Blackbuzzard

Ok....out here cell tower service dudes ( have to drive up steep non public, not-plowed gravel road) put them on front for the steep all-uphill route, and reverse it downhill.......if they only have one pair.

While i have never experienced it, I have little doubt vehicle ends will quickly swap if not done this way....... for any braking.

But this is steep semi "offroad" situation with snow, packed snow, ice, etc.

Steel chain between your tire and the snow or ice is a traction multiplier.....big time.

Problem is, speed is limited to 20mph....... and the moment u hit plowed asphalt, chains have to come off.

sailorjerry

Sometimes homer needs the traction in the summer.

CeeDee

jimmy2016f150
Nice picture. I personally like the winter wonderland scenery. We don't get enough of it over here on the peninsula.

You got chains to fit on the rears of those big tires??!

jimmy2016f150

Thanks, I love snow wheeling and getting out in the elements. I normally don't have to chain up...my truck does real good, but there were 3 times last year when it was a must. I have the Glacier Mud Service Snow Tire Chains. They fit my 35x12.50xr20 Nitto Trail Grappler M/Ts great. There are times that the snow is so deep that even with chains you are pushing a lot of snow with your front bumper and you are making tracks with your front control arms and rear differential...at that point it is slow going and winches come out... Then everyone starts getting stuck and then you accept that it's turn around time. 😂

CeeDee

I'd like to get out to do a little snow wheeling myself but it will be rolling on stock tires and wheels and probably with no one else with the capability to winch me out. So, I won't be in that deep of fresh snow. Those are good tires you have. I have a friend who has the same kind. Good for the pavement with the grip to do some off-roading. Not as noisy on the road as the mud grapplers. I'll be keeping my OEM tires for a little longer before upgrading. Because such a large tire upgrade requires more than just new tires.

I looked up the Glacier Mud Service Snow Tire Chains you mentioned. They look like a ladder style chain that you hook in from the outside and inside. Are they a pain to install? Or, do you rarely ever use them? I'd ask about clearance issues with those chains since they do not look like class S chains... but you're no longer sitting stock.

You rolling with extra weight in the bed when you go play in the snow, like sand bags?

TheGeek

No more than having one wheel on ice and one on dry pavement. You're just augmenting that.

The logic behind what we've done is pretty basic. You need chains when the tires can't get enough traction on their own. In the midwest, that means ice or really deep snow. For ice, the road surface gives a good base to the ice and punching through it is hard. But, the grass/dirt on the road side, not so much. Chains get tons of traction off pavement. And when you're on ice (or hard pack) you get a drive wheel and a steering wheel with some traction (assuming you don't have an open diff.

Deep snow is a different game. Tires pack up, and become snow on snow. Chains simulate tractor tire chevrons in this condition. I'd probably make a go time decision here whether to put both on the rear. In deep snow, the front wheels are functional as rudders.

bisjoe

I’m also in the Puget Sound Area, but don’t go to the mountains much in winter. Since I live on a plateau at 600’ it’s all downhill going anywhere, uphill back. And we get snow when the lowlands get only rain. Over the 24 years here I have only chained up 3-4 times, on a Bronco, Explorer and Ranger, all 4WD, and that was always on the rear. It’s only been required when the snow got melted some and then refrozen overnight, so very icy. When we had freezing rain on snow, I would just stay home. So far only one 2” snow this year since I bought the 1F150, and it did fine just with 4WD. I do have cable chains if needed and would put them on the back. Having the engine weight in front helps with steering, the biggest problem I have had over the years is stopping going down hills.

CeeDee

Howdy fellow washingtonian. I've been waiting for the big dump here in our kitsap peninsula area. I prefer snow way more than rain. I was just inquiring for cable/chain placement to learn a bit and see where people prefer to use their chains on their F150s. I never owned an F150 before... so, I'm still learning. I'm used to driving a front wheel drive Honda civic and I took that almost everywhere with snow cables. I remember seeing a lot of trucks and SUVs stuck or or in the ditches around town and on the freeways back in the day, while my little civic rolled right pass them all. It was an odd feeling. Like, is this real?

Even with now chains on the back (on our F150s), and going down a decent sized hill sounds like that could be an issue with not enough weight in the back. I've heard some people rely on the snow itself in the bed of the truck for some added weight in the back... while most use sand bags. I'm considering sand bags, especially when going up to the mountains. But, then that is debatable (and might be better for another thread) on how much weight in sandbags to put in the back that will weigh the rear end just enough but still not rob you of too much gas mileage. I think there may be another thread on that subject. I digress.

jimmy2016f150

​​​​​In terms of install, you will have to get on the ground and at the inside of the tire. A long tough screw driver helps for torque to get them tight. The multi-point star bungees are worth it to help keep them tight. Below is a basic video for general idea of install.
https://www.etrailer.com/Tire-Chains...SABEgLu1PD_BwE

It's a bit different in deep snow...just clearing out the snow around the tires to get at them ...go a bit and check again if you can tighten anymore and ensure links are not slapping against anything. For clearance I bet you are good. It's more the width of the chains vs the height. You just don't want any thing hitting.

Extra weight is a must I do 400-500 lbs of sand bags. I use the Ford box link bed divider and then cargo straps to keep the sand bags from shifting around.


Sand bags get added to the kids sandbox at the end of winter. 😎

CeeDee

I totally agree with not wanting the chains to hit or slap anything while going down the road. By the time you hear the slapping sound, and pull over somewhere safe to check it out, the damage is most likely already done. Hopefully nothing critical, like brakes or suspension. And heaven-forbid that the slapping ended up on the exterior of the truck.

400-500 is close to what I was thinking for weight with snow chains on the rear, after doing some google searches. I was going to just start off with a couple hundred pounds if needed, and go from there.

That's a good idea with the sandbags in the sandbox. I guess a sand bag could be cut opened, sprinkled liberally on the ground and used to help with traction. Helpful for those icier situations.