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Inkblotz
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Georgia
Vehicle(s): 90 300GD "Thundering Turtle II", w/ 603A turbo
Posts: 3185
| The answer to snow chains??
Has anyone ever tried these before? We don't get snow much so this my be old hat for some of you. Watch the video.
http://www.ecstuning.com/Mercedes_Benz-2002-G500-463.249-Base-Sport...
Mark
Edited by Inkblotz 1/3/2011 7:47 AM
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Brent
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: SW Colorado USA
Vehicle(s): '13 Wolfsburg GTI
Posts: 1754
| RE: The answer to snow chains??
Hard to believe that something as simple as a sock for your tires would work. As far as I know though they have been approved as "chains" for big rigs in Colorado where chain laws in the winter are common, necessary and enforced. |
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roughneck
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: UK, Germany & USA
Vehicle(s): 270 cdi.300 GD 300 GE.lwb 300 GE.swb. Disco 2
Posts: 4398
| RE: The answer to snow chains??
I suppose it makes sense, In the old black and white days a burlap or hessian sack thrown under a wheel would help you get away. |
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Fenalaar
Elite Veteran
Date registered: May 2006
Location: Narvik, Norway
Vehicle(s): 2001 ML270CDI, Polaris 400L Big Boss
Posts: 826
| RE: The answer to snow chains??
That's a copycat product.
Here's the original one: http://autosock.com/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYjIDvSdzHQ
They work wery well, actually. There's a lot of car magazines over here that has tested it, with good results.
Oh, by the way. A nice, cheap way for getting out of a problematic situation is to keep a couple of rolled-up lengths of old carpet in the car. Putting them under the wheels will do to get the car out of a troublesome spot.
Oh, by the way. While the Autosocks are relatively sturdy, they'll quckly get worn out if you drive with the on gritted roads or bare asphalt, so it's not something you can drive with all winter.
Johan-Kr
Edited by Fenalaar 1/3/2011 10:24 AM
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Inkblotz
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Georgia
Vehicle(s): 90 300GD "Thundering Turtle II", w/ 603A turbo
Posts: 3185
| Re: The answer to snow chains??
Have a look at these. I have never seen anything like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixRPPajfPPw&feature=related
Mark |
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Loki Laufeyjarson
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: 66°N, 19°W
Vehicle(s):
| RE: The answer to snow chains??
Snow chains and similar "add ons" are essentials for snowplows and other slow heavy machinery. Snowchains can be handy for big rigs on steep slopes and as an "emergency equipment to tackle ONE slope or ONE driveway.
But life is to short to use chains as a transport solution. Only decent cars and good snow tires can solve real distances on slippery roads.
I see snow chains as something than can be useful for cars on summer tires.
Snowchains were common 40 years ago but I have not seen snowchains up her on ordinary cars or 4x4, - since last century.... |
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roughneck
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: UK, Germany & USA
Vehicle(s): 270 cdi.300 GD 300 GE.lwb 300 GE.swb. Disco 2
Posts: 4398
| RE: The answer to snow chains??
Loki Laufeyjarson - 1/3/2011 3:52 PM
Snow chains and similar "add ons" are essentials for snowplows and other slow heavy machinery. Snowchains can be handy for big rigs on steep slopes and as an "emergency equipment to tackle ONE slope or ONE driveway.
But life is to short to use chains as a transport solution. Only decent cars and good snow tires can solve real distances on slippery roads.
I see snow chains as something than can be useful for cars on summer tires.
Snowchains were common 40 years ago but I have not seen snowchains up her on ordinary cars or 4x4, - since last century....
In the UK we have strange policies about snow, and tyres, and chains, for example, I fit snow tyres on my Volvo because of places I go in EU, however I have to inform my insurance that I have modified my car, and my insurance cost is increased.
If you block a major highway because you have totaly inadequte tyres for the conditions, the police will neither help nor hinder you, However, drive to the super market with a few cm,s of snow on your roof and a frozen washer bottle, and you stand a risk of being pulled over, fined £60-00 x2 and negative points put on your licence. |
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nadd
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: UAE, Dubai
Vehicle(s): G500 2016 LHD, numerous Chevys
Posts: 1285
| Re: The answer to snow chains??
That is a brilliant idea, best thing about it is the ease of switching on/off.
Not sure how it would fare in the long run, or if you accidentally flip the switch at 100kph. |
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Brent
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: SW Colorado USA
Vehicle(s): '13 Wolfsburg GTI
Posts: 1754
| RE: The answer to snow chains??
Loki Laufeyjarson - 1/3/2011 8:52 AM
Snow chains and similar "add ons" are essentials for snowplows and other slow heavy machinery. Snowchains can be handy for big rigs on steep slopes and as an "emergency equipment to tackle ONE slope or ONE driveway.
But life is to short to use chains as a transport solution. Only decent cars and good snow tires can solve real distances on slippery roads.
I see snow chains as something than can be useful for cars on summer tires.
Snowchains were common 40 years ago but I have not seen snowchains up her on ordinary cars or 4x4, - since last century....
Chains are a requirement for semi trucks and other commercial vehicles on the mountain passes. Passenger vehicles in Colorado are never required to have or use chains, I think California is different though.
I like the chain policy because it keeps those big trucks moving slowly when appropriate. In a country this large you end up with truck drivers not familiar with winter driving, chain laws force them to slow down. Unfortunately these socks probably allow them to drive fast again 
I carry a set of chains for accessing parking areas when I snowmobile. They are usually only on for a few miles but if you don't have a set, you are not getting up the road, regardless of what kind of tires and vehicle you have. I also travel the passes extensively in winter and having additional traction aids has come in handy a few times. Travelling alone in these areas means being prepared to self extricate or wait hours for a tow. I find chains to be a very useful tool.
I would be interested to see how the tire socks work in deep snow, somehow I doubt they are as effective in the conditions I rely on chains for. |
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Fenalaar
Elite Veteran
Date registered: May 2006
Location: Narvik, Norway
Vehicle(s): 2001 ML270CDI, Polaris 400L Big Boss
Posts: 826
| RE: The answer to snow chains??
Now Jaguar is equipping their cars with the Autosock as a part of their "winter package".
http://translate.google.com/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&l...
(Bear in mind that Google Translate isn't exactly perfect, so it sometimes makes a hash of things, but this translation wasn't too bad...)
Johan-Kr |
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Brent
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: SW Colorado USA
Vehicle(s): '13 Wolfsburg GTI
Posts: 1754
| RE: The answer to snow chains??
I finally took the time to watch the video. It is very disengenuous IMO. When they do not have the socks on you can clearly see them trying to spin tires and toss the cars into a slide. Once they fit the socks they drive like grandma. I didn't find that to be very informative but very much a sales pitch biased towards selling the product. I think it is impossible to tell how much the socks help from that demo. |
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Inkblotz
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Georgia
Vehicle(s): 90 300GD "Thundering Turtle II", w/ 603A turbo
Posts: 3185
| Re: The answer to snow chains??
Brent
Initially I thought so too, but then I went to all the youtube videos and was pretty impressed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1pg99Z5CK4
Michelin has their own version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dsT4kmD25Q&NR=1&feature=fvwp
Mark
Edited by Inkblotz 1/4/2011 10:15 AM
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burqueDOKA
Elite Veteran
Date registered: Jul 2006
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Vehicle(s): 1550L37Doka, 404 ROCKMOG, '00 G500
Posts: 622
| Re: The answer to snow chains??
We use these as a first line of defense on the fire engine I drive. They work quite well, especially being that they come on at the flick of a switch. They have issue if you need to back up and maneuver around a parking lot, you need to switch them off. I still have, and use the regular chains when the s**t gets real though. |
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ogrenutz
Elite Veteran
Date registered: Apr 2007
Location: Peoples Republic of Virginia
Vehicle(s): '81 300 GD Cabrio
Posts: 821
| Re: The answer to snow chains??
We use them on a few trucks. Ok for plowed roads but absolutely pointless if you have to break tracks in even a modest amount of snow. |
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thairish
Date registered: Jun 2006
Location: hk/th
Vehicle(s): 461: 230ge/swb & g300cdi/lwb
| Re: The answer to snow chains??
Has anybody here actually tried either the Autosock or Michelin Easygrip? |
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