Snow chains?

[Billy Kingsley]

I was not able to get a photo but as I headed out to the dentist this afternoon I saw a postal employee putting chains on the mail delivery trucks' tires. I don't recall seeing this before. I know chains were in use in the 60s but I thought that they were out of use.

 

Is this a widespread practice that I just didn't notice before or something unusual? 

 

They are predicting 8 inches of snow and a mix with ice for today here in the Hudson Valley NY. It's already started actually. 

[Hudsy Wudsy]

From Google: What is the motto of USPS?

 

 

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.

[John_S_in_Penna]

Chains are used, then and now, when needed for

traction.  I've heard of some cases in the Western U. S.

when chains are even required on highways during

large snowfalls.

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

7 minutes ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

Chains are used, then and now, when needed for

traction.  I've heard of some cases in the Western U. S.

when chains are even required on highways during

large snowfalls.

Goodness yes. Frequently trucks , and perhaps cars, are REQUIRED to chain up in mountainous areas.  Mandatory for trucks to CARRY them during certain winter months. And do not get caught without them! Before 4wd I could go anywhere with chains on a 2wd car or pickup after adding a couple hundred pounds of ballast. 

 

  Ben

[hook]

On trucks, light and heavy, they're very useful. However, with the close body and wheel openings cars have today, it's self defeating to use them without ripping up your fenders. Now they even make snow chains (actually cables) for radial tires.

[hook]

Cables

[TAKerry]

We had a set in the garage when I was a kid for the car. I had a hot rodded pick up as my first vehicle and the street tires were no match for snow, so I put studded snow tires on for the winter months. Most recently I had chain sets for my skid loaders when we plowed snow with them. They do make a big difference but I agree for most modern cars not worth it. May even be illegal in some places along with studded tires. I was travelling in CA a few years ago and when approaching the snow line of the mountains there were signs noting that tire chains were mandatory for trucks.

[TTR]

Since my year round, weekly/bi-weekly leisure drives in my PB Roadster commonly include high elevation, mountain routes*, I carry chains as they are often required during winter months.

 

Having had grown up in society where severe winters and snow levels are/were common and all able bodied/mind young men are required (= MANDATED 😉) to receive at least a year’s worth of basic defense/military training, etc I’m well acquainted with use of chains, as some of my/our aforementioned “training” involved operating various types of motor vehicles in the deep snow and/or locations with no roads.

 

*Here’s a view of one of the local mountains where one of my favorite leisure drive routes (Angeles Crest Highway) is located.

Picture taken 10-15 minutes ago. 
 

 

Edited February 25, 2022 by TTR (see edit history)

[60FlatTop]

1 hour ago, Ben Bruce aka First Born said:

Before 4wd I could go anywhere with chains on a 2wd car or pickup after adding a couple hundred pounds of ballast. 

 

 Before 4WD a large series Buick and a set of Firestone Town & Countries would get me across the country roads to the city line where I would wait to get to work while they finished plowing the city streets.

 

A Buick or:

 

[mrspeedyt]

if you live in the west and drive in the higher elevations chains might be the difference of getting somewhere or staying put. 

 

i’ve chained up a few times in the mountains north and east of los angeles. even can happen just east of san diego and north and northeast of sacramento.

 

chaining up ain’t fun. rather be drinking hot cocoa.

Edited February 25, 2022 by mrspeedyt (see edit history)

[Bhigdog]

I chain up my 4X4 tractor every fall and leave them on till spring. Glad it's only once a year, the rears weigh near 200# each. Couldn't plow without them. Got about an inch of icy slush/freezing rain this AM. Out the door to clear it from 800' of driveway before it freezes solid. I've pretty much had the shits of this winter. .....Bob

Edited February 25, 2022 by Bhigdog (see edit history)

[The 55er]

Here in PA many of the cars I bought over the years from the 50s & 60s had sets of the old blue & orange boxed Campbell tire chains in the trunk. 

[intimeold]

We live in snow country.  Yes snow chains are used; might I say by the smart people.

 

Go to youtube and type in, Car Crashes on snow or ice.  If those people had used chains; they wouldn't be on youtube. But be careful on hard pavement, will talk later on that. 

 

We all know that speed is a contributing factor in snow and ice conditions; one thing that snow chains force you to do, is slow down.  If you have ever ridden in a car with snow chains, you will know why.

 

Studded tires came out later, in automotive history; and studs work pretty darn god on ice.  Not too much benefit in deep snow, though.

 

Radial snow tires were a big step forward.  I even have them on a Subaru; AWD with radial snow tires; I don't get that call from my wife "I slid off the road". Nice

 

And I use radial winter snow tires on my other work vehicles after November 1st to April 1st.

 

But the conversation is about chains:  On our farm we have AWD and 4WD tractors now; but still have a set of chains made-up, just in case.  But I personally haven't used chains on anything except garden tractor sized vehicles, for a long time; but I have them. Thank God.

 

You put a set of chains on something; and you will find your traction in soft dirt, mud, or deep snow. Bear in mind I said, soft dirt, mud, deep snow!  Never use chains on hard clean pavement; the chains defeat the contact patch of rubber your tires provide.  

 

Chains still have a place in extreme conditions.

 

BUT, and this is a big But, People won't change their own flat tires today; what makes you think they would ever put chains on in a blizzard!

 

intimeold

Edited February 25, 2022 by intimeold (see edit history)

[intimeold]

16 minutes ago, The 55er said:

Here in PA many of the cars I bought over the years from the 50s & 60s had sets of the old blue & orange boxed Campbell tire chains in the trunk. 

Exactly, This Morning would be a perfect example. Township road not plowed yet, Got about 1 1/2" to 2" of sleet on everything overnight. I the old days without  AWD and radial snow tires; you wouldn't be going anywhere on these back roads, without chains. In the mountains of PA

[Guest]

 I bought a F7000 ford and the first thing I did was put 5 tons of rock in the dump body and a new set of tire chains @ $500. 

 With a 13 ' plow, nothing stops it.

[28 Chrysler]

Chains are required on many of the passes during the ice and snow storms here in Nevada. In many places there is one highway patrol for every 300 square miles.

[ply33]

3 hours ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

Chains are used, then and now, when needed for

traction.  I've heard of some cases in the Western U. S.

when chains are even required on highways during

large snowfalls.

California has chain control laws that have several levels of restrictions. https://dot.ca.gov/travel/winter-driving-tips/chain-controls 

 

When they are serious about it, they have law enforcement officers at control points and you will not get past those points without being in compliance. Given the 99% of Californians have no clue about how to drive in the snow this is not necessarily a bad thing though it can annoy me when I get caught in it. Fortunately my volunteer job in the mountains requires such an early start that I usually breeze through the control points before law enforcement shows up in the morning.

 

2 hours ago, hook said:

On trucks, light and heavy, they're very useful. However, with the close body and wheel openings cars have today, it's self defeating to use them without ripping up your fenders. Now they even make snow chains (actually cables) for radial tires.

My 2004 Prius has insufficient clearance for conventional chains so I used cables. The 2017 Prius Prime had enough clearance for conventional chains. But my brand new Ioniq 5 AWD has insufficient clearance for even cables. Fortunately, California considers snow socks to be an acceptable traction device and I can use those on the new car.

[JACK M]

I have never seen those snow socks before. Having scared a few fenders with cables and chains these might be my next move.

 

I was driving thru a blizzard in Northern CA (395, might have been in Nevada by this time) several years ago and came upon a mandatory chain up area.

I didn't have any so locked in the hubs and put it in 4wd.

A few hundred feet up was a stop sign and a cop stepped up and wiped off my headlights and asked if I was all locked in 4wd. I was and he waved me on.

There was a Ford Aerostar just getting under way at the same time and the guy hailed me on the CB.

We chatted thru what turned out to be pretty close to a complete white out and I was having trouble seeing the road a few times.

I heard the guy in the Aerostar say somthing like "oops, Damn" Then I never hears from him again.

No way was I going to turn back and there was at least some (not much) traffic, I hope he came out OK.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 25, 2022 by JACK M (see edit history)

[Graham Man]

Dirt roads turn to grease in the rain, tire chains prevented sliding off the road

 

and snow

 

[1937hd45]

Great traction on hillclimbs too!

[GARY F]

Before studded snow tires in the 50s and early 60s I used chains in the snow.

[john hess]

still use them here in se PA..... all of our trucks have them for farm feed deliveries...... only takes me about 8 minutes to put a set on ..... 

[3macboys]

13 hours ago, Billy Kingsley said:

I was not able to get a photo but as I headed out to the dentist this afternoon I saw a postal employee putting chains on the mail delivery trucks' tires. I don't recall seeing this before. I know chains were in use in the 60s but I thought that they were out of use.

 

Is this a widespread practice that I just didn't notice before or something unusual? 

 

They are predicting 8 inches of snow and a mix with ice for today here in the Hudson Valley NY. It's already started actually. 

Billy,

 

I'm not sure that you will be able to watch the full shows but this series will show you what happens when the heavy trucks don't chain up in the mountains of British Columbia:

 

https://www.ctv.ca/shows/highway-thru-hell

 

They have a second series called Heavy Rescue 401 that is filmed along the 400 series highways of Ontario - if you can ignore the imposed stories of all "reality" TV, all these tow operators are pretty impressive with their skills but that's a whole other topic.

 

Don

[dictator27]

Truckers referr to the 6 kilometre long 8% upgrade from the Great Bear snowshed to the Zopkios brake check area on the Coquihalla highway as "the smasher".  With good reason.

[GARY F]

I watch it  a couple times a week.

[Graham Man]

Common sight in the mountains in Western US

 

[Trulyvintage]

I am required to carry chains during certain times of the year and have to show proof at times when I stop at weigh & inspection

stations.

 

If driving conditions require chain use …

I am not driving …

 

This is my 16th year transporting.

 

Jim

 

[Billy Kingsley]

Thanks for the comments. I didn't realize it was still so prevalent. I am surprised I didn't notice it in the past since I love to watch the snow and watch cars driving in the snow. 

 

My dad was a USPS employee for the last 20+ years of his life, making the trucks go. I'm surprised he didn't mention it. 

 

How late in the year is it required out west? I've never been further than Joliet Illinois, yet...but that will be changing this year. 

[dictator27]

Big rigs must carry chains from October 1st to April 30th in BC.

[Vintageben]

We need chains here at the moment but we need them for mud not snow. Actually maybe we would be better of with floaties. I do have a couple of sets of chains for my 27 Chev 4

[hidden_hunter]

Much more common here that snow tyres, mostly because we don't get much snow and if it was bad you would just wait it out and be fine with a normal 4wd

[playswithbrass]

Residential area in Harrisburg PA has a snow chains required notice, as in 10 miles from Hershey

[Guest]

 I live in western Ma. and I used to recondition used trucks. Just about every truck had chains under the seat, now it is very rare to see them in trucks except cross country trucks.

[JACK M]

Goes by elevation.

One may need to chain up to get over a pass.

This might be a few or many miles chained up.

I have had to chain and remove several times a day in the mountains of Oregon when I was younger and an avid skier.

Never ever leave them on unless there is snow. Dry (wet) pavement kills the chains (or cables). They are just for snow.

Rarely do we need chains in the valleys.