 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm driving in the alps tonight, hiring a car and I wondered what tips there were for fitting snowchains (I've never done it before) as it's snowing 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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Chris Reed, make sure the instructions come with the chains, because there are multiple different ways of fastening the chains on, the important factor is not to drive to fast
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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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Off my head the maximum speed with a chain on is 40 to 50 mph.
Please find a space away from traffic because the splashing from other vehicles can have a detrimental effect on your installation of the snow chain.
I disagree that there are multiple ways to fasten a snowchain. If one lay a chain out there is only one way to fasten it. However to fasten indiscriminately can produce more than one version.
Also it is a standrad practise to tighten the chain slightly after a few miles on the road to take up the slack.
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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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| saikee wrote: |
Off my head the maximum speed with a chain on is 40 to 50 mph.
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Is that strictly legal? 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks everyone. I hope we don't have to fit them. Doesn't sound much fun! PG, you've said elsewhere that civil servants are one strike. Is that just local to you, or Savoie or the whole alps?
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Chris Reed, As far as I know it's only a 24 hour strike...
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If you drive at that speed with a hire car your end up with a very large bill for tyre replacement !!
If your renting a hire car in a winter area, it is probably fitted with M & S tyres. Chains are really a last resort.
A tip. Take some gloves.
It was great in South America you just paid someone $2 to do it for you
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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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Gloves and a cheap jacket (that you don't mind getting dirty) to wear if/when you put on the chains.
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Practice before you go, and have a good torch handy.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Rich Goodliffe, Given it's a hire car this will be difficult. I think I need to pray that we don't have to use them!
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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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I usually carry an old sweatshirt to put on, in addition to gloves, as grubbing around under the wheel arch and behind the wheel can leave dirt and oil on new ski jackets (as I found out first time I fitted snowchains several years ago  )
In my experience if you know that snow chains are going to be absolutely necessary it's easier to fit them before you reach the snowiest part of the road, as you aren't fighting against a build up of snow and ice. Easier still is to fit the chains if you're parked in an indoor car park - dry, snow free and no chance of having other cars splash you with slush as they drive past.
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.....with a lot of swearing, blood and sweat.
Seriously make sure they're done right, I know someone whose chains cut his brake fluid pipe. Not funny!
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You know it makes sense.
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Chris Angus, I second that. I watched a car drive by with a loose end of a snow chain slowly gouging a chunk out of the front wing (in Perisher Blue in Oz), because the driver hadn't fitted them properly. A nice new Merc too, so that bill must have been fun!!!!!
The other fun one is 4X4 owners, who don't know how to use them, driving as if they are driving on a dry clear road, becuase after all they have the 4 wheel drive engaged 
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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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Max speed with snowchains is 30mph in France. My experience is that they break quite easily. Don"t over rev the engine whilst slipping the clutch and be aware that on a front wheel drive without chains on the back, the rear end will be very lively.
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Poster: A snowHead
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especially if the snow is wet and it packs out the rear wheel arches. I had this happen to me on the road between st gervais and Megeve a few seasons back, came to a bend and the equivalent to a handbrake being applied is the closest way to describe the rear end slewing out and towards a ditch 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Another thing.
Once you have fitted them, Drive about 20-30metres then tighten them up again othewise they will end up round the Wheel Shaft .
Oh & dont forget to put them on the Drive Wheels , I know it sounds funny but I had to help someone out once who put them on the wrong wheels
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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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Take an old pair of rubber gloves help keeps your fingers warmer and dry while your fitting them.
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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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Snowchain should only be used on tarmac road completely covered with snow so that very little noise is made when driving. On clean tarmac road the noise and vibration is unbearable and high speed is simple impossible.
There is a bit of experience involved on the timing of fitting the chains. A good way is to watch other vehicles, especially those coming toward you as they have covered the ground you are about to come into contact with. Generally the mistake is made when it is too late and the vehicle is struggling to find a layby when it is having difficulties to continue with the journey.
The snowchain improves the grip of the driven wheel and the vehicle can still get stuck when the snow is really high and partially float the suspension or the underside of the chassis.
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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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Of course for those of us who drive 4x4's we become stuck when the cars in front of us do, so there's no advantage to our extra ground clearance
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| rob@rar.org.uk wrote: |
I usually carry an old sweatshirt to put on, in addition to gloves, as grubbing around under the wheel arch and behind the wheel can leave dirt and oil on new ski jackets (as I found out first time I fitted snowchains several years ago )
In my experience if you know that snow chains are going to be absolutely necessary it's easier to fit them before you reach the snowiest part of the road, as you aren't fighting against a build up of snow and ice. Easier still is to fit the chains if you're parked in an indoor car park - dry, snow free and no chance of having other cars splash you with slush as they drive past. |
The gendarmes must have been on a mission to improve their image a couple of seasons back. When conditions are too bad they usually position themselves at a strategic lay-by on the approach to major resorts, stopping cars from continuing unless they have four winter tyres - and sometimes even with those they insist on chains, depending how severe the weather is.
Both times this happened there were a couple of flics going around, asking if they could help people put their chains on. Few tourists refused!
_________________
"I used to be Snow White, but I drifted." [Mae West]
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A real coup is to put the chains on in the covered parking when you know you're going to need them. I watched an Audi TT going sideways down a road in Val T and decided not to even try it. Saved a lot of the pain of being in the dark and soaked by the passing traffic!
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I've just used chains on my A6 Quattro for this first ever time, I've been driving Quattros for about 6 years in preference to the off road 4WD's I used to have which are (sorry owners) totally hopeless in snow.
I've got to say, we all self righteously parrot the advice about practising with them, but I got them on in (I timed this) 6 minutes and they've been in the boot of various cars for 7 years and I've never, ever looked at them. The only thing I did notice this afternoon was it's handy to have a brush in the car to clear loose snow when fitting and removing them.
A soft brush was my ski/car accessory of the century for the 20th century and I see no serious contender for the 21st century so far. Totally invaluable for moving snow off the car and skis etc.
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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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ise, actually I found my 4x4 Landrover Freelander was fine on snow, ice on the other hand was a completely different matter, mind you I do have a set of spikes spider chains which makes a bit of a difference
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D G Orf, I used to think the Jeeps and other stuff I drove were fine as well, until I drove Quattros and realised the difference. Obviously those sort of off-roaders are better than, say, a rear wheel drive BMW but by and large their 4WD rely more on brute force than anything else.
The trouble with my car is the ground clearance is hopeless though compared to the off-roaders.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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As a quattro nut...they are simply amazing, the way they lay down traction in all conditions (with the correct tyres) is simply amazing. My S2 is 13 years old, done 165,000 miles as my daily driver and it will leave just about everything for dead in the wet (and much of the time in the dry too)
Shes my baby but so far hasnt been down to the alps in the winter...yet I have a set of Pirelli 210 Asym winter tyres so one day.
Ise, how was the front end ground clearance with the A6, we have an A6 avant tdi and I have managed to break the front bumper in a car park (sliding the underside over a normal height curbstone and then when reversing, snapping it in half )
Cheers
David
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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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skinutter, yup, that sounds right, been there, done that, I snapped off the front bumper last year on a kerb near work, reversing out just like you say.
It's irritating but driving round the Alps in the summer shows why you need that big air dam, without it the car can very hot, very quickly. If you find yourself in a situation where you've been working the engine hard then get a restricted airflow into the dam the temperature just soars. My guess is that this a product the restricted air flow in the engine compartment.
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yeah and due to the fact that altitude and turbos dont really go well together. The turbo has to work much harder to compress the thinner air. Infact there is an altitude sensor in the car which monitors bar. pressure to ensure it doesnt overspin. but heat is a big bi product of producing the power, my S2 gets sooo hot in the summer, the fan on it sounds like a jet engine, then you floor it and the 5 cylinder engine warbles into life and lifes good....sounds soooo sweet
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You know it makes sense.
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To underline the earlier point, someone's put their frontera in the field near the village on it's roof. Failed to take the corner and sailed of the road and rolled into the field.
Driving condtions are awful today though, a very strong wind is blowing snow onto the roads, very, very nasty in places.
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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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We didn't need chains on the way up but after four days of snow and temperatures between -10 and -15 on Monday we decided to fit chains for the drive down the mountain(we'd seen a few crashed cars from the lifts so this seemed like a good idea). The aproach that I adopted was to let two others do it and I sat in the warm and waited for them! I didn't feel bad about this because I'd single handed cleared nearly three foot of snow off the car the night before!
Thanks for all the advice!
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