Tire chains? Cables? Socks?

[Wallythacker]

I travel for work. I’m in Seattle right now. Don’t need to drive much because the public transit is pretty good here, but occasionally need to drive some. Some areas will require traction devices at times.

travel straight south to warmer climes and make a hard left? for other areas invest in all weather tires.

[scotchyfletch]

No you’re right for sure. I was mostly curious if anyone had tried and found out that chains or cables or socks has worked well on the car.

[Fummins]

No you’re right for sure. I was mostly curious if anyone had tried and found out that chains or cables or socks has worked well on the car.

https://mirageforum.com/forum/showth...99-Tire-chains

[scotchyfletch]

Thanks!

[Mark]

Thanks!

If you really want a set of tire chains, I would just get them. It's cheap insurance in my mind.

Several distributors sell tire chains. It took me about a minute to find a set for 165/65r14 tires. These look pretty impressive -

https://tirechain.com/165-65-14-tire-chains/

More affordable options -

https://tirechainsonline.com/car-cha...ims/165-65r14/

[mpaton]

Nearly 3 years ago, Central Texas had a snow event of about 6 inches lasting for 5 or 6 days, as well as power and water outages.

As I'd bought a set of Dunlop Snow and LRR tires from Tire Rack a few years before for $32 each, I thought it was time to try them out, and then to try and find the snow chains I'd bought way back in 1986. I bought these to fit a 185/60-14 tire, and the box said they were also the right ones for a 165/65-14. These were the old style of chains with a chain running across the tire tread every 8 inches or so and circumferentisl chains on the inside and outside of the tires. The only marginally more modern part was that they did come with a bungee intended to be used to pull the circumferential chains on the outside of the tire in towards the center.

Having had old style chains on a 4wd truck in the 70s, I found these were not tigtly attached to the tires, and moved around a lot, and part of the way they worked seemed to be to flail into the road in front of the tire, which would usefully break up ice in front of the tire. They also came with instructions not to go over 25-30mph. So that's all I was expecting from my chains on the Mirage.

And basically, that's what I got. Traction was improved, I could get through the 6" of snow just fine.

What I couldn't do was go over about 25-28mph. Some part of the chain would tap on something in the mud flap area, very lightly, about once per revolution. Because I was bored, I decided to not trust the 34 year old bungees, and got out the safety wire, just to see if I could tension the chains enough to make 30-35mph. I couldn't. At least not before the snow went away.
But they did what they were supposed to, and there are situations when being able to do 25mph instead of being stuck is just great.