Snow Chains

[whistlepig]

I drug them out of the pole barn and positioned them on the garage floor last weekend. I have walked around them a dozen or so times since then. Kicked them around a few times and have prepared my war face. It's on for tomorrow. I'm going to Sumo wrestle with a few hundred pounds of warm Jello tomorrow.

 

[Danner]

Chuckle-snort.

I know what you mean, I have them for my pick-up, and putting them on is a serious chore, no doubt about that.:laughing:

 

[creekbend]

Good Luck. Be careful and be safe. :tractor:

 

[leonz]

Hey whistlepig,

This will help with the battle quickly I hope;

If you have some scrap 2 by 4's and a 2 by 12 this trick works-

make a ladder of sorts with wooden cleats to spread the cross chains thier normal distance to allow you to drive the tire right over the plank with the 2 by 4's nailed/scewed to it so you can quickly set up the chains.

I can help much with lifting the bugger other than using a cable come along from a rafter or laying a plank from the top of the rear tire (if there is room)
to the front laying the come along on the plank to keep the come along in one place by chaining the open end to the front axle to hold it in place.

 

[whistlepig]

Hey whistlepig,

This will help with the battle quickly I hope;

If you have some scrap 2 by 4's and a 2 by 12 this trick works-

make a ladder of sorts with wooden cleats to spread the cross chains thier normal distance to allow you to drive the tire right over the plank with the 2 by 4's nailed/scewed to it so you can quickly set up the chains.

I can help much with lifting the bugger other than using a cable come along from a rafter or laying a plank from the top of the rear tire (if there is room)
to the front laying the come along on the plank to keep the come along in one place by chaining the open end to the front axle to hold it in place.

Thanks. This is very good advise and I will try it. Seems the hardest problem is getting them snug on the tire. I like them tight and it takes a while to "work" them on to the tire so that they stay tight. Then I safety wire everything. It's not a five minute project. I took some preseason time to do this last year and it seemed worth the effort. I had zero issues with my tire chains last winter.

 

[leonz]

Glad I could help whistlepig.


___________________________________________________________________
Pronovost or not at all!!!:thumbsup::licking::drool:

 

[PHILIP8N]

On my 8N with fluid filled tires, I just jack up the tire and install chains, but these are pretty easy to put on. On my lawnmower/snowblower (JD LX188), chains are a pain. I jack up or remove tire, remove valve stem core, install chains, re-install valve stem core, and inflate. Works very well like this. With my Kubota L3940 with 4WD and turf tires, no chains required! (but I do have a 1200# ballast box on back). Philip.

 

[crazyal]

I think we have the same chains, Aquailine Talon, Tellesfdal. What I found works well for me is I jack up the wheel I'm doing so I can spin it by hand. I lay out the chain with the side that makes contact with the ground facing up and then drag the end closest to the tire and put in on top of the tire.

If you don't hold the tire from spinning it will rotate backwards and drop the chain to the ground. Once the end is on the tire I just spin the tire in the forward direction and the chain just pulls itself on. It usually self centers as I turn the tire but I do keep an eye on it and adjust it if needed. I turn the tire until the ends of the chain are about half way up on the back then I set the brake. Here's a video of a tool to do semi tires, kind of the same idea.

Video Demo

Then I connect the two center chains as tight as I can get them by hand (not all that tight). I then get them nice and tight with the levers on the side chains. I'm not sure about the Aquailine chains but mine have binders on both side chains. I do one sort of tight then do the other side a little tighter then go back to the first one and get it tighter. I usually use a tool like pliers to get plenty for force to tighten the chains.

I don't use the spring or rubber tension straps, never needed them. It takes me less than 5 minutes to do a side.

 

[pacerron]

I drug them out of the pole barn and positioned them on the garage floor last weekend. I have walked around them a dozen or so times since then. Kicked them around a few times and have prepared my war face. It's on for tomorrow. I'm going to Sumo wrestle with a few hundred pounds of warm Jello tomorrow.

Tire chains, as you say, make a war face. I have a 2 WD tractor with 16.9 x 28 loaded rear tires so you can imagine what the chains weigh for it. I found after a couple years of struggling it was easier to let the tractor do the work.
I lay them out straight on the barn floor behind each wheel. Then I back the tractor over the end of them a little. Next I hook a 15 inch rubber bungy cord
through the rim and attach each end to a side of the chain. Then just back up until the chain is wrapped around the tire and the loose ends are at the back a few inches off the ground. Then hook the chain keepers to the other end of the chain and put additional bungies through the rim holes and tension the sides of the chain. After driving a few feet adjust any loosness and wire the loose end pieces to the chain so they won't hit the underside of the fenders.
I have a lot of hills on my lane, in Ohio, and soon found that chains and unlocking the brake pedals for stearing was ther only way to navigate with that tractor on packed snow and ice up a grade.
Fortunately, I now also have a bigger 4WD tractor and the chains haven't been used on the old tractor for a couple years.
I really think chains are not too friendly to install or with the lugs on the tires.