Take me to school on snow chains

[Riff Raff]

You might also try out Auto Socks. I have still never seen them in use, but I've heard good things about them. They seem kind of expensive to me...

x2. I have no experience with the AutoSocks either; but on a traditional passenger-type car, I believe the AutoSocks might be quite effective. Obvisously, they're extremely lightweight and they appear to be very easy to install.

I would much rather give AutoSocks a try before hassleling with bulky heavy PITA chains. Plus; if a cross-link breaks on traditional chains, the resulting slinging chain will beat the ba-Jesus out of your exterior fenderwell causing expensive body damage.

The AutoSocks warrant serious consideration as a chain alternative and are easy to stow anywhere in a passenger-type car (even under the seat). Just my .02

[circmand]

a couple 25 pound bags of sand will give you weight over the wheel wells. You can pour them out on the ground in front and behind tires for traction if you get stuck and use in the sand box for your kid if you do not end up needing them for traction.

[vt_maverick]

a couple 25 pound bags of sand will give you weight over the wheel wells. You can pour them out on the ground in front and behind tires for traction if you get stuck and use in the sand box for your kid if you do not end up needing them for traction.

Lol, okay okay, I get the picture. Thanks for the feedback guys, I'll save the money and invest it in a fiberglass skid plate to protect my front bumper.

[vt_maverick]

Thanks for the legal heads up Orion, I hadn't even thought of that. Good to have someone from up that way to weigh in.

Just wanted to pass this along, I found it on one of the snow boot websites:

Wis. Stat. § 347.45 (2003) 347.45. Tire equipment. (1) All automobiles, motor trucks, motor buses, truck tractors, trailers, semitrailers and mobile homes when operated upon a highway shall be completely equipped with tires inflated with compressed air and all other motor vehicles when operated on a highway shall be equipped with tires of rubber or of some material or construction of equal resiliency. No person may operate on a highway any motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer or mobile home having any metal tire in contact with the roadway, except that tire chains of reasonable proportions may be used when required for safety because of snow, ice or other conditions tending to cause a vehicle to skid, and except as provided in sub. (2)(c)(2) No person shall operate on a highway any vehicle, including farm tractors, self-propelled farm implements, implements of husbandry, animal drawn vehicles and road machinery, if such vehicle has on the periphery of any of its tires any block, stud, flange, cleat, spike or other protuberance of any material other that rubber which projects beyond the tread of the traction surface of the tire, except that: (b) Tire chains of reasonable proportions may be used on any vehicle when required for safety because of snow, ice, or other conditions tending to cause a vehicle to skid. (c) A pneumatic tire may have embedded in it wire or wire coils for improving traction on ice and snow, but such tire shall be so constructed that the per cent of wire or wire coils in contact with the roadway does not exceed, after the first 1,000 miles of use or operation, 5% of the total tire area in contact with the roadway. During the first 1,000 miles of use or operation of any such tire the wire or wire coils in contact with the roadway shall not exceed 20% of the total tire area in contact with the roadway. Tires equipped with tungsten carbide studs shall be limited in usage and design as follows: 1. The department shall, by rule, designate the times of year during which any type of tire described in this paragraph may be used. 2. Such tires may be used only on authorized emergency vehicles, school buses, vehicles used to deliver mail and automobiles with out-of-state registrations and then only if such automobile is in the course of passing through this state for a period of not more than 30 days. 3. Such studs shall not project more than one-eighth inch beyond the tread surface of the tire or recutting is an acceptable and safe practice, nor does this subsection apply to regrooving or recutting done in a tire recapping process.

So I guess it depends upon whether the cop thinks the conditions warrant your use of chains.

[vt_maverick]

You might also try out Auto Socks. I have still never seen them in use, but I've heard good things about them. They seem kind of expensive to me...

Thought I'd pass along this link for what appears to be an upgraded version of an AutoSock (in addition to cloth, it also has rubber traction pads with embedded steel spikes to further increase ice traction). Looks like they run about $25 more than the Auto Sock ($125 total).

http://www.snobootz.com/howitworks.php

Edit: Looks like only a couple of sizes are $125... the correct size for the Ax would be $310!

[pbkid]

a couple 25 pound bags of sand will give you weight over the wheel wells. You can pour them out on the ground in front and behind tires for traction if you get stuck and use in the sand box for your kid if you do not end up needing them for traction.

vt- i consider myself pretty well versed in snow driving as i drive through the colorado snowy mountains on a regular basis... your axiom will do JUST FINE in the snow (former member morgan-tec had an axiom that would leave my VX sitting still in the mountains)

if you have AT tires you wont have any problems as others have stated.
however, ill agree with circ that you should pick up some sandbags to throw in the trunk, they are going to increase your traction, and also if you do get stuck you can use them to help you get out (as circ stated). and they are fairly inexpensive
thats my opinion.

[vt_maverick]

ill agree with circ that you should pick up some sandbags to throw in the trunk, they are going to increase your traction, and also if you do get stuck you can use them to help you get out (as circ stated). and they are fairly inexpensive
thats my opinion.

Especially when you live on a beach.

[Solitude]

In My personal opinion.. Chains are for getting yourself out of a problem and to the nearest shelter. That's it.. if they can't keep the road passable there is nothing so important in the world that you need to drive on a road you wouldn't slip and fall on if you are walking.. Good luck and good weather.

Jeff

[circmand]

In My personal opinion.. Chains are for getting yourself out of a problem and to the nearest shelter. That's it.. if they can't keep the road passable there is nothing so important in the world that you need to drive on a road you wouldn't slip and fall on if you are walking.. Good luck and good weather.

Jeff

Yes I think a good donut sale would be worth it.