Snow Chains no good on some 4x4 trucks?

[MinnesotaORnewbie]

when you grow up learning to drive on frozen lakes, there are no roads any worse. 4x4 works just fine, and for the people that argue about forest roads in the winter. well you are taking a risk on your life for being on those roads in the winter anyway. But that has nothing to do with chains and studs on public main roads, highways, and freeways.

 

[Mark W.]

when you grow up learning to drive on frozen lakes, there are no roads any worse. 4x4 works just fine, and for the people that argue about forest roads in the winter. well you are taking a risk on your life for being on those roads in the winter anyway. But that has nothing to do with chains and studs on public main roads, highways, and freeways.

Frozen lakes are flat. Try going up or down a 12% grade with only 4X4 and 4X4 has no effect on improving stopping Chains and Studs do.

 

[3MTA3]

My snow country relatives used to tease me for years about how a very small amount of snowfall could shut the Portland metro area down. I figured at the time it was because we didn't get that much practice. Eventually I moved to and lived in Idaho for about 6 years. I was shocked to find that it was much easier than expected, even though I would go over the passes to Jackson, WY. The difference between the two areas is first that there is a large verticle component in the metro area, and when it does snow it melts every day leaving a nice fres slick layer of ice to deal with when it refroze in the evening. In snow country, the snow and ice never melted, and eventually the ice got enough tooth to it that it was almost as if it wasn't there. Also, just about all the cities had very little verticle and you didn't run into much of anything until you got out of town.

Totally agree that the ability to stop or slow down is much more important than the ability to get started. I prefer to use 4x4 to get myself out of trouble and not into it.

 

[slingshot1943]

I've never found I needed chains on a 4x4. Been over the passes from the valley for 50 yr in all conditions and never felt the need. I suppose driving style could create the need.

 

[Colt Carbine]

And I would imagine if the owners manual said something silly like DO NOT PUT CHAIN ON THE FRONT AXLE there would be some logical good reason for it.

It is my understanding that some vehicle manufacturers that utilize a traction control system do not recommend using chains on one axle. If chains are on one axle, the other axle will frequently try to slip. The traction control tries to compensate the chain less axle from slipping. After many interventions from the computer compensating for the slipping axle with no chains, I guess the computer shuts down as a safety feature if the axle continues to slip too frequently in a short amount of time. Thus, only providing power to the axle that was slipping.

However, the original poster is talking about an older vehicle not a new computerized vehicle with a traction control system.

 

[mortar maggot]

I have 4WD in the current and old truck, I have/had chains for both, the likelyhood of needing them in the urban or suburban area is virtually zero, assuming you have decent tires. Now go hunting, and get out somewhere that is a different story; I have never had to chain up so far due to snow and ice thanks to 4WD.

But in WY, with my friends Jeep, we had to chain up in the mud to get through a 100 yard area of muck. Sometimes you need chains.

 

[soberups]

"4 wheel drive" becomes a meaningless term the moment you take your foot off of the gas and place it on the brake pedal.

Im a UPS driver that delivers in rural Yamhill and Washington county up on Bald Peak and Parrett Mountain. Half of the rigs that I see stuck in the ditch on snow days are 4x4's without chains that were being driven by people who thought that pushing the "4x4" button on the dash meant that they could drive as fast as they wanted to and go anywhere they wanted to. I have yet to ever encounter a chained up vehicle in the ditch. A two-wheel drive vehicle with decent tires...operated by someone who knows what the heck they are doing...will go places that a 4x4 operated by an idiot wont.