Thule XB-16 snow chains

[Orbital Debris]

I finallly pulled the trigger and got some snow chains. Hopefully, these may never be used and may just be the plan of last resort. However, I believe in being prepared, so I took the advice of folks and tried these in the safety of my garage. I took the opportunity for pics for anyone considering these chains.

 

[Orbital Debris]

These chains come as a pair, pretty nicely packaged in a case. It includes a couple of repair links, a laydown mat (good idea - I may want supplement that) and the instructions. There are also instructions on the back of the container. The links look sturdy. The -16 designates the long dimension of the link 16mm I believe.

 

[Orbital Debris]

I realized later that this picture is a little misleading for assembly. This is the way the chain goes BEHIND tire. To get it around the tire you shove the yellow end around behind the tire and bring it up to latch at the top.

 

[Orbital Debris]

For reference the tires are Michelin Xice 265/70R17. The fit was a little tight, the assembly pictures show the tighten portion going back across the tire. However the procedure tells you to drive 100m and then tighten again, so maybe there would be more slack. I'm confident that it would be fully functional with the tight fit.

 

[Jeremy556]

Recent arrival?

You'll never need them with those winter tires unless you go looking for trouble. If you go looking for trouble, you're better off with low psi (like 4), than chains. Chains will dig 4 holes until you are resting on your frame.

 

[Orbital Debris]

Recent arrival?

You'll never need them with those winter tires unless you go looking for trouble. If you go looking for trouble, you're better off with low psi (like 4), than chains. Chains will dig 4 holes until you are resting on your frame.

The tires will probably cover 99% of driving I will do. These are just a little insurance. I've done a lot of travel in the backroads of Colorado and Wyoming. I would rather get home slowly than spend a cold night in my car.

 

[FrontRange4Runner]

The tires will probably cover 99% of driving I will do. These are just a little insurance. I've done a lot of travel in the backroads of Colorado and Wyoming. I would rather get home slowly than spend a cold night in my car.

Nice chains man. I agree that you will likely never need them. In last years mini snowmageddon here in CO, the 4Runner went through stuff I didn't think possible. My level of respect for the vehicle went up immensely. That said, it's always better to be prepared - especially if you are on roads less traveled. Considering what I was I last year, the conditions that would cause me to need chains would be crazy and hopefully I would be smart enough to just stay home. Then again, the worse the snowstorm, the more I want to get in the Runner lol.

 

[ExCabSwap]

Tire Chains...

If you're looking for a 'last resort' traction assist item, I'd highly suggest a traction product that will get your wheels on top of the snow.

Something like TractionJack - We didn't invent the wheel - We just keep it turning or https://us.maxtrax.com.au/

In a situation where you're already stuck, and need a way out, this is the way to go. Short of using a winch, that is..

Snow chains are a good tool to use while driving on an already established road, however, your scenario where you're trying not to spend a cold night in your 4runner sounds like you've stopped moving, and cannot otherwise get enough traction to get moving...

:nicethread: I agree that snow chains are a good purchase! :high5:

But if you need something that will get your tires up and out of a hole that is dug in, grab a similar product like those listed above.

 

[jmmec]

Better to be prepared and have chains. I've used chains on unplowed dirt roads in New Mexico and they make a huge difference and got me going on a number of occasions; but this was with 4x4 Ford Expedition (BFG KO) or 4x4 F150 (Duratracs) since I'm a new 4R owner as of July.

For example, one time a dirt road that had seen a lot of previous traffic was fine early morning at 7am when it was frozen over. But it was a warm day and the road turned to slushy rutty wonder by early afternoon. Chains got me back out of the area, otherwise I could have waited until the next morning for the road to freeze over again, but didn't want to do that.

 

[Orbital Debris]

Snow chains are a good tool to use while driving on an already established road, however, your scenario where you're trying not to spend a cold night in your 4runner sounds like you've stopped moving, and cannot otherwise get enough traction to get moving...

I was really referring to a situation where highway patrol would not let me through without chains. It made an impression on me when I started driving in this region and saw the snow closure gates. When you see signs that say "Freeway closed, return to Podunk" and you know there are no hotels in Podunk, I realize there is no going around the gates. But I want to be properly equipped if they enact the chain laws. I've seen some pretty nasty stuff along I-80 and I-25.

Of course, if there are hotels available, I would be the first to spend a cozy night rather than crunching my way home at 30 mph!

 

[cutty01]

Curious why you bought chains instead of cables? Any advantages for 1.5x the cost? Not saying it was bad purchase, just educating myself.