Putting on Snow Chains

When the slush and snow turns to hard packed and slippery ice, it’s time to bring out the snow chains.

Snow chains are not terribly difficult to install on your vehicle, but there are a few steps that you should follow to ensure that you are installing them properly and lessening the potential danger to you and damage to your vehicle and tires.

You will need six to 10 feet of clearance in front of, or behind, your vehicle to ensure you have enough space to maneuver your vehicle onto the chains—ensuring that the space you have allocated is level and straight. If you are installing your chains on the side of a highway, ensure that you are out of the way and that you are visible to other motorists. Make sure you are protecting your hands and feet from rolling vehicles—put your parking brake on, just to be extra cautious.

Get your chains out and lay them in a line in front of your car. The long strands on the outside of each chain are designed to wrap around your tire—one on the inside and one on the outside. You want your chains hooked up to the tires that do most of the work—front wheel drive cars should be chained on the front tires, rear wheel drives chained on the back tires.

Drive your vehicle forward or backward until your tires are two feet onto the chains. Check to make sure that each tire is sitting squarely on the chain. Adjust until you have the chains square on your tires. Lay the chain on the tire as it is supposed to fit, trying to get as much of the tire on the chain as possible.

Now you have to attach each end of the chain together—drape them over the tire so that the long side stands hang evenly.

Depending on the model of your chains, the clasps will differ. Hook up the inside strand first, then the outside strand, on each tire. Attach one of the hooks to a strand midpoint between two rungs on each tire.

The chains will distribute themselves evenly as you begin to drive.

Drive slowly when you have installed your snow chains, Listen to the sounds of your chains and stop if you hear any banging or knocking sounds—this can mean the chains are installed improperly and could be damaging your vehicle. You should never exceed 40 miles per hour with snow chains on your vehicle.

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