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Unless you plan on going off road those Auto Trac will hold up fine.
Do you say that because the autotrac does not do well off road? The only offroad anticipated, if any, would be forest service roads ...I guess those can be considered off road-?
The chain picture you posted, those chain links look pretty beefy. No issues with them hitting your suspension or brake components huh?
Those pretty easy to put on? I don't see the connecting ends on the outside, do they connect in the back? I'm used to the old school method cables where you connect the ends on the outside and then have to crawl underneath to connect the inside ends ... a little bit of a pain, but not too bad.
The weak link to the Auto Trac is the cable. Hence, the reason for street or highway use. Lets say for example when off road you happen upon some object of irregularity, a partially burred stone, a root that for the most part would be immovable and just happens to catch the chain at the right spot ( very easy if your tires are spinning ) That sudden shock could break that cable adjuster.
There is another brand of tire chain that uses chains in place of those cables ( a much better option in my opinion ) but they are a bit more expensive. They also don't require you to lay in the snow to put them on as they connect much like the Auto Trac
The chains in my photo have plenty of clearance on the rear. They have an "s" hook on the back and a cam on the outside. With some practice you can install them very quickly. Yep, you have to crawl under the vehicle to secure the back connector. I've checked the clearance on the front using the chains in the photo and, while close, would work.
The Auto Trac chains with the "s clearance" specifications would be safe on the front as well. But, as I've suggested in the other thread if you are going to have just one set of chains use them on the rear.
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There is another brand of tire chain that uses chains in place of those cables ( a much better option in my opinion ) but they are a bit more expensive. They also don't require you to lay in the snow to put them on as they connect much like the Auto Trac
They don't have my tire size in that chain (275/65-R18). And if they did... I don't like the price. Geez! Especially for a just a carry-along-the-ride chain.
Either way, you've given me some food for thought.
Yes indeed I have. That is one of the websites that added to my confusion and indecisive-ness. haha! So many choices and options... I tend to side with experienced and honest suggestions. That's why I take everyone's advice into consideration.
That chain tensioner does look nice. Simple design. Simple tends to lead to more reliable, in most cases.
Past years I have used Chinese made <$100 chain set on my K1500.....state game land roads in winter mostly. Twice they have broken, and I got to them before any damage occurred. Carry extra links with you by the way.
For the new F150 I decided to go with heavier pewag chain set that cost about $250. But I have yet to use these.
I went with what Les Schwab carries; Laclede. I kind of went with a hybrid version of the one you were talking about PARIAH. I like the chain ratcheting tension device idea over the autotrac from the above link you shared. And if someone carried those chains locally I would've gotten those. But I didn't really have time to wait for the shipment of those (I went to the mountains last weekend) and I wanted a bit more in-person (quicker) customer support if the chains didn't fit right. Plus with Les Schwab, I'm able to return them for a full refund if I do not use them this season. I am actually hoping to use them... it usually means I had more fun and have a better story to tell.
The first set I got from them didn't fit quite right, IMO. So I took them back after chatting with the chain manufacturer directly. It was an easy over the counter swap. I wouldn't have been able to do that if I ordered them online.
This is the first set they gave me after looking up my vehicle in their system. Notice the second red ring didn't get used and how low the red chain lock at the bottom is real close to the ground.
The chain overall felt a bit too snug. Red chain lock seemed to low and the chain didn't seem to give enough side wall coverage.
It's a bit blurry but this is the second set I got from them which fits a lot nicer. It has more sidewall coverage without contacting the wheel and I was able to tension up using both red rings.
12-09-2017, 12:02 PM
