We're going on a ski trip in California this winter. Caltrans says I need to have tire chains on board. Can anyone suggest some?

[pakrat]

There are plenty of drivers from the Bay Area on weekends in Tahoe who don't have a clue on how to drive on snow/ice. I've seen dozens of spin outs on highways 80 and 50 from people driving with the wrong tires and/or too fast for conditions.

Tires matter a lot. I grew up in WI/MN driving rear wheel drive vehicles but we always put winter tires during the winter. Last year I got away with all season M/S for the MN winter but my vehicle is AWD and weighs 5000 pounds. There were a few days when I wish I had snow/winter tires.

I know I know...just having fun! No offense folks.

But in all seriousness, the Sasquatch tires are the best I've had in the snow with the exception of dedicated snow tires with studs. Far better than KO2s that I have on my F350 and other cars in the past. I pulled my Sasquatch Goodyears off last spring and will be going back on after Halloween.

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[dgorsett]

I signed something at ford during purchase that you shouldn’t use chains. Use cable only.

OM says chains, but only on the rear and only with 255 width tires. That said for on road use I would get cables.
Only use snow chains on rear wheels.
Install snow chains in pairs. Do not use
self-tensioning snow chains.
Only use snow chains on the following
specified tire sizes:
377
2021 Bronco (TG1) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202101, First-Printing
Wheel and Tire Information
• 255/70R16
• Only install chains that are 15 mm
or less.
• 255/75R17
• Only install chains that are 15 mm
or less.
We recommend you use steel wheels of
the same size and specification if snow
chains are required because chains may
chip aluminum wheels.
Follow these guidelines when using snow
tires and traction devices:
• If possible, avoid fully loading your
vehicle.
• Purchase snow chains from a
manufacturer that clearly labels body
to tire dimension restrictions.
• When driving with snow chains do not
exceed 30 mph (50 km/h) or the
maximum speed recommended by the
chain manufacturer, whichever is less.
• Drive cautiously. If you hear the snow
chains rub or bang against the vehicle,
stop and tighten them. If this does not
work, remove the snow chains to
prevent vehicle damage.
• Remove the snow chains when they
are no longer needed. Do not use snow
chains on dry roads.
• If a temporary spare wheel is mounted
on your vehicle, do not use snow chains
on the axle with the temporary spare
wheel.
E292547
Use snow chains that fit against the
sidewall of the tire to prevent the chains
from touching the wheel rims or
suspension, see following illustration
above.
If you have any questions regarding sno

 

[Murgatroyd]

OM says chains, but only on the rear and only with 255 width tires. That said for on road use I would get cables.
Only use snow chains on rear wheels.
Install snow chains in pairs. Do not use
self-tensioning snow chains.
Only use snow chains on the following
specified tire sizes:
377
2021 Bronco (TG1) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202101, First-Printing
Wheel and Tire Information
• 255/70R16
• Only install chains that are 15 mm
or less.
• 255/75R17
• Only install chains that are 15 mm
or less.
We recommend you use steel wheels of
the same size and specification if snow
chains are required because chains may
chip aluminum wheels.
Follow these guidelines when using snow
tires and traction devices:
• If possible, avoid fully loading your
vehicle.
• Purchase snow chains from a
manufacturer that clearly labels body
to tire dimension restrictions.
• When driving with snow chains do not
exceed 30 mph (50 km/h) or the
maximum speed recommended by the
chain manufacturer, whichever is less.
• Drive cautiously. If you hear the snow
chains rub or bang against the vehicle,
stop and tighten them. If this does not
work, remove the snow chains to
prevent vehicle damage.
• Remove the snow chains when they
are no longer needed. Do not use snow
chains on dry roads.
• If a temporary spare wheel is mounted
on your vehicle, do not use snow chains
on the axle with the temporary spare
wheel.
E292547
Use snow chains that fit against the
sidewall of the tire to prevent the chains
from touching the wheel rims or
suspension, see following illustration
above.
If you have any questions regarding sno

Thanks for this info! I went to my local off-road shop and they suggested the Security Chain Company Super Z's. I'll probably never use them but now I own them!

 

[JML]

You better have them on board, for the legal requirements and overall safety. Les Schwab Tires in Pacific NW and California used to give you a full refund if you return unused chains within a year or so....this is by memory. Have fun skiing!!

 

[Peflyers]

I have a 4-door base with Big Bend wheels and tires, so tires are 255/75/17 Bridgestone Dueler A/T. Thanks in advance! Don't know that I need the chains but I'd like to have them already. They get marked up a lot if you have to buy them up on the mountain.

I have been going up to squaw valley for 30 plus years, I have always carried chains as per the code, but they are fron an old compact car, will not fit my gen 5 33 inch tires. Code says you just have to carry them, and I agree with others if chains needed on my gen5, wait or go home.

 

[MLRey]

If you shop for the chains on Amazon check the Warehouse deals. I've found cable chains for my son and daughters cars at less than half price of the new ones. When they showed up it looked like they had never been taken out of the bag. For $50 they're worth keeping.

We have a set of snow tires w/rims for my wifes Subaru Outback and they do far far better than other 4wd vehicles with AS or AT tires. You may not have to put on the chains with the Bronco but without good snow tires you won't be much better than a front wheel drive car when it comes to traction for turning and stopping. Check out this video from a couple of years ago in Big Bear. Lots of trucks, Jeeps, Subarus, and other SUVs sliding around. My daughter was there over that weekend and had borrowed my wifes Subaru with the snow tires, Bridgestone Blizzaks, and she had no problems at all.

 

[Arrowbear Rider]

Not sure about up north. But here is the deal for So-Cal mountains.

When I was a kid, they would regularly check chains and tires when there was snowy weather or a storm was coming.

Now they may check sometimes but the only time I have really seen it enforced is when there is a big storm on its way and they don't want idiots getting stranded up the hill without a way to get back down.

The way locals do it is to get the cheapest chains you can possibly find (literally, does not need to fit your tires) and put the box (can just be an empty box) by the back window. CHP will just shine a light and confirm the chains are there. They won't have you put them on.

Also, I would never actually put chains (or even cables) on the Bronco.

I lived up in the San Bernadino Mountains for five years and thisI would not do. Yes, you can get by without the right size and get through a check point, but have an accident and they find you without the right size chains and you get a big fat ticket, even if you didn't need them at the time. Get stuck and need CHP to get you a tow or do traffic duty because your stuck without the right size chains and it's a big ticket.

And there are times when conditions are so bad that chains are required on 4wd/AWD drives too, then what are you going to do?

I was driving to work and didn't know conditions had changed to needing chains on my 4WD, and driving past a CHP working traffic without chains on and I was flagged down and stopped. Since I had chains and was a local driving to work and just didn't realized the requirement had changed while I was clearing my driveway he let me go.

If you don't like using chains or are not experienced, or just want the easiest to use while still be real chains, not cleats or cables, get the self tightening ones, I have these:

https://www.amazon.com/Peerless-023...ocphy=9031540&hvtargid=pla-437184062318&psc=1

It takes no time to put these on and I used them when I got high centered in snow in my driveway. With snow banks everywhere, to get off the hwy, I had no choice when I got home, but to just drive into to it and deal with it after.

And as already posted chains are a good recovery tool when wheeling too.

 

[Arrowbear Rider]

I’ve lived in Reno for 45 years and I’ve never heard of a chain requirement for 4WD vehicles in the Sierras. If you’ve got a 4WD vehicle with snow tires you’re good as long as the road is open. When it gets really bad the requirement is either chains mandatory for 2wd vehicles or 4WD with snow tires. The next step is closure. I don’t know of any all terrain tires that aren’t also rated as snow tires. They also don’t look at you hard is you’re in a 4WD vehicle.

I think that's because in the north the conditions go really fast from open to close, but in the lower, Sierras and the SoCal mountains you do get R-3 conditions; I've driven in them 4 times in five years and Caltrans says:

During the winter months, motorists may encounter traction chain controls in the mountain areas within California. When chain controls are established, signs will be posted along the road indicating the type of requirement. There are Three Levels of Chain Requirements in California:

• Requirement 1 (R-1): Chains are required on all vehicles except passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks under 6,000 pounds gross weight and equipped with snow tires on at least two drive wheels. Chains must be carried by vehicles using snow tires. All vehicles towing trailers must have chains on one drive axle. Trailers with brakes must have chains on at least one axle.
• Requirement 2 (R2): Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles except four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicles with snow-tread tires on all four wheels.
  NOTE: (Four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicles must carry traction devices in chain control areas.)
• Requirement 3 (R3): Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles, no exceptions.

No Exceptions and I've seen the ticket written across the hwy from my house when he drove off the road due to no chains during a R-3.

I bought mine brand new off Criagslist for $40, that's cheap insurance compared to a fat ticket. And the fees added to tickets now a days is even more.

 

[Arrowbear Rider]

This is a super interesting thread to read. Been driving up and down I70 here in Colorado for a decade skiing and never seen chains on a single passenger car or truck. Didn't realize other states were so strict. Here it's the Wild West and if you get stuck in a 2WD sedan state troopers push you up the hill and then give you a massive ticket.

Same here and when I first got back to CA I was in Tahoe with a Scion TC with out chains and the only reason the CHP let me off was my Colorado DL. And I was cracking jokes about the difference from one state to the other.

Most people in Colorado know how to drive in the snow and some choose not to, most have proper tires too. And while big storms happen there, it's most a once or two time a year event on the front front range, but being so close to the ocean, I was surprise to see how many times SoCal mountains would get 5 plus feet in a 2-3 day period.

And the "flatlanders" can't drive in the snow, 5 hour delays to go 20 miles!

Wed, Thanksgiving weekend 2016 it took 5 hours to go the last 3 miles home due to people not having chains when a bigger than predicted storm hit.

 

[Arrowbear Rider]

Do not use
self-tensioning snow chains.

Why? I love mine and I've had no problems with them on my Tacoma (used with 30" tires) in five years of use.

 

[Arrowbear Rider]

If you shop for the chains on Amazon check the Warehouse deals. I've found cable chains for my son and daughters cars at less than half price of the new ones. When they showed up it looked like they had never been taken out of the bag. For $50 they're worth keeping.

We have a set of snow tires w/rims for my wifes Subaru Outback and they do far far better than other 4wd vehicles with AS or AT tires. You may not have to put on the chains with the Bronco but without good snow tires you won't be much better than a front wheel drive car when it comes to traction for turning and stopping. Check out this video from a couple of years ago in Big Bear. Lots of trucks, Jeeps, Subarus, and other SUVs sliding around. My daughter was there over that weekend and had borrowed my wifes Subaru with the snow tires, Bridgestone Blizzaks, and she had no problems at all.

Been through that intersection before and people need to slow down for conditions and get off their brakes and steer through the skid, of course this only works with proper tires or chains and not going too fast for the down hill slope and ice. I was in first gear creeping down that road and I had to clear the intersection before the guy behind me caught up to me and hit me from behind.

Always watch both your front and rear when in those conditions, people can hit you from behind. Start flashing your brakes, barely taping them way before they catch up to you.

 

[MLRey]

" Most people in Colorado know how to drive in the snow and some choose not to, most have proper tires too."

Sorry but I had to laugh at this statement. About 15 years ago we were coming home after visiting family in Montana for Christmas. We had an Expedition with dedicated snow tires since we made winter trips up north and to the CA mountains. In southern Utah on I-15 between the I-15/I-70 junction and St. George Utah the roads were snow covered with ice. We saw dozens of vehicles off the road in the ditches. At least half of them had Colorado plates and most of the rest were Utah. That night at the hotel in St. George we were at the pool with the kids and there were people sitting near us and we could hear them saying they were from Colorado and they were complaining about how bad their fellow Coloradans were driving.

 

[Summit981]

This is a super interesting thread to read. Been driving up and down I70 here in Colorado for a decade skiing and never seen chains on a single passenger car or truck. Didn't realize other states were so strict. Here it's the Wild West and if you get stuck in a 2WD sedan state troopers push you up the hill and then give you a massive ticket.

That's weird. We were on the drive up I-70 to Copper Mtn after a good snow and the cops were handing out tickets to folks without snow chains. Think that was back in 2018. Even the local radio station we were listening to was warning the police were handing out tickets and not to travel w/out chains.

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