2 X dually snow chains

[Bob Cochran]

Okay need help from those with lots more experiance than me. Usually because am retired just don't go out when it is snowy and icy out. Sometimes cannot help it though have to. Now I have Michelin XPS traction treads on the rear and that helps a lot. There is 2 pretty step grades to get over to get home from town. Last time it was packed snow and ice and before plowed almost did not get up them(barely topped out before losing traction and coming to a stop, LUCKY). I would have done better as I had just got home the day before after towing the 5er and forgot to air down the tires to the unloaded pressures, OOPS. Ones of those deals supposed to get only 1" or less for the day and got 4 inches in a hour, caught everyone by surprise. Guestion if i chained up the rear dually should do all 4 tires or just the outsides? If I do the insides also how do you get the chains tight without chain tighteners? Thanks everybody.

 

[UP N MTNS]

Bob I've only seen guys do the outsides. .



Heres a couple links for tire chains



http://www.tirechain.com/



Heres one's for dual's:

http://www.tirechain.com/DUALTRIPLE.htm



http://www.tirechainsupply.com/

 

[SBall]

Bob,

Based on your signature, I'll assume you're running the stock 235/85 tires and wheels as I am. On my 2wd dually, I have had the best luck with the alloy square link chains with cam tensioners. I chain up only the outside wheels, and carry some ramp blocks with me that I place under the inside wheels to drive up on to ease the installation. While I have ample clearance between the tire sidewalls, my first set of tires (Goodyear) developed some sidewall bubbles long before the tread was worn out. I wonder whether the use of chains on the outside wheels may have caused this, or whether is was a Goodyear manufacturing issue. (Hopefully some other folks will chime in on this issue with their observations and comments). Thanks to a fellow TDR member, I acquired another set of 4 wheels and mounted some Cooper Discoverer M&S tires on them for the rears and with some weight in the back, have never had to install my chains yet. With the weight of the slide in camper and these snow tires, my 2wd goes great in the snow.

 

[EKlem]

Chaining up just the outsides is what most pickup trucks seem to do. The larger trucks have chains that go over both tires. They look sort of like one big wide tire chain with a chain running in the center parallel to the circumference of the tire to help them from moving around too much. By covering both tires at once, you don't have to tension anything between the tires. It is hard to handle the chains though since they are so big and heavy.



If you are just chaining up the outside, check the clearance between the tires. As someone mentioned above, you can damage your sidewalls, especially if there is not a big enough spacing for chains. Also, if they work there way in between the two tires, I have heard of people not being able to get them off.

 

[terrywerm]

I used to have a 2 WD dually years back and it was nearly worthless in the snow when it was empty. If I threw about a thousand pounds in it, it did much better.



Some winters I took the outside duals off and just ran single tires in the rear, which was a good improvement. It looked funny, but it worked well.



I did have a set of triple rail chains for it and did use them a few times during severe snow storms, but I avoided using them if possible. Each fall I typically loaded the box with some weight (sandbags) but in extreme conditions I had to chain up. It was a little more work with the triple rail chains compared to singles, but that truck would go through anything when chained up if I had some weight on it. The biggest problem was getting them centered and tightened up, then keeping them there. Loose was bad!!



You should be able to get by with just chaining up the outside tires, but as others have mentioned, make sure that you have enough clearance between your duals. Running the inside tire up on a block for putting a single on the outside tire REALLY helps, as already mentioned.

 

[Bob Cochran]

Thanks all for the answers. I have single chains 2 pair actually that I used one time. You see to get on the pad for my 5er I have to drive out into a field actually and do a U turn and go back on the pad. Unfortunately it is down hill going out and pretty steep going up to the ramp. It was snow and ice and thought ground frozen and was frozen not enough. When I made the turn the 5er continued down hill while the truck turned and I buried it!!! Me and 14,000 lbs of 5er; I bought the 2 pair of chains and did all 4 rear tires not a problem getting going again and on my concrete pad but then only went a few hundred feet. If I need to chain will just do the outsides and need to make a ramp from 2 X 10's for a ramp to have with me. Oh and yes they are stock size tires 235 X 16 85R. As for the dually chains they are nice but sure a lot of $$$$'s. If I needed them more often it would be okay but for mayby once a year if that, no way. Your right about unloaded being terrible in the snow or anyplace needing traction. My 70 gallon cross bed Transfer Flow aux. tanks helps some but going up the grades this time was half empty. Again thanks all for the response.