Snow/mud chains

[Garfield]

Hi,

So far we have been fortunate enough to never get stuck in the mud with our front wheel drive car but as we drive to Andorra skiing each year we have snowchains which we carry when we go away with the van with the hope that they will work on mud.

Our Ford dealer failed to mention when we were buying our car that snowchains cannot be fitted to our S-max due (probably) to the lack of clearance between the tyre and the suspension strut so we bought some of the new fabric snow socks but having looked closer I think some of the small link snowchains may fit ok.

Has anyone actually used snowchains or snowsocks to get out of mud?, how well did they work?.

 

[Tankie]

In the past, while on rally fields, if I considered I may get stuck while trying to tow the van off the field. I have always drove the car to firm ground first. Then used the motor mover to bring the van to the car, always moving it with the jockey wheel trailing to avoid it "digging in" which is what tends to happen if the jockey wheel is being "pushed". this method has always succeeded, so far, much to the disappointment of the "Rally Marshal" who is always standing by with his big 4x4, to assist those who realise they dont realy need a big car!! And I'm not trying to start another "I need a 4x4 to pull my van" debate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HONEST! I like my rally marshal even though I have nicknamed him "Swampy"

Tankie

 

[Tankie]

By the way Garfield, what are "snow socks" maybe I've been off the trucks to long! I've never heard of them, even after 15 years of running to Italy, Austria & Switerland, in winter, I only ever had snow-chains, to comply with the law in those countries. Even then I never used them, prefering to wait for the snow clearance gangs to sort the roads out!!!!!!!!

 

[JasonR_374341560]

Re Snowchains and "Snowsocks" try http://www.roofbox.co.uk/autosock/

Roofbox co link to snow chains shows different types on offer and the "Autosock"

Roofbox.co.uk is a good reference point for a number of handy gadgets for caravanners, well worth a look for dog owners as well.

I've always been told that snow chains on front wheel drive have limited success. X Drive myself, so no woories.

 

[lessirrocc]

Three weeks ago we hired two vehicles in France for a ski trip one was a s max the hire company also supplied the snow chains that we fitted to the s max with no problem .I can not remember the make but looked just a smaller fit than the ones that we fitted to the van.

 

[RogerL]

Although cars are sold in the UK with summer tyres, which are used all year round, many parts of the continent alternate between summer and winter tyres. The winter tyre specified for many vehicles is often narrower than the specified summer tyre.

Look in the owners manual, they usually state which size tyres can use snowchains.

 

[freddy2]

Modern winter tyres are now so good that you can leave them on all year. They offer slightly less grip in the dry but with normal driving, you will never notice. In torrential summer rain they are excellent, and offer so much grip. In icy winter conditions you dont need to worry. I now use them all year round.

 

[ChrisUK]

Reference S max UK no chains / europe yes chains; I found on my Mazda 6 I could not fit chains because of clearance, but in Europe apparently they fit a slightly smaller tyre size which will permit chains. I am convinced by the argument that winter softer rubber tyres are good idea - but can not afford them!

 

[Garfield]

Just returned from Andorra where, unfortunately we had no snow to contend with, just asay enough on the slopes but none on the roads but I managed to pick up a set of new chains for 13 euros ( less than

 

[Lutz]

Quite a lot of Continental cars also have fat tyres with minimal clearance to the wheelarches so that they cannot be fitted with snow chains, but as chains are required only on a very few selected roads which have been specially signposted to that effect, that is hardly a big disadvantage for the vast majority of owners.