Tire chains?

[Abeo]

Cliffs: 2wd Ford ranger, open diff, new A/T tires (apparently a mistake). Driver is from rural Ottawa where there is lots of snow and freezing rain, but the roads get plowed and salted. Anyone ever used chains? Is it normal for Calgary to have the roads like this? Worth it to buy them or is the worst over?

Back story:
So today traffic was backed up on the drive home, and the new dusting of snow was making one hill pretty tricky... I didn't even attempt it, and took some side roads so I could get a run at the hills... everything went well until the last hill, where I had to stop and make a right at the top. It got stuck, so I got out, threw some salt down, and was on my way after about 15 seconds (only inconveniencing one driver, but still pretty embarrassing). The truck is amazing in loose snow, but once it packs down or there is ice, the tires don't grip too well and it is tail happy.... I'm thinking chains would help me way more than winters would, but I've never used them (I've always had winters, except my last truck which had cheapo LT tires which worked fine in the snow/ice). My drive to work is 6 km through city streets, and I don't care about noise or imbalance. If I knew the roads would have been this bad, I would have bought studded tires instead :banghead:

Anyone with experience?

[5000Audi]

not sure if you can run chains in the city?
i always take chains with me when i drive to vancouver but never really needed them in the city... i just stay away from the hills..( well not anymore i got AWD and can get up no problem) but ive never seen a vehical with chains in the city

and its always good to have chains if you drive a RWD.. handy for back roads and such..

[Oldskool]

Originally posted by 5000Audi
not sure if you can run chains in the city?


I don't think you can have chains in the city

[nobb]

Winter tires would help stopping and cornering. But with our rwd truck, winter tires only helped very slightly in terms of acceleration in the ice/packed snow. You might get better luck by loading the bed with something heavy.

[5000Audi]

Originally posted by nobb
Winter tires would help stopping and cornering. But with our rwd truck, winter tires only helped very slightly in terms of acceleration in the ice/packed snow. You might get better luck by loading the bed with something heavy.

some people will spend money on sand bags.. when i had my old S10 i filled the box with snow and compacted it haha.. free weight!!!

[Abeo]

Originally posted by 5000Audi


some people will spend money on sand bags.. when i had my old S10 i filled the box with snow and compacted it haha.. free weight!!!

I have done that in the past... but I might go the sandbag route this time

ugh, from the 'streets' city bylaw:
"A person shall not operate on a Street any tractor, or machinery of any kind equipped with lugs, cleats, or tracks which may damage in any way the surface of the Street."

No mention of chains in the traffic bylaw, or in the alberta traffic safety act

[5000Audi]

Originally posted by Abeo


I have done that in the past... but I might go the sandbag route this time

ugh, from the 'streets' city bylaw:
"A person shall not operate on a Street any tractor, or machinery of any kind equipped with lugs, cleats, or tracks which may damage in any way the surface of the Street."

No mention of chains in the traffic bylaw, or in the alberta traffic safety act

yeah it dont say that but chains do damage streets..so thus probably not aloud

[johnboy27]

Originally posted by 5000Audi


yeah it dont say that but chains do damage streets..so thus probably not aloud
Light truck chains will not do any noticeable damage to the streets unless you are spinning the shit out of them. I would go with studded tires and make a frame with 2x6's that goes between the wheel wells on your truck and fill that with sand or gravel.