Actual Experience With Snow Chains

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d2huffman

New member
I have searched and read many of the posts about chains on a 4R but find that most of the posts refer to the manual - no chains on front - or potential chains.
I want to know what others are using - I have stock 265/65/17 on 07-SE.
There is no way to drive in deep snow on back roads without chains on all 4. With chains on the rear, you can drive until you meet someone and then you are unable to get out of the rutts to pass and forget about turning around.
I know that there has to be fellow hunters on here that have chained up all the way around. Plus, if you have ever driven down a real steep icy hill with only chains on the rear you will not make that mistake twice.
Thanks for indulging me.
 
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d2huffman said:
I have searched and read many of the posts about chains on a 4R but find that most of the posts refer to the manual - no chains on front - or potential chains.
I want to know what others are using - I have stock 265/65/17 on 07-SE.
There is no way to drive in deep snow on back roads without chains on all 4. With chains on the rear, you can drive until you meet someone and then you are unable to get out of the rutts to pass and forget about turning around.
I know that there has to be fellow hunters on here that have chained up all the way around. Plus, if you have ever driven down a real steep icy hill with only chains on the rear you will not make that mistake twice.
Thanks for indulging me.
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I've never used chains on a 4x4 vehicle in snow. Not sure how deep, deep snow is, but I've driven in 2-3ft of snow with stock tires with no issues. It comes down to driver skill IMO. Now, if you are talking about slow speed <5mph in deep snow 3+ft on fresh untracked roads, chains may not be much help anyways once you come to a stop, if anything they will dig you into a deep rut faster.

Uphill chains on the front, downhill chains on the rear. With backroad driving, you'll probably have both. You can chain all four wheels, but if it were me, I'd just get quality mud/snow tires in stock size (if you dont want to size up on tires)

This guys doesnt seem to have much of a problem either.
Toyota 4Runner Riding in Snow - YouTube


Good luck!
 
3+ feet? The only way you're driving through 3+ feet is with a plow on the front. lol 3+ feet would have been over the front of that Runner in the video. :driving:

I lived in Vail for years and never used chains although I always had AT tires. I had the State Patrol close the gate behind me on I-70 at Silverthorne on my way home across Vail pass during a late season whiteout. I have driven all over that state in the snow on and offroad in a 2000 4Runner with 285s and an 06 SE with 265/70/17. I would buy some new tires.
 
chucknorris said:
I've never used chains on a 4x4 vehicle in snow. Not sure how deep, deep snow is, but I've driven in 2-3ft of snow with stock tires with no issues. It comes down to driver skill IMO. Now, if you are talking about slow speed <5mph in deep snow 3+ft on fresh untracked roads, chains may not be much help anyways once you come to a stop, if anything they will dig you into a deep rut faster.

Uphill chains on the front, downhill chains on the rear. With backroad driving, you'll probably have both. You can chain all four wheels, but if it were me, I'd just get quality mud/snow tires in stock size (if you dont want to size up on tires)"
Click to expand...
chucknorris said:
Driving in deep fresh snow is not the issue and experience is not the issue - roads with frozen ruts and high moisture snow is not passable with out chains on all 4x4.
It is the other way around on front and rear - downhill is chains on the front so you have breaking (80% breaking on front tires) and chains on rear up hill (laws of physics relative to angle and load vectors).
Click to expand...
 
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d2huffman said:
chucknorris said:
I've never used chains on a 4x4 vehicle in snow. Not sure how deep, deep snow is, but I've driven in 2-3ft of snow with stock tires with no issues. It comes down to driver skill IMO. Now, if you are talking about slow speed <5mph in deep snow 3+ft on fresh untracked roads, chains may not be much help anyways once you come to a stop, if anything they will dig you into a deep rut faster.

Uphill chains on the front, downhill chains on the rear. With backroad driving, you'll probably have both. You can chain all four wheels, but if it were me, I'd just get quality mud/snow tires in stock size (if you dont want to size up on tires)"
Click to expand...
chucknorris said:
Driving in deep fresh snow is not the issue and experience is not the issue - roads with frozen ruts and high moisture snow is not passable with out chains on all 4x4.
It is the other way around on front and rear - downhill is chains on the front so you have breaking (80% breaking on front tires) and chains on rear up hill (laws of physics relative to angle and load vectors).
Click to expand...


That seems backwards? You still need to get rid of those stock tires.

If you can only afford one set, and you're going to be in 4WD on a trail, I recommend putting them on the front axle since you have steering, braking, and traction. However, be careful on long descents since you're getting such good traction with the front end, and the rear is not chained, it may swing around on you. So it might be better for those descents to chain up the rear. That's why I like RUD chains because they are so easy to move around.
Click to expand...
 
If you put the chains on the rear going down hill on compact snow/ice, each time touch the brake the front tires start sliding and you have to break quite hard to get the rear tires to take hold. Even best to put on front of 2wheel rear drive vehicle to go down a hill for the breaking.
 
Update - Had my 4r serviced at dealer yesterday and while waiting decided to talk to parts and service people about snow chains - figuring they would probably just read me the manual and that would be it but I wanted to have the discussion. After a brief discussion, the parts guy said that their main issue was that if you were goint to put them on the front you should be chaining up all 4 and of course the S clearance requirement. He ordered 2 sets of chains for me as their price was with in a couple $ of online. I will of course be trying out the ones on the front before going to the mountains. I will follow up when they come in and I try them out.
 
Tested the snow chains this past weekend. Well, the dealer was correct on the Diamond Tire Chains working on front of my 4R. The stiff inner cable keeps the chains outward of anything to rub or catch on. I chained up all 4 and made several trips up the road to our cabin - about 12" of really crappy wet snow and a steep road. Not as much grip as I would like so will probably get a set of heavy duties for rear next year but work good enough. Main concern was front fitting.
 
Can you post a pic of the place you require chains. I can't imagine using chains on my similar Runner. That must be some serious unplowed road....=)
 
I will snap a shot next time over although will probably be snowed in to the point that I will switch to using my snowmobile. The need for chains on back roads with snow is pretty common around here (Washington). If there are already tracks (ruts) in the road you can usually travel without chains until you need to stop (hunting) or meet another vehicle. The snow I was in this last weekend was wet so it really created lots of resistance to the undercarraige. Every year that we have heavy snows up hunting there are people that have to head into town and buy another set of chains - most are smart enought to show up with atleast one set.
 
i run studded winter tires on winter rims. sounds like i am driving on tarp when roads are dry lol.
its also given me a little hit on fiel economy, but i drove through a snowstorm last week with no problems while others were in ditches.
 
I would think the only time you'd need to consider chains is for severely icy/slushy conditions where the snow becomes slippier. Might look into some V-bars for the rig, but I doubt even with the clearance from the LR UCA that I could fit them on the 285/70R17 Terra Grapplers in front...
 
Same here I've never used chains on any 4x4 that I've ever driven. But no doubt even out here in Washington we can get deep snow in our area. Best is up at Snoqualmie Pass at Alpental in the parking lots where yes one can find 2-3ft of snow and thus turning their 4Runner into a plow! But i agree it comes down to more skill. When i took my 4Runner up into the snow I went throught it in stock tires that sucked and still kicked ass
 
alaskaman said:
Can you post a pic of the place you require chains. I can't imagine using chains on my similar Runner. That must be some serious unplowed road....=)
Click to expand...

In the sierras chain requirements are mandatory at times, even on 4wd on bad days they work good, i use cables instead of chains though much easier
 
I've pushed hood-deep snow with my Land Cruisers occasionally, never considered chains. Got stuck last Winter in front of my house in frame-deep snow with the 4R after pulling out a snowplow with the 'Cruiser. Hopefully snow tires will make a difference this Winter, that was embarrassing. Now I'm thinking chains might be a good investment, but I wonder how much difference they'd really make.
 
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