Snow guys: Cables or chains?

[DRJDVM's '69]

I need some advice from all you guys that drive alot in snow..
I live in CA and pretty much have never driven in real snow. This Xmas we are going to the mountains where there is a decent chance we will need chains. I've looked at several places and had one big question...

Would you recommend I get real chains or cables?

Is there any big difference on how well they work, how easy they are to put on etc etc etc????

Since I'm in CA, the employees in the stores I've gone to dont seem to have a real clue....i.e they dont know sh*t about snow either. Many of them have never even used chains!!!!

So any suggestions on what I should get would be great. I dont want to be up there and get stuck because of sh*tty equipment etc.

[Damn True]

Depends. Light fwd car: cables will probably be fine and they can be much easier to mount. Otherwise I'd suggest chains.

Either way, I strongly suggest you remove and replace them at least a couple of times in the street in front of your house before attempting to do it laying in the muck alongside hwy 80. Make sure you can get them on and tight. Then drive a mile or so and tighten them again.

Or go buy a subie!

[6'9"Witha69]

Whaever you do, have a couple blocks of wood. Lay down the chains in front of the tires, place the blocks in an open section of the chain, drive on. Now the chains can be connected at the top, rear, front of the tire, wherever you prefer, rather than trying to make the connection at the bottom. And I vote chains. Cables are geat for small amounts of snow and light vehicles, but deeper snow, chance of ice underneath, etc calls for chains.



Oh, and make sure they are tight, nothing like eating a fender due to a chain coming loose and swinging around.

[DRJDVM's '69]

Its for my wife's 2000 Tahoe, 2 WD..

I looked at some that have an "auto- tighten" feature....seems like a nice idea but who knows how well it will work
www.peerlesschain.com/technical-info/videos.php

They have them at Walmart and are about $5 more than the standard chains

[Taman]

Remember to take your time.If you have never driven in snow I would go to a parking lot with snow pack and practice sliding the rear end out and recovering from the slide. Do not let the people behind you push you down the road. Just pull over and let them pass. I would use chains. If the snow is bad enough to require chains and you have never driven in snow, I would wait the storm out and let the roads be cleared. When I lived in Anaheim, I would go to Tahoe and Big Bear for skiing. I am from IL and know how to drive in the snow. In Tahoe it wasn't out of the norm to get 24" or more in a night. I would even wait out the storm.

[mc84_zz4]

If you will be in 6" or more, you will probably need chains.
Several mountain passes in CO checked for chains only, the rest get turned back.

Store a set of pliers with the chains, you fingers are useless in 25*f or colder. A good 6v lantern is your best friend too. Add a cheap pair of garden gloves/leather gloves for the dirty work.

I would lay my chains behind the car, and roll back until last foot is left, that way you are working in the largest area behind the tire off from the ground. As somebody mentioned before, a board is a great idea in case it is sloppy.

Practice putting them on in the dark, they only fit one way, I kept the locks to the outer tread on mine, and the locks are awkward when opposite, so practice w/em.
Throw in a snow shovel or grain shovel (big plastic bucket style), and some flares just in case.
If the rear of the car stays behind, you can control the car pretty well.
Your top speed with chains is probably around 30-35 mph, you will not really need any faster in those conditions.

When it gets deep, you could run over curbs, parking stops, landscaping, and all kinds of covered up stuff, bikes even, don't ask how I know...Just do not stop until on a straight clear area, or just keep on going...
Have fun, you already know how to steer into the skid, stay in low gear, that's all.

[ITLBTU]

Hey, it's good to see a "local". I'm just down the street in Ripon. I wonder if I've seen your Camaro driving around...

[megaladon6]

no offense, but you're from cali...just don't drive in snow. whether you have chains, cables, or tracks nothing overcomes a lack of practice and knowledge of how to drive in snow.
that being said, Z cables are good for higher speeds and crossing from snow to pavement. regular perpendicular cables/chains cause some major vibrations and should only be used for short distances.

[John Wright]

Trouble that we have with chains around here is that they are troublesome when the roads are not completely covered, and there are patches of pavement here and there. You can't make any time at all or you will sling the chains off or tear up a fender. For plowing through a road where you have 10" or more of new snow with no tracks, those things are great for breaking a track. I put a set on an old VW beetle and that was fun until I needed to turn. lots of traction on the rear wheels and none on the front for turning...the snow had packed under it to the point that the front wheels weren't touching any longer.

[Samckitt]

I have never used either. What I have done is bought some bags of sand from Lowes & put them either in the trunk or end of the bed near the tailgate. But since owning a 4x4 I don't do any of it.

[toxicz28]

I've never used either also. I usually rely on good tires to get me through. I usually don't put the truck in 4wd either,unless it's over 8" deep. I do agree that if you're not used to driving in snow, it's a good idea to not drive in it. You will be more of a hazard on the road than anything.

[Damn True]

I love the assertion that only people back east know how to drive in the snow. Ive never made more money in less time than I have snatching native new yorkers, Ham-sters and M*******s out of the ditches when I lived back east with my jeep cherokee rocking CA plates.

A CC.com member penned this blog entry to help folks he knows. Thought some here might find it useful for that snow driving scaredy-cat in your life:

http://braketurnaccelerate.blogspot.com/2009/12/tips-for-driving-on-snow-and-ice.html

[megaladon6]

i think most of us easterners will acknowledge the greater experience of people from the west--like colorado, oregon, washington (and the midwest--but how many hills and curves do you guys have?--serious question) but 99% of native californians seem to have no clue about driving in snow. it's much like the south, 1in of snow hits and everyone panics!
you're in the one percent, 'course you also race your car--takes some similar finesse and instincts.

[Damn True]

Curves and hills? Hmmm, Sierra Nevada mountains, siskyous and the cascades? Heard of them?

http://www.california-map.org/california-nc.gif

Ca is a lot more mountainous than it is flat. We have 14k peaks, volcanos glaciers and entire highways that close for 5mos of the year because they are impassible due to avy risk and too much snowfall to keep them plowed. Truckee, ca is on average the coldest town in the us and more often than not ca gets way more snow than co or ut.

[megaladon6]

no, i meant the midwest guys!! i know there are rolling hills there, but not sure how high they are.
somehow i doubt truckee is the coldest us town. contiguous us maybe, but throw in alaska?
how many californians are doing regular driving, like commuting to work in snow? not driving to the ski slope. i just looked at population and terrain maps and there's very few people outside the valleys. and most of them are on the coast anyway.

[class67]

You'll be fine with cables, Ned...just take your time and watch out for the other guy's.

As for megaloadon6....you're fighting an uphill battle.

[LowBuckX]

Chains or cables... As a resident of the snow belt and a recipient of LAKE EFFECT snow I prefer skill over chains or cables :1st:....

[megaladon6]

it's ok, i have good snow tires lol

[DRJDVM's '69]

Well its not really an option to "wait out the storm".

We are going to my brother cabin...he's hosting Xmas this year for the 1st time...all the family is coming etc etc...so its really not "optional". If its a blizzard....fine....but I'm just being prepared. There may be no snow at all.

For all you "if you've never driven in snow, you are best off not doing it".....we'll everyone has a first time guys....even you "snow driving experts". Gotta start somewhere.....

I consider myself a good driver (but doesnt everyone :)...) with some road course and alot of AutoX experience....done some driving classes too....... so I feel comfortable with car control.

I have read the blog on driving in the snow...that was great.

IF we hit snow, believe me I plan on doing it slow and easy.

[Ishmael]

I think you would be best just to get some big knobby snow tires or borrow some. I live in Ontario Canada. Like True, I love my jeep xj. I drive it in some pretty stupid snow and Ive never needed chains. If you really feel you need something extra get some snow tires studded unless you live far from where you are driving though I know a guy who leaves his studs on most of the year - he also puts diesels in jeeps for a living (overlanddiesel.com). If you don't want new tires, get chains, back on to them like noted above and drive slowly.Steer into the slide.You'll be fine.

[LowBuckX]

Snow tires would be a waste for a one time use. Chains are your best bet. Liken snow to driving in mud with to much HP your sprint car skills will hold you. dont know about dry pavemnet and cone skills.... Youll be Ok if you take your time and dont try to over brake and always check traction with a fast hard tap of the brakes to see how slick it is....

[ITLBTU]

I might also add... snow isn't the real problem, the black ice is. And to megaladon... just because we're in Ca doesn't mean we don't have snow issues. On a normal year there is probably more snow with in a 2 hr drive around longer per year than he has to deal with...

[megaladon6]

come on guys, when was the last time you got stuck driving in snow? not, "hey lets go skiing, oh look at that, snow" but "i have to get to work and people are sliding all over the place"? for me it was monday. for LA it was what? 10,000years ago? when was the last time you priced out snow/ice tires on you car? gimme a break here. i'll probably drive more miles in snow this year than you will in 10 (assuming you don't drive to a snow state). does that mean i think you're incompetent? or that i'm an "expert"? hell no!! (especially since i'm not in a true heavy snow area, like the great lakes, midwest, or the rockies.--but i still probably have a couple thousand hours) and we have the extra fun of snow melt/ice for weeks afterword. excuse me for thinking you shouldn't drive through a mountinous snowy area when you don't have alot of experience and a good car for it, unless you have to. remember, if you have an accident or die, it doesn't affect me, so i'm just erring on the side of your safety.
and i'd say (again) that my assumption is statistically correct, if you look at a map of cali population vs. elevation, not too many people live in snow country.
half the time you guys are bragging that you can drive your PT car everyday since it barely even rains!

[Samckitt]

Today I took the Monte over to a guy to paint the cowl hood to match the maroon of the front of the car. Well early this morning we got about 3" of snow. By the time I took it over it had been cleaned/melted off the roads but his drive wasn't. It was at his house with a drive about 300' long and uphill. Needless to say, with wide tires and extra hp and tq I didn't make it to the top. I tried a few times and fishtailed most of the way.

[ITLBTU]

:rotfl: Californians don't get stuck in the snow because we are experts!

[Vegas69]

Neutral can be your friend as well.

[Samckitt]

Neutral can be your friend as well.

Good advice.

[shep]

If you can't get up a hill going forward in a rear wheel drive car, try backing up it so you are puling the heavy end instead of trying to push it.

[Droolguy]

...It was at his house with a drive about 300' long and uphill. Needless to say, with wide tires and extra hp and tq I didn't make it to the top. I tried a few times and fishtailed most of the way.

Burnouts can be your friend...

Just keep the tire spinning next time, the water prevents excessive tread wear, and the friction will melt the ice. Makes for great fun, unfortunatly it doesn't work for RWD on anything more than a slightly curved driveway because the ass end will follow the road though.

When the ball-peen doesn't work get the sledge.

[edog1]

Like many people have said practice putting them on a few times before leaving. To make it more realistic put a blindfold on and put your hands in a bucket of ice water before practicing.

[Ishmael]

I want to know how Ned made out. Did you use tank tracks fishtailing and backing your way up a mountain with a team of dogs and a sherpa? Or did you just go slow and use common sense? Or did you drive the truck over the side of a mountain and are currently frozen?
On a side note, I've got rain and no snow and am a little pissed I can get out the sled.

[rwhite_692]

Ned you made it home, right? LOL don't make me call.

I could have lent you a set of cables.