oh, you'll pick me up?? Oh crap
"
Cheeky beggar!
Still, I took him home too, not all bad.
Fitting - mine are dead easy. There's a solid plastic hoop with a link that goes around the back of the wheel, and the chains are half on each side, so you can fit them without moving the car at all.
I was expecting a right old faff, but even first time, it was dead easy.
Just remember to stop after 50m and re-tighten, the they're done.
Not sure why they don't slip around the wheel, but they're pretty tight, and you shouldn't go faster than 30 with them fitted so they're never exactly whizzing around.
Brilliant purchase. Tempted to get some for the other cars too, I never realised the difference it would make.
Gassing Station | General Gassing [Archive] | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff