Of road chains

[Keith B]

I did a solo trip to the high country a few years ago with a camper trailer behind and, despite carrying a winch, recovery gear and lockers, I was worried about losing traction on steep hills if it got a bit damp. So I lashed out and bought some dedicated off road chains (not snow chains) for the rear wheels. I figured I'd put them on when and if needed, lock the rear diff and climb out of most things.
I have never needed them, but take a bit of comfort knowing that they are stashed in the recovery drawer. My gut feeling it that using them would do a lot less damage to the track.
I am wondering if anyone has had any experience with off road chains.
Keith

 

[callmejoe]

They'll dig holes.
Not sure but they maybe even illegal in place. There is different categories for ladder style and diamond style chain's.
Regardless the problem starts with when to put them on. There useless in the box, halfway up the hill and stuck.
Personnally if not in snow there dead weight. If your stuck and your winch, lockers, low pressures tyres still an't getting you to the top I'd be asking myself why try in the 1st place, (when towing).

Joe

 

[allanmac]

Totally agree with Joe.

 

[peterfermtech]

Away we go again. People with opinions rather than experience. Go to any of the tracks close to a bigger town and see what a mess rubber tyres make because they spin in the mud. That is the purpose of the open tread pattern - to throw the dirt out. If you are "halfway up a hill and stuck", take them out of "the box" and put them on. Chances are you will drive out and make less of a mess than what you made getting "halfway up the hill"
regards

 

[wedgetail]

They can give phenomenal traction, that’s why log trucks and skidders use them. Bit of a PITA to install but you’d only use them if you really needed to. I wouldn’t mind a set in 12.00R20 for my truck. I know of people using them in old falcon/kingswoods and they’ll further than some 4wds in the mud.

They do make a mess of tracks if you don’t need them though...

 

[callmejoe]

Away we go again. People with opinions rather than experience. Go to any of the tracks close to a bigger town and see what a mess rubber tyres make because they spin in the mud. That is the purpose of the open tread pattern - to throw the dirt out. If you are "halfway up a hill and stuck", take them out of "the box" and put them on. Chances are you will drive out and make less of a mess than what you made getting "halfway up the hill"
regards

Sorry I am taking from experience. And as reading question its more about up hill tracton, towing not a bog near town

And good luck putting a chain on while in a rut, on a hill with a heap of weight on the towball, again not opinion, but best of luck....If your stuck the winch can and mosty likely will cause less damage.

But yes ladder chains can increase your traction 10 fold..
Was offering real advice not a "opinion"

Again personally think it dead weight and better options available.

 

[peterfermtech]

They'll dig holes.
...................
Joe

Really? So your going to sit there and spin the wheels with chains on. Something is likely to break and it might not be the chains.

Sorry I am taking from experience. And as reading question its more about up hill tracton, towing not a bog near town

And good luck putting a chain on while in a rut, on a hill with a heap of weight on the towball, again not opinion, but best of luck....If your stuck the winch can and mosty likely will cause less damage.

But yes ladder chains can increase your traction 10 fold..
Was offering real advice not a "opinion"

Again personally think it dead weight and better options available.

Sorry thought the question was "I am wondering if anyone has had any experience with off road chains."
I've used chains a couple of times pulling my boat out up from steep muddy banks. Never had any trouble with the weight of the boat as it has no effect on how you put chains on correctly. Yes I know its not Hernes Spur in a torrential downpour but it is an example of not having anything to winch off.
Probably are better options available but not always available (or functioning) but not as cheap and shouldn't be discarded with simple throw away lines.
regards

 

[peterfermtech]

These are the chains I carry. Yes I use them in the snow but occasionally I put them on for steep slippery hills. I don't enjoy playing toboggans with my car. http://www.piranhaoffroad.com.au/product/recovery/snow-mud-chains-4wd
regards

 

[callmejoe]

What ever. Not sure what yr issue is.
Chains = traction
Traction = biting in
Biting in = DIGGING in.

You want to carry an extra 35kg plus of chains thats totally up to you.
Most recovery sets, packs, starter kits even advanced kits you don't see chains.( unless 4 snow)... I wonder why?

Chains if being used are primarily for preventive action. Eg b4 your bog. So as a "recovery" tool. Eg trying to put on while on a hill in a rut what ever becomes extremely difficult if not unsafe. 1 reason i rate them as dead weights.
Use your chains for all i care..

But sorry no throw away lines, or a lack of experience just a honest opinion.

Enjoy

 

[Keith B]

Here are the chains that I have:
Konig Rallye HD Snow Chains
They are also suitable for off road use and I think they are not in recovery kits because they are about $650 a pair. They weigh about as much as a slab of beer in a size to suit for my 285 33's, which themselves add 10kg to each corner. So the weight is not an issue.
The thing that I am told causes trailers to jack knife in very slippery conditions is oversteer. I am wondering if chains on the rear wheels in extreme conditions might help with that.
I suspect that with the rear diff locked and with judicious driving, chains would do less damage to the track than over inflated mud terrains with a leadfoot behind the wheel.
I remember seeing a video of Pat in the Hat sliding down a muddy hill totally out of control. I am sure he would have been glad of some chains. There is also a dim recollection of a 4WD Action video with a local on the Cape in an old FJ40 with chains on the rear wheels. It was unstoppable in the wet.
Thanks to those of you who have commented on the basis of experience. I'll keep my unused chains in the recovery gear drawer just in case.
Keith

 

[Triton14]

Be good on the clay I recon where at times none of the other gear helps!

I was once on a trip to Walgett & we were travelling through back dirt roads to a few properties & it poured rain for just 15 minutes & the road became almost unpassable, not even a hill in sight!
Took us about an hour to travel 2km's.

Winch would be useless.

All the locals & big rig truckers went past with chains on, seems like they know what happens when it rains there!

I had a scary moment on my last trip on a small descent on clay, the car(with low tyre pressure & Mickey Thompson ATZ PZ'3) just went into an instant slide as soon as I just touched the brake, now while Im not a expert 4x4er & drew back on my 14 years on driving snow covered roads in the NSW ski fields & started to feather the brake but basically I was a passenger until the hill ran out of slope, luckily it was only 20 or 30 meters!

While I don't have them If fitting chains means Im going to get somewhere safely without injury & damage to my vehicle but I dig a trench then my Im going to dig a trench!

 

[Jackolux]

I carry chains in the VHC sometimes depending on the time of the year and where I'm going ,
Over many years I have only used them a few times , it was always to get up a steep track , when there was no other alternative , they do less damage to track than having several attempts spinning wheels .

 

[Barra GU]

Here we go talking land conservation again.
Dont know bout you lot but if im stuck in a bad spot and i had chains id chuck em on to try and get me out regarldess what they do to the track because i dont want to be stuck there for days.
You guys ever seen what rally cars and winch trucks do to the tracks??? Having to use chains to get me out is the least of anyones problems.

 

[Petunia]

Bought a full set of 4 plus a set of 2 and yet another set of two, sold the 2 sets of 2 for what I paid for the lot, kept the set of 4 for 15/20 years then sold them unused, too b c efin heavy to carry... five mile to the gallon them things.
Nylon Rope is the Gee Oh

Bucket of small tek screws ... much easier to install them in your tread

 

[peterfermtech]

Just weighed my chains. 6kg each- 12 kg total- not 35kg+. I've seen blokes with snatch blocks that would weigh more than that. I carry mine in one of those green coles shopping bags, so got the environment covered.
regards

 

[Jackolux]

Just weighed my chains. 6kg each- 12 kg total- not 35kg+. I've seen blokes with snatch blocks that would weigh more than that. I carry mine in one of those green coles shopping bags, so got the environment covered.
regards

Yep I weighed my diamond chains , they fit 265/70/18 tyres , a set of 2 a smidgen under 16kg