How to Use Emergency Tire Chains
Emergency tire chains are used on road tires during icy and snowy conditions and are often required in steep regions such as the Rockies, the Cascades and the Sierra Nevada mountains. Snow chains help you maintain control of your vehicle during dangerous weather conditions by allowing you to retain more traction on the road. Understanding how to properly affix snow chains on your vehicle before threatening conditions strike is always a good idea, so you will be aptly prepared if they are needed in a pinch.
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Instructions
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Park the car in an area where you can test the chains before getting onto a main road or highway. Remove the chains from their case, loosening and untangling all of the chain links so they hang freely.
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2
Position each of the two chains next to the tires you will put them on. Place chains in the front for front-wheel drive vehicles and in the back for rear-wheel drive cars.
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3
Put the car in "Park," and secure the parking brake. Hold one of the chains from the top and position it over the tire, placing it evenly over the exposed part of the wheel. Repeat the process on the second wheel.
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4
Return to the car and remove the parking brake. If safe, move forward just enough to expose the rest of the wheel to the chain. Return the car to "Park" and secure the parking brake.
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Secure the two chains on the rest of each wheel, and tighten with the closer link located on each of the snow chains. Return to the car, take off the parking brake and drive approximately 80 feet. Stop the car, returning it to "Park."
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Retighten the chains, which gained slack from evening themselves out across the tires.
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Tips & Warnings
Ring-type snow chains have rings that fit inside the wheel to help guide chains correctly in place. Place the open connections on the bottom of the wheel.
Follow the tire chain packaging guideline in order to find the correct snow chains for your vehicle make and model.
Never use chains that are too small or large for your vehicle; this can result in car damage and dangerous driving on the road.
