How to Put Snow Chains on Your Tires

If yous've purchased snow chains and don't know how to put them on your car (or you're just curious) don't worry! Here'due south how you do it.

Fourth dimension

An hr or less

Complexity

Beginner

Cost

Free

Introduction

If yous live in an area where driving through lots of snowfall is the norm, y'all should definitely own a set of tire chains. Although some details will vary depending on the type of chains you're installing, these basic steps apply to nearly all rider vehicle snow chains.

Tools Required

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What Are Snowfall Chains?

In many areas beyond the country, winter atmospheric condition turns roads icy and treacherous for long stretches of the yr. You tin get special snowfall tires that will assist your vehicle handle better in the snow, only even those are sometimes non enough to become through the heaviest of winter storms. One of the best and most proven ways to give your automobile more traction in the snow is by throwing snowfall chains on your tires. Wrapping a snow chain around a tire allows it to bite deeper into the snowfall and water ice, preventing your wheels from spinning out as easily. They'll make your automobile a flake clunkier to drive and limit your speed, but that'south an piece of cake trade-off when you're dealing with slick roads. Hither's how to put snow chains on your tires.

Projection footstep-by-step (6)

Footstep i

Park in a Business firm, Flat Area

  • Find a flat, firm spot to pull over once you determine snow chains are needed.
  • Be sure to choose a spot as far from traffic equally possible.
    • Note: If y'all can't find a spot where the snow'due south been cleared, do your best to clear it from around the tires yous'll exist working on.

Park in a firm, flat area

Footstep 2

Unpack and Roll Out Your Chains

  • Remove chains from their storage bag or box, then carefully scroll them out on the ground beside each tire you'll exist working on.
    • Pro Tip: If your vehicle is rear-wheel drive, your chains must get on the rear wheels. For front-cycle drive, your chains should go on the front wheels, and all four tires should be chained for all-cycle drive.
  • Fine-melody the position of your bondage, so they lay directly, have no twists and extend equally in front of and behind your tires.

Unpack and roll out your chains

Step iii

Pall Chains Over the Tires

  • Drape your tire chains one at a time over the tops of your tires, making sure whatever pointy hooks are pointing up and abroad from the rubber.
    • Annotation: Make certain the chains are hanging evenly over the tires, with the same amount of backlog chain draped over the treads and sidewalls.

Drape chains over the tires

Footstep 4

Make the Start Chain Connection

  • Achieve under the vehicle to the within confront of your tires, and connect one end of each chain with the other using whatsoever fastening mechanism your chains use.
  • Pull almost of the slack from the chains to tighten this connection, making sure to leave a little slack then yous'll be able to make the second connexion.

Make the first chain connection

Footstep 5

Make the Second Connection

  • Come up around to the outside of each tire, and connect the other side of the chain with itself, but equally you lot did under the vehicle.
  • Re-audit each chain when all four connections are made, ensuring they're wrapped evenly over the tires, with the same amount of concatenation hanging over both the inner and outer tire sidewalls.
  • Pull all the slack yous can out of both sides of each chain, tightening the connections as much as possible. If your chains come with a tensioner, hook it on now.

Make the second connection

Step half-dozen

Drive Forward, And then Exercise a Concluding Tightening

  • Drive your vehicle one car length forwards once both bondage (or all 4, if you're working on a 4-wheel drive vehicle) are installed.
  • Park your vehicle, then exit and inspect the chains. Chances are they'll have slackened up with the movement of your vehicle. Pull them tight, removing any slack that has occurred.
  • With your bondage installed, keep your speed low. Park somewhere safe and remove your bondage every bit soon as you're back on dry out pavement.

Drive forward, then do a final tightening