Important Tips on How to Put on Tire Chains for Motorists

Many people face the problem of driving through snowy, icy or steep mountains simply because they have no tire chains. The tire chains are important when it comes to making sure you have the right performance of the vehicle on certain terrain. It is the reason you have to learn how to put on tire chains. It is often a simple process when it comes to how to install tire chains. Do it right and you should have an easier time driving around different terrains.

Read also:  best snow chains

How to put on tire chains

As much you might not know how to make tire chains, putting them on the tires is important. You need to follow the correct steps as given by the manufacturer to make sure you have the chains correctly installed. Below are the steps to follow.

Steps how to put on tire chains

Start by laying the tire chains flat and removing any twists and tangles in the chain. You need to arrange the chains in a way that the side with the sharp hooks faces down and also away from the tire.

Make sure to check the open hooks. If they are facing the tire, you might end up puncturing the tire unexpectedly.

On one end of the tire chains, you need to identify the C hook and a bow lever. They will come in important when fastening the chain around the tires.

After laying the chains in position, you can drive over them so that you have the C hook on one side and the bow lever on the other side. You need to leave about a foot of chain not under the tire.

Hook the C hook through the chain link and also do the same for the bow lever. Pull back the bow lever to tighten the chains so that driving around in chains is easier.

Dry run

The dry run process is the same as testing the chains before actually using them in the stated terrain. Testing of the chains is important to know how they would affect the handling, braking or any other options.

Before you get to a snowy or mountainous area, pull up and put on the chains. Test them around for a short distance to determine the feel on the road. The chains are often put on the driving wheels, so make sure that you do that.

Mountain driving

With the right set of tire chains, then mountain driving is now possible. You can easily get through the different difficult obstacles, especially if the terrain is slippery. The chains give you the enough grip to keep going even if the car tends to slip once in a while. The testing was important to see if the tire chains would handle the terrain, and if the test was thorough, you should have no problem at all.

As much as you have the tire chains, you also need to dress for mountain driving. It is not always that you will end up driving over the mountain with no trouble. If you get stuck, you have to come out and try to get the car out.

How to put on snow chains

The snow chains are important to give the car the needed traction to keep it moving over snow covered roads.You need to learn the basics of how to put on snow chains and keep the car going. Below are some steps you might want to keep in your mind.

Steps

Just like before, you start by laying the chain out and removing any kinds of kinks or twists from it. This is important to identify the condition of the chains and it is all good to go.

You need now to fix the chains over the top of the tire. The chains would end up having about three quarters of the tire leaving the bottom part.

You now need to drive slightly forward to get the remaining a quarter of the tire chain onto the tire. Do not go fast, just at a slow speed while watching should get the chain on the tire completely.

You can now connect the two sides of the chain together using the hooks provided or any fastening method depending on the manufacturer of the chains.

Double check the connection between the chains to make sure it is all tight. You do not want to drive around with chains that are moving all over.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

1. The first thing you have to do is understand how many tires need to have the snow chains. Ideally you are supposed to install on all the four tires, but you can also just install on the driving wheels of the car.

2. Make sure to get the right size of the snow chain. You need to know how large your tires are before buying the tire chains. Whenever you are shopping for the tire chains, keep in mind the size of your tires for the best fit.

3. Forgetting to test the chains first. You need to make sure that you test the chains even on a good road to feel its effect on handling, braking, and other scenarios.

4. You need to give yourself enough time to get the chains on the tires. One mistake of putting on the tires could cost you the trip.

5. Forgetting to remove snow chains when it is clear. Some people tend to forget to remove the chains once they have reached a clear road. The chains would end up beating the tires and also the road surface too.

Questions and answers about how to put on tire chains

1. Q1: The road is slippery, how do I move the car forward?

    A1: You simply have to lay the tire chains in front of the drive wheels and drive on the chains for more traction

2. Q2: How many tire chains do I need?

    A2: You can use four tire chains for each wheel or two they have to be used on the drive wheels

As you can see, the process of how to put on tire chains is quite simple, and you can do it. Whenever you are not sure, always refer to the manufacturer guide to help with the installation process. You should now have an easy time driving over snowy terrains with ease once the tire chains are installed.