 Poster: A snowHead
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snow chains....... never used them before! do they go on the 'drive wheels' or all wheels if you have winter tyres on at what point do you need to put the chains on, are they just for flat or slopes.hope this makes a bit of sense [in my head i know what i mean its jus putting it down in print] lol
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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they go on the drive wheels. There's masses of stuff on Snowheads, including some detailed advice on mounting them (from me, amongst others). Do a search. You put them on when you lose traction, which is more likely to be on hills/bends, but can also be on the flat if it's very snowy - though on the flat, you sometimes don't discover you've lost traction till you actually skid!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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andybabes, Practice putting them on before you go, then practice some more. When you need them it's always dark and miserable. I take disposable latex gloves to use, as you will get absolutely rotten feeling around in the wheelarches.
Don't forget downhill slopes too.
Remove them when there is no longer snow/ice on the road, as they'll wear out.
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pam w, Spyderman, thanks for that, is there a maximum speed you can do with them on? not that i would be going flat out on snow anyway. 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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50 km/h is the guideline, and I wouldn't scrimp on them. I bought some €20 ones and they snapped within an hour of putting them on. Invested in some €55 ones with a diamond pattern over the wheel and they've been good so far.
I think the general idea is to get out after you've done a km or so with them on you need to get out and retighten them up so they don't become loose on the wheel.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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andybabes, the more expensive chains are often easier to mount, and tighten themselves up - saves stopping after a couple of hundred yards, which can be a bit hazardous. Yes, practice, then practice again, then practice in the dark, then with cold hands. The time to put them on is as soon as you see anyone else with them all - don't leave it till you're the d**khead in the middle of the road holding people up!
As for 50 kph, I'd generally be going a bit slower with chains; they, and the tyres, do get hammered. If they start making a nasty slamming noise, something is very wrong.
There are often places assigned for putting on chains (aire de chainage, in France). Usually covered in muddy snow. Good to have something to kneel on. A nice chunk of polystyrene can keep you a bit warmer. personally, I always do chains without gloves. I can do them fast enough that they're usually on before my hands get terminally cold - I'd rather three minutes of rapid fiddling than 6 minutes with a pair of Marigolds - which tend to get caught in the mechanisms, sometimes. Those surgical thin gloves might be OK, and i do have them in my box, but I don't usually bother digging them out, in a hurry. The main thing, is not to wear your new £300 ski jackets - you get dirt up to the elbows feeling behind the wheel. I practice chains every year before driving out; three minutes out of the box, both mounted, was my first effort last week. Then I did it again and it took ages because it didn't go right first time! Sometimes taking them off can take longer - you "lose" the join, behind the wheel, if you don't remember the relationship it bears to the big ratchet thing on the front. That's when you get really mucky. One possible mistake is undoing the chain that goes across the "shoulder" of the wheel before undoing the join on the back, which then slips right over onto the axle....
I find putting chains on generally easier than taking them off - except our flash new chains have a toggle to pull, so you don't have to grope around the back. They've proved very good so far, and stronger than I thought they'd be. Konig, I think they are. You need a big bin bag to put them in when they come off, filthy. Getting them back in the box, at that stage, is too much of a mission.
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I've read that you should not use chains on alloy wheels. Is this because of cosmetic damage they may do or are alloys just not able to cope with chains?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Roger King wrote: |
| I've read that you should not use chains on alloy wheels. Is this because of cosmetic damage they may do or are alloys just not able to cope with chains? |
As far as I know it's cosmestic damage. Another point to consider is that chains are designed to fit on high profile winter tyres - they don't fit well on low profile tyres (which are almost always mounted on alloys).
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Roger King, It's the damage the hardened steel chains can do to the alloys. Cosmetic damage only. However, I ran chains solidly for 2 weeks on 18'' alloys and 45 section tyres, with no damage whatsoever, they are self tensioning Weissenfell Clack n' go chains.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Quote: |
| the nice man in the gas station in Lech sold me another pair for €100 |
yes. you won't get bargain chains in a gas station in a resort - especially an expensive one. However, even in the chains (we got ours in Feu Vert in Albertville) the better chains, easier to mount, a bit stronger, cost about 80 euros. so far, they've been well worth it, but because we are out in the snow for many weeks each season  we are more likely to get our moneysworth out of them.
As for alloy wheels, chains get put on our alloy wheels. it's that or not get up the mountain, or buy a complete new set of wheels. We have snow tyres, on all four wheels, but it's not that unusual to need both, sometimes even in a little bit of the "wrong sort" of snow on any kind of a hill. And, if you do have chains fitted, you have more chance of being able to get round people stuck on the road, by taking to the verge a bit, through the deeper snow - not something you'd try without chains. We also always have a shovel. Even a tiny mini-avalanche across a road, which does happen, can stop you if you don't have a shovel, because ordinary cars don't have much clearance. I find that these days I actually put chains on more frequently than I did in the beginning, when I was full of trepidation about being able to fit them. Now, I put them on if I think they're likely to be needed. Sometimes I've reached my destination wondering whether the snow tyres would have got me there - but at least I've reached my destination!
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| Spyderman wrote: |
| they are self tensioning Weissenfell Clack n' go chains. |
I used them last year and they were very good.
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You know it makes sense.
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pam w, not sure that I necessarily agree about the frequency with which you have to use chains. The Lech trip was only the third time >20 years years of driving to the Alps almost every weekend that I had to put on chains. Generally I've always got through on winter tyres alone, and on one occasion drove over the Julier pass in a snowstorm on summer tyres 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Mike Lawrie, surely it depends on frequency with which the road you are driving on is cleared and weather conditions at the time? I had to put chains on three times the week before last.
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Poster: A snowHead
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rob@rar Driving on cold packed snow is really not a problem if the road is not excessively steep ( the Julier IS excessively steep! ). Things get a bit touchy if the snow is too deep, or if its excessively icy or if its wet snow on a packed base. Other than that it's generally not a problem. Like I say, in the mountains I drive a VW Golf, which has front wheel drive, and gets me over the Julier in summer tyres (albeit with some significant problems  ). If you have four wheel drive then getting up the mountain should almost never require chains. Unfortunately what many people forget is that 4WD doesn't help on the way down again!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Mike Lawrie, one of the days I needed chains the snow was deep enough to create a bow wave off the front of the car!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| Mike Lawrie, one of the days I needed chains the snow was deep enough to create a bow wave off the front of the car! |
Ah! Excused
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Mike Lawrie, 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Will echo the advice to try them before you go - I always have a practice run couple of weeks before on a dry sunny day.
As well as gloves, torch etc also keep an old picnic rug in the car which I kneel (pray) on when fitting chains in the snow. Touch wood as we take a couple of days to travel down in, am generally arriving at resort mid-morning so have avoided the night time fitting.
If snow expected or on roads, I also fit chains to car day before we leave - again on the basis its a lot easier to take them off if not required the next day than mess about trying to fit them at 6am
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Anyone know where to get snow chains on the way to austria. Just got out old chains for next week and there are wrong size for new car.
Going on friday so will have to get on the way. Regards.
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kevthekite, most French autoroute services on the way to the Alps stock ones of "reasonable" quality in my experience. It would be worth checking that you don't need an unusual size though, I recall having to order specially ones for a VW Sharan some years ago.
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| kevthekite wrote: |
Anyone know where to get snow chains on the way to austria. Just got out old chains for next week and there are wrong size for new car.
Going on friday so will have to get on the way. Regards. |
"Forstinger" is the "Halfords" of Austria and "ÖAMTC" is the "AA" of Austria, both supply good quality snowchains.
The first three in this test are good quality without costing the earth.
http://www.oeamtc.at/tests/ketten/
If you want to send me a PM with where you plan to enter Austria I'll try and source a shop enroute.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Good Morning & Happy Christmas
I've just found out about snowheads and am looking for your help and assistance. I need some 255/50 19 chains as I am driving down to the 3 Valleys on Thursday.
Does anyone have any contact details in France for chains?
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Mick Dent, Happy Christmas and welcome to Snoweads. Any supermarket as you approach the Alps, or any motorway service area shop, should have a range of chains to fit all but very unusual tyre sizes. Looking at the weather forecast, they'll probably stay shiny and new in the boot! But you do need to have them - you never know!
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FAQ
Yup. That's when you can see me jumping around and kicking the car at the side of the road 
