Tire Chains

[jtm]

I'm lookin to buy some chains and have a few questions. Can you still use 4wd with chains only in the rear, I thought this might cause problems when the front tires spin and the back doesnt. How much of a pain is it to take them off and on, as I still do alot of recreational riding in the winter. Thanks for any help

[harvey lee]

I have run chains in both 2 and 4 wheel with no problems to date. I have not had any wheel slip as I go pretty slow.

My chains I can put on in approx 30 minutes max. They have worked out very well for me. When you go to put them on, let some air out of the tires, put them on and adjust and then air the tire back up to normal operating pressure.

[Ryan_V]

put 'em on and leave 'em on!! I had a set on the rear tires on my old yamaha. full time 4wd, never had a problem. unless you plan on hard or fast riding, i'd leave them on all winter

[jtm]

I'm going to pick some up on mon. Thanks for the replies

[BobT]

I don't believe it should matter too much to the drive train but I was wondering. Wouldn't it be better to have the chains on the front rather than the back? This way you could use the extra motion from steering to your advantage a little better.

Bob

[harvey lee]

I have always placed mine on the back and really not had any problem steering but I go rather slow so i wouldnt. maybe all 4 wheels would work even better but like I stated, I have not had a problem yet with 2.

[LMITOUT]

The balance of the weight is over the rear axle, so by putting chains on the rear rather than the front you're maximizing the traction. The steering radius won't be as tight on snow or ice so you just have to compensate a little more.

[waskawood]

I always thought it made more sense to put them on the front also but my concern is what would happen if you threw one off. There is much more "stuff" to ruin in the front end than in the back. That being said, I have owned my quad since Friday and have yet to install my chains. Hardly makes me an expert.

[Roofer]

I would put the chains on the rear for traction, and then put a few 1/4" machine screws in the lugs on the fronts so I could steer.

I put some screws in the rears tires on one machine and none on the front. It was horrible not being able to steer.

[Fisherman For a Lifetime]

Now that's an interesting idea... good unless you run on your cement or blacktop.

I just may get some chains. About how much do chains run for a pair in the back...??

[LMITOUT]

Around $50, give or take.

[BobT]

I think that's a good point about the possibility of throwing a chain if they're mounted on the front. after giving it more thought, I imagine they could tend to be a bit rough on the front tires when turning and such as the chains may dig in to the rubber a bit more being on the front.

Bob

[rockman]

I bought a pair of chains at Fleet Farm for $56.99, a couple of years ago.I put the chains on the rear wheels/tires only.

[firemedic5586]

I ran chains on my machine when I had the stock tires; V bar chains from Dennis Kirk. If your running a 4wd and from the sounds of it you are, put them on all fours. When you put them on your tires, LET THE AIR OUT THE TIRES FIRST, then tighten down the chains as tight as you can prior to airing the tires up. This will keep the chains from beating the heck out of your machine.

I did this with my Polaris SP700 and was able to run WOT on ice and not hear any chain rattle at all.