Chaining up for icy roads

[jdcaples]

I did a search, but didn't find this topic covered well enough for my needs.

I've never had to drive my CJ on icy roads (about an inch of ice). Seattle doesn't plow residential streets and only recently started using salt with plows on arterial routes.

We have quite a few streets here with over a 15% grade. Some are 22% and while plowed are often still wet, icy and treacherous. Most are inclines on streets are 2% - 5% grades.

That means for a few days in every few winters, most streets are impassible without chains sometimes days, upwards of a week.

Life doesn't stop though. Dr. appointments, groceries and other errands must be ran.

So, the next time the city's paralyzed with ice and chains are the only way to get around, what advice can you give me?

My question: for those rare occasions, should I chain up the front tires, lock the hubs and 4 wheel it around town? Or should I chain up all four wheels to travel on an inch or two of ice? On rear wheel drive cars, I chain up all four tires.

I'll need to avoid idiots that think AWD means they can drive on ince with impunity. All season tires don't work on icy inclines and recent transplants often slam into parked cars trying to stop, puzzled why their prairie/Midwest snow driving skills don't apply here.

-Jon

 

[Posi]

If it were me I'd go chains on all 4 tires and put the tcase in 4H.
If you put the chains only on the rear you'll have good acceleration and lousy steering
If you put the chains only on the front you'll have good steering and lousy acceleration.

 

[jdcaples]

I didn't think about acceleration. I've always been able to avoid collisions by driving slowly and if I notice someone's descending a hill sideways, or sliding backwards toward me. I just stop or go backwards until they're no longer a threat. I've never had to accelerate away from someone headed for me and not in control, but I can see how that's an obvious advantage.

Youtube has a few videos on Seattle drivers in the snow.

Most of them are geared toward derogatory remarks, but really, hills are a game changer and not everyone in the videos is as stupid as the filmers depict. A lot of them don't mention there's a sheet of ice under the snow.

I know one street that feeds an arterial by descending a 10 or 12% grade. W/O traction devices, SUVs just slide through the red light, sometimes sideways.

2008 really sucked. 2012 was a little better because salt started being used, but Seattle only has about 0.4 snow plows per square mile, unlike Chicago's metro area with over 2 plows per square mile.

'preciate it, Posi!

-Jon

 

[Posi]

Accelerating from a dead spot, accelerating up a hill, anything that would get you moving forward on ice and snow were my thoughts.

Be safe out there Jon! We had over 110" of snow last year so we get our fair share as well.

 

[GatorBate]

I agree, chaining up all four is best. I would not chain up the front end only. I've seen a few front axles destroyed that way. If you are only going to do one axle make it the rear.

 

[jzak]

I remember we had that record snow fall in Seattle a few years back. I drove just a few blocks from Eastlake Ave downhill to my house in Fairview, in 4H. Totally lost control of my CJ5 , spinning around in circles until i was lucky enough to slam into a snow bank with no injuries or damage. I learned my lesson after that. 4WD doesn't really mean that much when you driving downhill on solid ice.

It maybe years before you'll use it again, but getting chains is a good preventative measure.

 

[Woolyworm]

Why not just get a set of studded snow tires?


Wooly

 

[mtnwhlr]

^^^^ this is what people do around here.

 

[jdcaples]

Why not just get a set of studded snow tires?


Wooly

I'm living off savings until I'm ready to rejoin the rat race.

Traction devices are only necessary for a few days a year.

Even in the worst of our winters, we have maybe 21 days - two to four days at a time - all snow season. That jjust doesn't justify the cost and the storage space. 21 days would be extreme. So far we've had no snow stick on the streets at all for 2016. Forecasts say no snow in the foreseeable future and chains are cheap right now.


-Jon

 

[jdcaples]

I remember we had that record snow fall in Seattle a few years back. I drove just a few blocks from Eastlake Ave downhill to my house in Fairview, in 4H. Totally lost control of my CJ5 , spinning around in circles until i was lucky enough to slam into a snow bank with no injuries or damage. I learned my lesson after that. 4WD doesn't really mean that much when you driving downhill on solid ice.

It maybe years before you'll use it again, but getting chains is a good preventative measure.

I agree. Since you lived here, you know snow and ice doesn't last very long around here, but sometimes you can't let it stop you from getting where you need to go.

-Jon

 

[Lumpy Grits]

I was born and raised in Colorado. When it got bad outside we would chain all four wheels on 2WD & 4WD.
"V" wedge chains last the longest, and give the best 'bite'.
LG

 

[jdcaples]

I was born and raised in Colorado. When it got bad outside we would chain all four wheels on 2WD & 4WD.
"V" wedge chains last the longest, and give the best 'bite'.
LG

Thanks!

Cables or chain links?


-Jon

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Chain-They will last longer too.
Don't go the cheap here.
LG

 

[jdcaples]

Chain-They will last longer too.
Don't go the cheap here.
LG

Thanks. I wasn't going to cheap out on chains.

The mountains in the region got a lot of snow this year. All the skiers, snowboarders and mountain pass commuting chain buyers are done for the year.

There's a lot of inventory just sitting on the shelves and honestly, I don't think we'll get any ice on the streets of the city this season.

I plan to buy 'em once and use 'em just a few days a year for at least a decade. I'll hang 'em near the furnace in the basement so they stay dry and won't rust.

-Jon

 

[Woolyworm]

I'm living off savings until I'm ready to rejoin the rat race.



Traction devices are only necessary for a few days a year.



Even in the worst of our winters, we have maybe 21 days - two to four days at a time - all snow season. That jjust doesn't justify the cost and the storage space. 21 days would be extreme. So far we've had no snow stick on the streets at all for 2016. Forecasts say no snow in the foreseeable future and chains are cheap right now.





-Jon

10-4. Makes sense.


Wooly

 

[CJim7]

This thread reminds me of when I used to live in Tacoma. The one and only snowfall we had one year sent the entire city into a frenzied panic I think we got about a half an inch of the white stuff and people just couldn't figure out how to drive on it.

Me being from Montana, I didn't have an issue with it, but it was scary being around all the other inexperienced drivers on the road.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Jim-I know the EXACT feel'n you had about the stupid drivers you saw.
Have the same deal here with the 'stupid' I see.
LG