These snow chains are useless

[Predictable Bob]

As long as the front wheels can roll free and are pointed in the direction of travel they will be able to steer. Lock them and anything can happen. I've driven 60 miles on snow today with the surf in rear wheel drive and it's been ok. Had the rear step out twice so I reckon if they'd had snow chains on it would have been good.

Rob.

That is incorrect or to put it more succinctly BALLCOCKS !

If your front wheels hit a patch of solid ice then your ability to steer will be impaired to a greater or lesser degree - whether you can steer at all will be largely dependent on your speed rather than driving ability ...

[wishbone]

They must of taught me wrong on the day I spent at Castle Combe skid pan training then.

Obviously if you want to drive way above the roads conditions then nothing will save you.

[J i m s t e r]

They'll make a difference to steering no doubt. I spent a bit of time driving around Kiruna (200km into the Arctic Circle) and, being used to low-profile performance tyres in the UK and their paucity of grip on ice, studded tyres feel incredible.

For the first few miles on ice, I was crawling and clenching my sphincter as I steered at ooh, 10mph, expecting the car to plough on, but no, it actually followed the steering input. I imagine chains, whilst not offering the same grip as studs, would be better than nothing.

But yeah, if I had a bimmer, I'd be fitting them to the back first!

Really though, for all the talk of Winter tyres and snow chains, I can't recall seeing snow like this for a long, long time - it is exceptional weather, a blip in what we should expect. In general, we don't get bad Winters, so that £600 pile of wheels and tyres would sit in the garage rotting - I can understand people not having them over here, or local governments not having the salt or snowploughing resources to cater for an ice age.

Was anyone blaming the airlines earlier in the year for not having planes that could fly through volcanic ash?

The best advice therefore is to use common sense in such conditions and drive only when necessary, and then be aware of the risks of doing so and drive sensibly. I think people are just not used to using their initiative when the government has been tasked with spoonfeeding them from the cradle to the grave.

[Predictable Bob]

They must of taught me wrong on the day I spent at Castle Combe skid pan training then.

Obviously if you want to drive way above the roads conditions then nothing will save you.

That's a bit better - what I was objecting to was:

"As long as the front wheels can roll free and are pointed in the direction of travel they will be able to steer"

Which isn't the case - there was no mention of speed in your original post ...

[Vultch]

I can appreciate snow chains on the front will help you steer, but personally i would stick them on the back for traction and braking, the majority of vehicles I see in diff are trying to get out of junctions and getting halfway across wheels spinning or stuck mid manouver

[lord lucan]

That's a bit better - what I was objecting to was:

"As long as the front wheels can roll free and are pointed in the direction of travel they will be able to steer"

Which isn't the case - there was no mention of speed in your original post ...

wow that was a back pedal if ever i saw one

[wishbone]

I was thinking about this snow chain business today at work. What I think it boils down to is that using the bmw as an example : (obviously generalising a bit to keep it simple)

The front of the bmw is pretty much as good as most other cars regarding steering and braking performance.

The rear end is useless in snow.

With one pair of chains do you improve the useless back end to even out front / rear performance or do you have even better front end performance but no way of driving up hills, and the back end getting twitchy on bends.

I know which I'd choose.

Over the years rear wheel drive cars I've had:

Vauxhall Chevette
Opel Kadett (12s coupe )
mk2 Escort
Capri
VW Beetle (1971)
Hillman Imp
Series 2 Landrover
Jaguar xjs
Sierra

I'd only consider putting the chains on the front on 2 of these cars. Guess which ones

[Chillitt]

I was thinking about this snow chain business today at work. What I think it boils down to is that using the bmw as an example : (obviously generalising a bit to keep it simple)

The front of the bmw is pretty much as good as most other cars regarding steering and braking performance.

The rear end is useless in snow.

With one pair of chains do you improve the useless back end to even out front / rear performance or do you have even better front end performance but no way of driving up hills, and the back end getting twitchy on bends.

I know which I'd choose.

Over the years rear wheel drive cars I've had:

Vauxhall Chevette
Opel Kadett (12s coupe )
mk2 Escort
Capri
VW Beetle (1971)
Hillman Imp
Series 2 Landrover
Jaguar xjs
Sierra

I'd only consider putting the chains on the front on 2 of these cars. Guess which ones

~Fair play, you have had some rubbish cars...

[BUSHWHACKER]

I was thinking about this snow chain business today at work. What I think it boils down to is that using the bmw as an example : (obviously generalising a bit to keep it simple)

The front of the bmw is pretty much as good as most other cars regarding steering and braking performance.

The rear end is useless in snow.

With one pair of chains do you improve the useless back end to even out front / rear performance or do you have even better front end performance but no way of driving up hills, and the back end getting twitchy on bends.

I know which I'd choose.

I would leave it in the garage 'till the snow's gone!

[slobodan]

Beetle and Imp?

[wishbone]

Beetle and Imp?

Of course

[wishbone]

I would leave it in the garage 'till the snow's gone!

I'd have thought your garage was full of empty engine bay'd surfs ?

[shirley53]

Erm ....anyone want to buy an M3 convert....lol.....

[Predictable Bob]

wow that was a back pedal if ever i saw one

Que ?

No backpedal from me - or was your comment aimed at Wishbone ?

[Sancho]

If you have one set of chains, you put them on the drive wheels. Always. The car will understeer horribly, but you will have engine braking (and reverse...).