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How to: Put on Snow Chains and Drive Safely

If you travel to the mountains or snowy areas regularly, sooner or later on you're going to have to use tire chains. Start by getting the correct gear up for your vehicle at your local Les Schwab.

Quick-fit chains are not your grandpa'due south tire chains. They are MUCH simpler to put on and have off. Here are a video, stride-by-pace instructions, and driving condom tips for installing quick-fit tire chains on your vehicle.

Do These Ii Things Earlier You lot Leave

When you demand chains, driving conditions are nasty. Snow is coming downward, passing traffic is spraying slush, dirty water is dripping off your wheel wells, the road is slick, and information technology may be night. Don't make this the first time you put on your chains.

Exercise installing your new chains once Before y'all travel. Take advantage of a dry garage or driveway to make sure your wintertime tire bondage are the right size and you're comfy putting them on. If needed, the professionals at Les Schwab Tire Centers can help.
Put together a simple winter route trip safety kit with warm gloves, waterproof layers, and other items to brand your winter driving more safe and comfortable. In the wintertime, always behave this emergency kit and tire chains in your vehicle.

When and How to Install Your Tire Chains

In one case you're comfortable installing your chains, you're ready to hit the snow.

Be Safe. If you're on the route, pull off as far equally possible onto a safe shoulder. Flip on your take a chance lights. Put on your waterproof layers, chapeau, headlamp, and gloves from your winter road trip kit.
Place the Right Tires. If your vehicle is forepart-wheel drive, the chains proceed the front. If it's rear-wheel drive, chains go on the back. If it's all-cycle drive, please check your owner's transmission. If you're non sure, y'all can ask the experts at Les Schwab for help.
Pull Out Chains & Instructions. With your vehicle parked, open up the pocketbook and pull out your instructions and your outset chain. Each purse comes with 2 chains. The plastic pedagogy mat that comes with your chains can be used every bit a barrier between you and the snow to keep you dry out.
Untangle Your Chains. Property them from the plastic-covered cablevision, make sure everything is straight and the chains are non looped over 1 another. Hold up your chains so the yellow end is in your left mitt and the bluish end is in your right.

The bondage should hang loosely and the metallic hooks seen along the yellow and blue sections should exist facing away from y'all and then they don't harm your tires.
Place Chains onto Your Tire and Connect the Cablevision. Lay your chains on the ground and push them behind the tire, xanthous cable end starting time, from the right side to the left.

Once the chains are centered backside the wheel, grab both ends and pull them up over the acme of the tire. Y'all should experience the chains against your axle.

This will permit you to easily connect the yellow and blueish ends of the cablevision by slipping one terminate into the other and pulling them into place.
Connect the Scarlet Claw. Now that the cable is connected on acme, look for the red hook directly opposite the cable connection. Connect the scarlet hook on the right to the showtime bachelor gold link on the left.
Cheque the Diamond Shape. Button the connected concatenation over the top of the tire. You should encounter the diamond shape in the chains against your tire. Between each of those diamonds is the heart rail, which should be placed down the middle of the tire tread.
Connect the Red Chain Forth the Lesser. Now that the cable is connected on top, look for the scarlet claw directly opposite the cable connection. Connect the crimson hook on the right to the kickoff available gold link on the left. Push button the connected chain over the top of the tire.

The bottom of the chains includes a red draw chain with bungee on your right, and a chain guide on the left. Pull these out towards yourself.

Have the long ruddy chain and run it through the concatenation guide and pull as tight as y'all tin with both hands. Don't pull using the bungee. Every bit yous pull, i of the chain links will find its way into the notch on the ruby-red concatenation guide, locking information technology into place.

Using the bungee cease of the red chain, pull it through one or both of the ruddy loops and secure it to a gold-side chain opposite the ruby loops. If you tin can't get it through both loops, that'due south ok, pull tight through one and adhere information technology to a side concatenation to the left of the loop.
Repeat on 2nd Tire. Repeat these steps to install chains on the other side of your vehicle.
Drive Frontwards Slightly. The next step is to drive forwards about 15 anxiety, or a full car length. This gives the chains a chance to relax and settle on your tires.
Re-tighten Chains. To take up whatsoever slack, unhook the safety end of the red draw concatenation and pull it tight again. Once it'southward tight, guide the cherry concatenation through the loops and, once again, securely latch the bungee end to the gold-side chain.

The chains should be tight on the tire. And, be sure to finish if you hear them making whatsoever contact with your vehicle. If your chains are still loose, unhook the bungee and adjust the red hook straight beyond from the concatenation guide. Unhook and reattach to the tightest position on ane of the three gilt chain links. It'due south okay if the extra links are hanging loosely. At present, you're ready to reattach your bungee.

How to Drive with Snowfall Chains on Your Tires

While driving with tire chains, mind for a loud sound of slapping, or metal on metal. If you lot hear whatsoever indication that a chain may be broken or hitting your auto, STOP as soon equally safely possible. Loose or broken chains that flap can wrap around a strut or shock component, causing big damage to your vehicle. To help foreclose damage, hither are a few tips for driving when y'all accept winter bondage installed on your vehicle.

Don't go over 25 miles per hour, or else yous can damage the bondage or your vehicle
Never bulldoze on bare pavement
Avert locking or spinning your wheels past starting or braking suddenly

Removing Snow Chains from Your Tires

Pull over in a rubber location and remove the chains. Start by unhooking the bungee and chain from the guide, removing them from the tensioner. Unlatch the red claw, and so disengage the blue and yellow cable connection. Once all of your chains are off and lying flat on the ground, pull backward or forward slowly a few feet so y'all can safely pick them upwards.

How to Pack and Shop Snow Chains

At the end of your trip, lay your bondage out in the garage and allow them dry. If y'all pack them wet, they tin can rust.

Likewise check them for wear, peculiarly if yous've driven them on cobblestone for any altitude. Look for flat spots, and replace the chains if you find some.

Worn tire chains. — Link at left shows flattening from wear. Link in middle shows abrupt edge from wear that can damage a tire.

We're Hither to Help

Remember, if y'all don't use your chains all winter long, you can return them with proof of purchase to whatsoever Les Schwab for a full refund in the spring.

Become your side by side set up of Quick-Fit chains, along with a few tips on how to install them, at your local Les Schwab, where doing the right thing matters.

Want more tips on winter route safety? Meet 19 Winter Driving Resources You Tin can't Practice Without.

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