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Old 02-12-2021, 10:31 AM   #11
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Vanimal: Exactly. I can tell from experience that you too have done the full of chains. Probably even in very wet snow conditions. The rear are the toughest and I think it's why the cleats may be a help. Now, before I spend $65-70, I'm hoping for some user opinion.

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Old 02-12-2021, 11:35 AM   #12
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My only issues have generally been down hill on some steep snowy grades. Driving downhill on a narrow trail can be nerve racking when the back keeps kicking out. I've often wondered if the LSD has something to do with this. The front lockers didn't seem to to affect the back kicking out on a straight downhill path when I tried to use lock it up. I usually only use my front locker on straight up hill climbs or on flat level ground if needed as it affects the steering. On sand the front locker seems to pull my van up where w/o it I seem to slide sideways. I've found my vans weight seems to help in snow compared to my pickup but I am cautious on slow downhill runs. In a few instances it wasn't a good idea not chaining the rear. The only way I was able to recover was to add throttle when I didn't want to on such a narrow steep trail. Low range with no braking didn't help. However I've never tried just chaining up the front to see if I end up in a canyon. Mud terrain tires didn't help as much as I had hoped. Sliding off a snow covered road in the middle of nowhere down into that canyon was one of the most upsetting drives of my life.
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Old 02-13-2021, 07:42 AM   #13
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The scenarios os snow driving is definitely varied on conditions. Temperature humidity, amount, sub surface, and course are a big factor and can determine which axle to chain up. Icy I go front, wet melting snow probably rear my point is each condition will determine what is needed. One mistake that flat landers make, as labeled by elevation dwellers, is braking, more so emergency braking...big NO NO on slippery conditions, you steer thru it and brake as a last resort. If your speed is down as it SHOULD be in slippery conditions, you have time to react therefore having choices.
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Old 02-13-2021, 02:40 PM   #14
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Four wheel go

My old brain finally remembered an old adage I couldn’t come up with when I posted my first comment:

“It is called four wheel drive, not four wheel stop”.

Chains help with the four wheel stop.

My dad worked for the power company, and as part of his job he regularly patrolled the crude roads under high voltage power lines where they crisscross the Cascade mountain range in Oregon. He thus had vast 4x4 experience. And he was a big fan of chains, for mud as well as snow. Losing traction on a downhill stretch was his worst nightmare. A desperation tactic he employed on such occasions was to throw the transmission in reverse, put the throttle to the floor and try to end up in the uphill side ditch.

He noted that this tactic was best used when driving a company vehicle where you didn’t have to pay the repair bills!
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Old 02-13-2021, 03:32 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lchukar View Post
My old brain finally remembered an old adage I couldn’t come up with when I posted my first comment:

“It is called four wheel drive, not four wheel stop”.

Chains help with the four wheel stop.

My dad worked for the power company, and as part of his job he regularly patrolled the crude roads under high voltage power lines where they crisscross the Cascade mountain range in Oregon. He thus had vast 4x4 experience. And he was a big fan of chains, for mud as well as snow. Losing traction on a downhill stretch was his worst nightmare. A desperation tactic he employed on such occasions was to throw the transmission in reverse, put the throttle to the floor and try to end up in the uphill side ditch.

He noted that this tactic was best used when driving a company vehicle where you didn’t have to pay the repair bills!
I remember as a kid my dad throwing our motorhome in reverse like that when 2 girls decided to chain up their VW bug in the middle of the road. We missed them using that tactic.
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Old 02-17-2021, 09:00 PM   #16
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I found out the hard way about 4WD and AWD vehicles having traction issues while going down hill. In 1996, I was given a new AWD company car with M+S tires to drive. The first time it snowed (it was about 6-7”) I thought no sweat I’ve got AWD so I’m good. The street leading to our house is steep and has couple of curves in it but I’d be heading downhill so no big deal. When I got to the first steep left-handed, even though I wasn’t going over 25mph, I went to turn and the front tires didn’t turn, the car kept going straight. Braking, even with the ABS didn’t help. I ended up hitting the curb, bending the right front tie rod and chunking a wheel. Someone, smarter than me said in that situation, when you’re in an AWD car coasting downhill and lose traction in the front tires you need to apply a little gas to get the front tires to bite and thus turn the car. After the car was repaired, and it had again snowed about 6-7” I decided to test the guy’s theory. Again the car started sliding towards the. It seemed counterintuitive, almost scary, to be accelerating while sliding towards the curb but sure enough, the front tires found grip and the car followed the curve of road.
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