TIRE CHAINS 101

There’s something so magical about the snow. A fresh white blanket just really sets the tone for the holidays, doesn’t it? Well now that the holidays are over many of us are realizing just how many days, weeks, and months we will be dealing with the white frozen stuff. It means shoveling and salting our driveways, warming up our cars, leaving early to compensate for the slow driving and poor visibility, scraping snow and ice off our windows, and maybe even a scary black ice incident or two.

If you’re concerned about the months ahead, there are a few different things you can do to keep your car running safe and smooth.

One of the best options for your car during snowy and icy winter months are to invest in tire chains. This is especially true if you live in a very cold, very snowy, very winding or hilly area. Tire chains are actually required in some parts of the country - such as steep and winding canyons.

Why Tire Chains?

One of the biggest appeals of tire chains is that they are non-permanent. If you live in an area where it rarely snows, or you’re visiting an areas with snow but don’t generally drive in snow, tire chains can be an economic choice to have on hand in case of storms. Tire chains are relatively easy to install and incredibly effective, even in deep or icy snow.

Types of Tire Chains

There are two basic types of tire chains - drive onto or wrap around. Drive onto chains are much easier to install, but you can’t put those on your tires while currently in the snow. The problem here is that many people don’t put chains on their cars until the snow has become severe. If that’s the case, wrap around chains are a better option. Most tire chains are between $40-60 and are available at all auto shops.

How To

Depending on the type of chain you will need to very carefully read the instructions. Consider watching a YouTube video, too. It is recommended that you practice putting your tire chains on in good weather before you actually need it so you can learn the ins and outs of your tire chains. The other critical part of using tire chains is to stay on the slow side when in use. If you go too fast you will break the chains, which can damage your tires and whip around to scratch up your car’s exterior. If you’re not willing to invest in snow tires, or you want to keep your fuel efficient sedan despite the random snows of winter you can increase your car’s snow performance with the economic addition of tire chains.