Traction Devices

[Whopper Stopper]

I have a 05 Tahoe that I use for pulling my fish house and in general for ice travel. I was going to pick up a pair of the standard Peerless V bars just as I have used for years on other trucks, only to find out the owners Manuel boldly states Do Not Use Chains on This Vehicle.

Yesterday I crawled under the truck to check out the clearance, just to discover there isn’t any. The brake lines are tight to the inside of the tires causing limited clearance issues.

One option would be to get a set of smaller,narrower tires for the rear, allowing more room for chains. Another would be to buy a set of extreme tread snow tires and forgo chains. Another option would be a different style traction device altogether.

Between Red Lake and Lake Of The Woods throw in Winne a couple times a year, and I feel uncomfortable not have some type of backup plan for drifted roads, or off road travel in general.

Any ideas would certainly be appreciated! I figured there has to be a set of some type of device that would serve my needs.

WS

[leech~~]

How about some of the other new types like cables that may fit tighter to the wheel?

[MJ1657]

Check out snow socks. I don't have any personal experience with them but I know a lot of truckers use them.

[Whopper Stopper]

Check out snow socks. I don't have any personal experience with them but I know a lot of truckers use them.

Thanks MJ 1657 I have been reading about them for a couple of hours, certainly a different approach. They may work for me.

Thanks also Leech!

WS

[delcecchi]

GM making same mistake they did on 1975 Monza, watch out people in the Rockies or California where chains are required at times in some places.

[delmuts]

"GM making same mistake they did on 1975 Monza"

I had one of those!!! Small car with factory V- 8 and a four speed!!! Whoooo Hoooo!!!! Had to sell it before I lost my license AGAIN!!

[Tom7227]

I had never heard of snow socks. Just looked them up. Do you use them only for short periods when doing something like going out onto the ice to go fishing or what? Would they stand up to a road trip on a highway for any distance where there wasn't snow? I suspect you have to jack the rig up to get them on.

[Whopper Stopper]

From what I have read they are probably best on ice covered roads. They claim they are an asset for deep snow use but for the most part you put them on to get you out of or preventing getting stuck and then remove them.You just slip them over the tire and then back up a couple of feet and finish installing. They say that dry tar patches are very hard on them.

Seems the biggest gripe is durability. If you are careful they will last if you leave them on when conditions don't warrant they will get torn up. Price is about $120 for the best ones, which is cheaper than a second set of tires, and there are 0 clearance issues to worry about. Interesting concept just hard for a chain guy to try something different.

WS

[MJ1657]

Guys with big rigs say they obviously don't last forever but ease of installation is why they use them. When chain laws are in effect you may have to chain several times a day. Very time consuming.

I would think they would last a long time if you're just using them in a jam.

[leech~~]

Ok, I don't get it? How does putting Nylon's over you tire treads do anything but make them look pretty when your out in the middle of Red lake?

[CAMAN]

From Autosock's site...

Quote:

Q2: How do AutoSock snowsocks work?

A2: It's to do with friction, specifically dry friction. Dry snow and ice sticks to fabric, especially 'woolly' fabric as those of us who used to snowball in woolly mitts will remember. AutoSock are made from a hairy fabric which sticks to the snow. The fibres in AutoSock, which become hairier with use, are arranged at right angles to the direction of travel to optimise grip. Very importantly, AutoSock’s specially developed ‘GripTech’ textile also absorbs and "wicks away" any water that's found between the ground and the tyre, (generated e.g. by the warmth of the sun, or by wheel spin), thereby maximising the dry friction grip. AutoSock work well in warmer slushy snow as well as cold, dry snow.

I personally have never used this type of device and can't say if they work or not.

[Whopper Stopper]

another option is Snoclaw or Goclaw. Reb may be onto something!

Thanks RebelSS

WS

[Whoaru99]

Check out snow socks. I don't have any personal experience with them but I know a lot of truckers use them.

Huh? That's interesting. Never heard of such a thing. Thanks for the info.

[RebelSS]

another option is Snoclaw or Goclaw. Reb may be onto something!

Thanks RebelSS

WS

No problem, Whopper!

[uffdapete]

In 25 winters, fishing LOW, URL and Rainy approx 30x/year, I've never had or needed chains. Maybe a half dozen times a year I will first scout out what might be a risky area and did have to shovel once for 10 minutes on LOW after failing to make it through a deeper hard drift that I neglected to check out prior.

[Northlander]

I saw a zip tie type design at the Blaine Ice Show last year. Cant remember the name but I got some just in case I needed them. Havent tried them but I think they would work well enough to get you unstuck or give ya a little extra traction for a short period of time. I don't know how long they will last on your tires and Im sure they would fly off at high speeds. For emergency purposes though I think they would work.