I have an A4 (2005) with 235/45/17 wheels/tyres. I brought a set of snowchains that the website I brought them from said would fit. However the clearence on the inside of the tyre to the suspension strut is really tight and as such the connector for the inner cable fouls the strut.

Does anyone have any experience of using any specific chains with this car/wheel combo?

Thule’s CK-7 looks like it might work but is a pretty pricy chain and I really dont want to have to go down the route of the stupid looking Thule K-summit which is even more expensive. I may as well get a seperate set of wheels which will fit cheaper standard chains!

A4 Avant with these wheels is fairly common so hoping someone has some experience.

Cheers.

Can’t help you with chains, but have you tried these things? They’re ace.

They’re as good as chains for everything I’ve encountered in the UK in the past couple of years (yes, I have used chains too). About a billion times easier to get on and off. Fit very closely, so shouldn’t have clearance issues.

Definitely have a look at the Autosocks – amazing things

Rachel

They’re as good as chains for everything

Except staying on the wheel, I wouldn’t buy sock for the simple reason of the number that I saw that had come off the wheel.
Personally I’d go for a narrower tyre and chains or, even better, winter/snow tyres. Fit and forget with the added bonus of no cold fingers trying to fit them.
EDIT: And don’t forget that the summer tyres are not being worn down when you’re using winter tyres. 😀

Except staying on the wheel, I wouldn’t buy sock for the simple reason of the number that I saw that had come off the wheel.

Apart from the first time I tried them when I ballsed it up, mine have never come off in two winters of pretty heavy use in the Pennines.

I’ve never had a winter tyre come off though… 😀

+1 Autosock – can also get them via Roofbox.

Autosocks no good unfortunatly as they dont satisfy legal requirements for carrying snow chains in Europe.

Looking for someone to tell me that CK-7 works or not with an A4 Avant SE, with these 235/45/17 wheels.

Autosocks are for getting out when stuck not for driving all the the time.

legal requirements for carrying snow chains in Europe

carrying them is not the same as using them…

You need some Maggi Trak or Thule K-Summit chains. They are really easy to put on the car and don’t wrap around the back of the wheel. Both are a very similar design. I’ve got the Maggi ones for my car and although I’ve not used them my sister used them on her’s last winter and she was pretty happy with them.

They are a touch expensive though.

The K-Summit is easy to fit [ but expensive ] . I fitted a set of winter tyres for last yr which transformed the car in snow . Definately the better option

Snow chains are pretty rubbish if all you want to do is get to the end of your street and the gritted main roads.

The chains have to come off for any real distance on the tarmac, and they won’t be any help getting up your street when you get home as all the ejits will have tried to get up the hill at 5,000rpm and polished the ice glassy smooth. Happens every year outside my house.

Second set of wheels and winter tyres is where its at. Put them on in October/November, laugh at neighbours as you idle up icy hill with no drama whilst everyone else is playing dodgems at the bottom, put the shiny alloys back on come spring. 🙂

Edit: Don’t the T5 drivers buy Audi alloys for their vans? If so, there must be loads of steel T5 wheels to be purchased.