Ice Problem

[Sid]

Hey all, new here from NC. We finally got a snow that would stick even though we missed a white Christmas. Anyhow, while most people got to stay at home and enjoy it, my work decided to open despite the icy roads. Being that my ride( 2006 Malibu ) isn't exactly recommended for ice, I decided to do what they did back in the day and strap chains to the tires( My granddad suggested it ) I was halfway down the winding back roads, which of course had been poorly salted if that, and about the time I got up to road speed the chains started to grind on the underside of the car. It was horrible! The underside was a mess. I took it to the body shop to get it fixed and the prices were outrageous. It was estimated at $200 to fix it! As you can understand I am a little ticked. Why did it do that? Aren't all cars reccomended to run with old traditional road chains? The free play was evidently just enough to rub the underside and it cost me dearly. Do you have to buy chains for specific cars now to fit cars today? This is wrong! I wish I would have known this before I took off down the road.

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

oh my god... oh my god... you should just randomly dial a Canadian or Vermont telephone number and ask him/her what to do...

I don't know much what to say but chains are only for snow not ice and they were never intended to be used beyond about 30 mph

I know GM made a point to design for road chain use for most vehicles, usually if you have the "sport" model you can't use the chains (as the bigger wheels, lower suspension won't allow)

200$ to fix actually that sounds pretty reasonable but I don't know what the damage looks like.

[Sid]

Originally Posted by Smaart Aas Saabr

oh my god... oh my god... you should just randomly dial a Canadian or Vermont telephone number and ask him/her what to do...

I don't know much what to say but chains are only for snow not ice and they were never intended to be used beyond about 30 mph

I know GM made a point to design for road chain use for most vehicles, usually if you have the "sport" model you can't use the chains (as the bigger wheels, lower suspension won't allow)

200$ to fix actually that sounds pretty reasonable but I don't know what the damage looks like.

Chains were never meant to be used in the ice? Where have you been? The chains are designed to crunch into the ice and provide traction. I thought everybody knew that. Well, its not so hard to grasp that you didn't know after reading the first line of this post

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

honestly I've never even used a tire chain on a car... and I live where there is lots of ice... and snow... ice is really the time for studded tires

[doh]

Bunjie cords on the outside of the chains in a triangle would have helped. and slower speeds

Sorry for your misfortune, but what is done is already done.

I just pushed wicked snow with chains on all 4's, everybody was "WOA" chains break stuff but as long as you drive within conditions they work on ice or anything else.

[F14CRAZY]

You're in North Carolina and have to resort to tire chains? I live in Michigan and get considerably more ice and snow than NC does, and have never considered installing tire chains, even with my 4x2 Explorer

Did they wear through the wheel well covers? (splashguards, whatever you want to call them). $200 doesn't seem bad

[vsd]

Why did it do it? Because you probably went over 30mph with the chains, I live where it doesn't snow or get below freezing and even I know that you don't do that. I think you are also supposed to stop and tighten them after about a mile.

$200? Without seeing what kind of damage you have, that sounds like a deal, you can't even get a fender or bumper painted for less than that. Maybe next time get some wheel socks, there's a sponsor on here that sells them.

[Sid]

I assure you all that for no more then chains rubbing the underside of a car, that $200 is costly. The chain rubbed before I could get past 30 and work isnt but 3 miles away give or take so I was planning to make it to work before I tightened them up.

Yes, you read right the first tine but I will allow you to read it again: I'm from NC and am using tire chains.

Why is it hard to believe that I used chains on a malibu and you didn't on an explorer???

(just catching up)

[rmodys]

$200 sounds really really affordable for any bodyshop repair actually...

[jkennedy293]

Originally Posted by Sid

I assure you all that for no more then chains rubbing the underside of a car, that $200 is costly. The chain rubbed before I could get past 30 and work isnt but 3 miles away give or take so I was planning to make it to work before I tightened them up.

Yes, you read right the first tine but I will allow you to read it again: I'm from NC and am using tire chains.

Why is it hard to believe that I used chains on a malibu and you didn't on an explorer???

(just catching up)

I drove in the same stuff you did, and didn't even come close to needing chains. If the chains only "rubbed" against the underside of the car, why is it so important to get it fixed. It doesn't sound like they bent or broke anything.

Next winter, if by some miracle we get snow again, leave the chains at home.

[Tomko]

I live in Canada, and have driven through 28 real winters here. I've driven through dreaded lake-effect snow storms. I've driven through ice storms that left two inches thick of glare ice on my driveway. In all that I've seen chains used maybe twice on a passenger vehicle.

I don't know where your granddad learned about using tire chains but he didn't get it out of the owner's manual. It clearly states the type of chains to use, how to tighten them and when to use them.

RTFM

Consider $200 a very cheap lesson learned.

[a_v_s]

Originally Posted by Tomko

I've driven through ice storms that left two inches thick of glare ice on my driveway. In all that I've seen chains used maybe twice on a passenger vehicle.

I don't know where your granddad learned about using tire chains but he didn't get it out of the owner's manual. It clearly states the type of chains to use, how to tighten them and when to use them.

Come to Oregon. When we get an Ice storm, the department of transportation will usually require chains on all highways. Studded tires are explicitly listed as NOT good enough when the chain requirement is in effect. They are pretty adamant about it... If you are caught without Chains, you WILL BE CITED AND FINED. It's even displayed on the readerboards over the highways when it's in effect. In mild storms, usually only "Traction devices" are requried, which includes any snow tire, studded or studless... But whenever we get ice storms, it usually "Chains Required", regardless if you have snow tires, studded tires, etc.

I know here in Washington, we actually tried to ban studded tires, in favor of studless snow tires. But I guess we are too close to oregon, so it got shot down.

But anyways, if you are going to use chains, you'll probably want to use S-Class cable chains, becuase most vehicles these days explicitely call those out, becuase they are the only ones that will work with the tight clearances of the suspension components.

[likearock00]

LOL!! Come on dude- we didn't get THAT much weather last week! I think you overreacted a bit and didn't know what you were doing installing the chains. I would bite the bullet and cough up the $200. Unless we get about 6-8 inches of snow, leave the chains at home.

[mikmak]

You could always move to Oz.


Yes, my goal today is to poke fun at as many cold people as possible

[tomcat_cool17]

Even in 6-8" of snow u don't need chains. It's a matter of adapting to the conditions and knowing how to drive in the snow.