Yeah, one of the funny things was I had to drive later in that trip in snow again. This time, I saw the sign, instead of just being relayed the info from my (stoned) buddy, and it actually said something like "Snow Tires Or Chains Only Past This Point." I was like, well fuck, I have M+S tires. Good enough! And I just took it easy. I was better off.
I am pretty sure in BC you can have M+S on most highways, some highways you have to have the snowflake, but my winters always have the snow flake.
@bewildered But on the topic of tire chains/cables. It has been a decade since i sold them, but i am sure nothing has changed. Cables are OK, if you have clearance issues they are the tightest to the car put they give you the worst traction out of all the options. Chains, have a bunch of different options in how knobby you want them. The picture below from Nett is a standard chain This one from Nett is the V-bar pattern. which is one of the more aggressive ones. If you look in the pic above you can see the blue bungie spider to hold the chains tight, you can also get a quick cam that is part of the tire chain assembly to tighten it up so you don't need the bungie spider. Personally unless you really need the clearance don't get the cables. I don't know if you need the super aggressive of the V-bar, but the minimum i would get is the regular tire chain in the middle pic.
Here in London, cables are the only ones allowed on the road as they think it does less damage to the pavement. Chains are prohibited unless you're a piece of farm equipment or an authorized city vehicle (like a snow plow or sander). So you may want to dig into your local regulations around chains.
I've never put chains, will never need to put chains on and generally avoid the cold/snow at all costs but why is it so difficult to put them on? In my mind, you'd lay the chains out straight in front of the tire, pull forward until you're in the middle of the chain, lift each end up and connect at the top.
Because usually people don't do it until they need it, and it's cold and shitty out and everything is frozen or you're missing parts.
Putting on chains is much like anything else. If you do it constantly, you get good. If you do it once a year, you have to relearn every time you do it. I am with GTE, I just make sure I am never in the position to have to put them on.
Wanted to get the Wifey's Jeep some floor mats but didn't want the rubbery look of the WeatherTechs that I have in my truck. The Savagegeese guys have been pitching TuxMat so I decided to give them a shot and I was pleasantly surprised. It actually covers more area than the WeatherTechs and are still completely water/mud proof but look "classier" IMO
Thanks for the help guys. I did buy actual chains. Just what I could find at Walmart, but I wanted some peace of mind. I still need to practice installing them. I drove for work again Friday. The neighborhood was snowed in but my vehicle was able to handle it -toyota Highlander. The roads were mostly clear and ODOT had the big plows going to keep the interstate clear. If I needed chains, it was going to be in the neighborhood. The dry snow has become dirty and thick and it's like driving in beach sand. After a couple days experience driving in winter conditions, witnessing what can happen, and reading what y'all said, I felt way more confident and capable. The key like Nett said is to go far slower than you think needed (and watching for the fools who aren't). Going down that area with the hills, I planted myself with a healthy bubble behind a semi going 30-35mph. Beforehand I was thinking I was going to travel about 45. But I figured - that semi knows what's up, and 30-35 is slower than I think I need to go, so that's probably the right pace. So, I traveled safely with no surprises. I passed 5 piles of chains on my way home, coming back up the hill. Not sure what that's all about but clearly, it is chain season.
Depending on which model and which year, this is a decent vehicle in snow . . . I can vouch. Some are even all-wheel drive, they all have advanced traction control, and if you have the V6, decent power. I think those all have 17" tires, too, with decent width.
Believe it or not, wide tires are a detriment in snow. You want thin tires that can get down through the snow and get grip, not float on top.
Also, unlike in sand where you want lower tire pressure, in deep snow it's sometimes better to increase pressure.
It's actually a fantastic vehicle in these snowy conditions. It's AWD, V6 and 18" tires. When I'm pushing through snow I turn off the TRAC setting. I also have a snow setting that I can absolutely feel working as I go through tough spots. We spent a LOT of time reading about safe vehicles and finding the best deal possible and it has paid off over and over. I love that SUV.
Yup. I went to buy my beater truck, i asked if it had snow tires on it, as i was driving home in winter. He said yes. I get there and they are like 325's. That was the worst drive i have ever done in the winter.
90% of being successful in the snow is just slowing the fuck down, adjusting braking points to be much further away from where you want to stop, and keeping your head on a swivel to keep away from morons that continue to drive like it's a hot summer day. That, and momentum. I tend not to stop at many stop signs in bad conditions... slow down and roll through it, depending on the situation. Also, understanding that if you're sliding, letting off on the brakes will allow the wheels to turn, which will help give you back some steering... a locked up wheel just slides in the direction you're going in.