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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?

Rush4th

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I get an ikon pass every year and use it consistently throughout the season. They've been getting a lot more strict about having them, but didn't give my basesquatch any trouble when I forgot them once last season. They were turning a bunch of people away in mammoth.

With that said, I've never actually used them. I point at them in my trunk and they always let me pass, even when I had my focus rs.
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Sewie

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CA has three levels of chain controls.

https://dot.ca.gov/travel/winter-driving-tips/chain-controls

  • 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.
I've been to Tahoe in R2 multiple times in various 4wd/AWD vehicles and just get waved through as most others have said. For the AWD I've carried chains just in case, but I wouldn't bother with the Bronco. I can't remember ever being in a R3 situation. Road is usually closed at that point.
 

JimboSlice

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Iā€™ve lived in Reno for 45 years and Iā€™ve never heard of a chain requirement for 4WD vehicles in the Sierras. If youā€™ve got a 4WD vehicle with snow tires youā€™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 donā€™t know of any all terrain tires that arenā€™t also rated as snow tires. They also donā€™t look at you hard is youā€™re in a 4WD vehicle.
Agreed. I live in South Lake Tahoe and got my Bronco on 5/4/22. The three times we had late season snow this year Cal-Trans (not CHP) waived me right through on Hwy 50. CHP does not check for chains. If a Bronco needs chains, nobody is going over the summit.
 

Bronco Bob

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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.
Unless You are towing something, You don't need chains on a 4 Wheel drive. I've lived here for 30 years and have never been asked to put chains on my 4 wheel drive except when towing a trailer.
 

Snacktime

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Depends on the CHP Officer letting you through. I would buy a set of cable chains just to have. I keep cables in both my 4x4 trucks here just in case even with triple peak tires on both.
 

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MnLakeBum

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Unless You are towing something, You don't need chains on a 4 Wheel drive. I've lived here for 30 years and have never been asked to put chains on my 4 wheel drive except when towing a trailer.
Yep, Chains not needed if you have AWD or 4WD. I lived in El Dorado County(south and west side of Lake Tahoe) and also had a condo in North Lake Tahoe for two decades. I skied an average of 45 days each winter in the Tahoe area and also made additional monthly work trips each winter over the Sierra Nevadas to Reno. You won't ever be questioned in a Bronco, they will just wave you through at the chain controls. Max speed is 25mph when they have chain controls even if the roads are not that bad. I got pulled for speeding once in the chain controls but just a warning for 20 over.

Here's a shot of hwy 50 near Kyburz in January four years ago.

Ford Bronco 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? Screen Shot 2022-09-20 at 3.20.42 PM
 

hellahella

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During winter, before i got hold of my Bronco, we took my wifeā€™s Bronco Sport to Tahoe and they didnā€™t require any chains because they thought it was the full size brother. The BS took everything like a champ though
 

thatspecialbeat

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This is fairly typical I think. I'd look up the actual law before spending the money. Sometimes it will read "required unless traction tires are used" or similar verbiage.

  • 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.

I have never heard of or seen them checking tires for many years. Generally they will close the roads before requiring chains on all vehicles.

4wd with an empty chain box against the rear window has worked for me.
 

WonkyBronky

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CA has three levels of chain controls.

https://dot.ca.gov/travel/winter-driving-tips/chain-controls



I've been to Tahoe in R2 multiple times in various 4wd/AWD vehicles and just get waved through as most others have said. For the AWD I've carried chains just in case, but I wouldn't bother with the Bronco. I can't remember ever being in a R3 situation. Road is usually closed at that point.
I've seen R3 conditions going up to the cabin in Big Bear. Every single vehicle needed chains on at least one axle, AWD/4WD no exception.
CHP needed to see them installed, and would make vehicles turn around.
 

coadr

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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.
 

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Mattwings

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If you still want chains after all the conversation, if they have Les Schwab in NorCal, they were always great. I think they do (definitely in OR) business ā€œup thereā€. BTW, even in the Cascades it was either no chains or closed , even when I was towing my snowmobile trailer. The difference between chains and closed is really small.
 

thatspecialbeat

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I've seen R3 conditions going up to the cabin in Big Bear. Every single vehicle needed chains on at least one axle, AWD/4WD no exception.
CHP needed to see them installed, and would make vehicles turn around.
This used to be standard but I have not seen it in 20 years.

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.
Problem is we have pretty serious mountains that are a 2 hour drive from big cities. People will head up the hill before a storm and get trapped.

I have been doing the drive from LA to Big Bear a few times a year for a long time. Have seen some things.

Also, mountain communities try to keep out "snow players". They will literally overwhelm a road with stuck vehicles and strand people places overnight. A lot of vehicles in LA should not be on dry roads and people have no problem taking them in the snow.

Had a friend get to spend the night up Mount Baldy a couple of years ago.

https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/heavy-snow-strands-about-100-cars-on-mount-baldy/
 

pakrat

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I live up here and go through the checkpoints on the daily in winter. Never once in 25+ years of living up here have they ever asked let alone checked to see if I have chains. I don't know those tires you have but as long as you have the M+S designation why waste your money?

Not in the worst blizzard have chains ever been required up here if you have 4WD and M+S tires. You will never look at them again let alone install them. If it is that bad where you think 4WD and chains are required then it's probably a really good idea to not even think of going out on the roads.
 
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MnLakeBum

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I've seen R3 conditions going up to the cabin in Big Bear. Every single vehicle needed chains on at least one axle, AWD/4WD no exception.
CHP needed to see them installed, and would make vehicles turn around.
I've never seen R3 conditions in my 20 winters in Tahoe driving through chain controls dozens of times each winter. In the Tahoe area, they close the road after R2 conditions. I have gotten stuck in Reno overnight with road closures due to snow as late as May 23rd.
 

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This used to be standard but I have not seen it in 20 years.

Problem is we have pretty serious mountains that are a 2 hour drive from big cities. People will head up the hill before a storm and get trapped.

I have been doing the drive from LA to Big Bear a few times a year for a long time. Have seen some things.
In 2017 I had to put chains on my Macan and STi to get to the cabin. R3 is rare, but CHP would rather not have people sliding off the mountain. Plenty of stupid people with 4WD.

With air suspension on off-road mode:
Ford Bronco 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? 20161225_162622
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