Contemplating getting either chains or socks. Advantages/disadvantages of both?

Serious question: Why not just proper winter tyres?

chains – rock solid grip, faff to put on, heavy to store

socks – some debate over the grip (lots love them, some hate them), easy to put on, not approved in the alps (so you’ll have to carry chains as well if you go skiing)

socks – some debate over the grip (lots love them, some hate them), easy to put on, not approved in the alps (so you’ll have to carry chains as well if you go skiing)

That’s the decider for me then…

Drive slower and buy a spade

How far are you expecting to drive? what type of terrain? Hilly/flat?
I lived at the far end of a village for a couple of years that would regulary get 10-15cms of snow in the winter. I used chains for a couple of years, that with a bit of practice were a doddle to put on but more of a faff to remove, then winter tyres. As the village was on the side of a steep hill the winter tyres worked in all but the severest snow and the chains were carried as a back up, and only used once over the worn snow/winter tyres.
For the money snow/winter/mud and snow tyres.

I’ve just put on my snow/mud tyres again and it’s amazing the difference they make. If it’s bad enough that I need chains I’ll be staying home with a dram 😉

I’ve got the socks, they did great for what I needed. Their area of excellence is at low speed without too much bare tarmac. As for grip, my unladen RWD transit coped great with them on.

I tow kiosks and have chains they are awesome never been stuck but practise putting them on as u will end up on the ground trying to join them i can now get mine on in 5 mins each wheel but the first time was nearly an hour no fun in the snow and they are legal here as long as u take them off once the road is clear

Winter tyres + a shovel will get a 2 wheel drive car to and out of 90% of the places where we live. If you have to, get chains purely for getting you out of truely deep sh!t. I have never needed them and we go most of the same places.
You’ll be fine with the tyres and you’ll probably get some good discount too.

i’ve never used snow chains or socks before, but am considering getting some just in case, as we need to do a bit of driving over xmas.

stupid question time – do you put them on all four wheels or just the drive wheels (front in our case)? 😕 😆

RWD = chains at both ends, presumably…?

Getting a 3 Series shortly, and haven’t a hope in hell of getting out of where I live without chains / socks / winter tyres

I have chains and have this year bought winter tyres.

I bought the chains when I owned a van, and they were a doddle to fit – I could get my head and most of my body round the back of the wheel to see what was going on, and it was easy to hook them on and get moving.

Now I have a car (A4), which the chains fit (happy coincidence of wheel sizes), but it is a right arse to get them on. Tight wheel arch clearances mean I can barely fit my hands behind the wheel, let alone see what is going on!

I have a big double garage, so decided that I’d get a spare set of wheels with winter tyres on, and swap them over for the whole season (winter tyres, not mud/snow tyres). Haven’t put them on yet as it’s not *that* cold down here yet. Might put them on this weekend.

Dave

I used to use chains years ago and they were more hassle than it was worth. I ended up giving them to charity about four years ago.

On good snow covered roads they are great but that is the problem. Where I live I have had permenant snow on the roads near me for four weeks each winter for the last three years BUT the last three miles of my 15 mile commute is virtually always cleared by the council.

I would consider some winter tyres on the front or buy some good four season tyres like Hankook Optimo 4s put them on the front and move them to the back at Easter, then wear down the summer tyres naturally until you have four seasons on all wheels.

you live in bod dont you

just buy a fat bike and use that.

doesnt matter what you get when your stuck in the traffic up here.

mud and snow tires will outperform the cars ground clearance … the only time i got stuck last year was with snow stuck under the car and lifted my wheels off the ground.

rkk01 – Member
RWD = chains at both ends, presumably…?

good point! so FWD you can just put them on the front?

so FWD you can just put them on the front?

yes

cool, thanks.

Terry,

need to get to scolty and glen tanner still 😉

If you need to get out and about with the minimum of fuss, the answer is winter tyres on all four wheels, regardless of fwd or rwd.
For the UK, chains are only a tactical solution to get you out of a hole.
I will be putting my winter tyres on shortly and chains will be in the boot too but (unlike the tyres) I’ve got no real expectation of needing them.

swap houses with me then ….

living 4 miles from scolty atm – some fine trails up there !

Winter tyres
4wd
Low ratio

I have chains, but have never needed them!

I’ve just ordered some for my 3 series from a website called ‘Micks Garage’ (seems reputable despite the name, and they are on Quidco!) for £47.00 plus £3.00 cashback via Quidco. Not arrived yet; hoping not to have to use them, but have them just incase…

Four Goodyear ultragrip 8s going on this weekend with snow socks in the boot as a back up. Having said that, will the snow socks be any use of the tyres can’t cope?

Yep.

I used snow socks on our Focus last year, meant we could actually leave the village whilst anyone without 4×4 or similar was stuck as we have 2 steep hills with sharp bends at either end.
They worked great, was able to go pickup relatives on Christmas Day who wouldn’t have made it to lunch otherwise 🙂

bought a set of Autosocks for the wife’s new car this week – looking forward to trying them out !

We would have been stuck getting into and out off my parent’s valley last xmas without auto-socks. Given that we are in the south and it is generally too warm for a change of tyres the socks suit our needs just so.

Any recommended on-line suppliers?

Looking for a set of chains – for trip to the Alps and local emergencies

I have some autosocks in classified

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/autosocks-snow-tastic-things-for-a-car-size-580

I’m just back from the French Alps where there was a huge covering of deep snow…
The Police were not allowing any vehicles above 1200M without snow chains or socks unless they were in 4WD equipped with winter tires.

I have a Kuga (2WD version) and the police didn’t know the difference so I managed to sneak through. It was a bit touch & go and I had to reverse back to get a run up twice on a couple of steep bits but managed to get through (I didn’t have snow chains)
I had brand new quality winter tires fitted just before I left though.

I went with the autosocks last year ’cause there isn’t enough clearance to fit snow chains on my car. I was very impressed with them.

I did consider snow tyres but it would have meant getting new wheels as well as they’re not available to fit the current ones.

Socks work brilliantly and are dead easy to get on and off. Chains work brilliantly but are a massive, massive pain in the arse to get on and off. I only carry socks now. I’ve never got stuck when using socks on a normal FWD car. I’ve only used them in the UK (Pennines). If you’re in the Alps in winter you should really get winter tyres and whatever else you need to be legal (chains, presumably).