Best tire chains

[tightlines]

8" of the white stuff yesterday and it's only mid December has me thinking TRACTION! I have a 4 wheel F-150 Triton 5.4 so I got the power but all the power in the world means nothing without traction. I am thinking a good set of tire chains are probably a good idea this year. I will be pulling a 2200lb shack most of the time. Do you guys have any good suggestions on a set of chains that are easy and quick to install? Also, should they be on all 4 tires or just the front or rears?

[Try Too Fish]

tightlines
Have you looked at tire chains? I know i have thought about them and looked at them.Pulling a perm house in a lot of snow off the beaten path can be fun some times.
The ones i liked the best were the diamond tread design.Looked like the most traction with the least amount of ruff ride and chain slap!
I will probably get some if it keeps snowing.Handy to have when you find yourself stuck and no one around!
If you have a limited slip rear end with chains it would make a lot of difference provided you are not hung up!!
I dont know how auto chains are, but tractor chains are a pain to put on!

------------------
Try Too Fish
Forced Too Work!!

[Gissert]

I have used chains when elk hunting in the mud, and when I had my old 8 x 12 perm shack on skids. Can't beat 'em when you need traction.

I just use the V-Bar ones that you can get at Fleet Farm. Sorry, but I cannot remember the brand name.

If you have the $$$, get chains for all four tires. It makes things a lot easier. Be prepared to deal with a lot of rear axle hop if the snow is deep and hard. A load in the truck bed will tame this somewhat, but you wont be able to eliminate it. When the axle starts to hop, just ease off the gas. Try to stay out of the deep stuff as much as possible, or you will get real intimate with a shovel, LOL.

An installation tip that my dad taught me was to lay out the chains in front of the tires, and then put a block of 2 x 6 in one of the windows. Move the vehicle so that the tires are resting on top of the wood block. Snug up you chains, and repeat the process for the other set of wheels. Once you have both sets on, slowly drive around a little bit, and this will work some more slack into the chains. You might be able to get them a link or two tighter by doing this. Take some small bungees, and stretch them in a cross pattern over the hubcap side. If there are a few links flopping free on the inside of the tire, wire them to the tight part of the chain. It would really suck to snag a brake line with these. I suggest wiring the outside clasps together too. A little prep work goes a long way to get them as tight on the tire as possible. If a chain comes loose under load, you can loose it, or worse yet, tear the heck out of brake lines and such. It also sucks to put them on out in the deep stuff.

[Bob Clausen]

I got my tire chains for my tractor on-line at tirechains.com...less than half of any retail price, including Fleet Farm.