How to increase the cross-country ability of the car in winter?

About the fact that with the onset of cold weather it is necessary to change the tires, all drivers know, otherwise the very first snow can cause serious problems and emergency situations. But sometimes winter tires alone are not enough. For example, in rural areas, where roads are often very poorly maintained or during icy conditions. Here we need more serious measures. Let's look at how to increase the car’s cross-country ability in winter.

Snow chains

Automotive snow chains are a fixture familiar to many of our drivers. They consist of several longitudinal cables, which are interconnected by special links in such a way that a pattern in the form of honeycombs is formed. It is the special weaving that guarantees a smooth ride and it turns out to keep the car on the road, even on a slope.

It is worth noting that the chains are not universal, they must be selected for a specific car and wheel size. That is, when changing the machine, most likely you will have to purchase a new set of chains. The installation of this device is recommended to be done in advance, before leaving a difficult section of the road. Models designed for snow are installed in one step on a standing car, usually even a jack is not required, and when the car moves, they finally get on wheels.

There are also mud versions of chains with which no roads will be scary: snow, ice, sand, wet mud and rot-everything will be for nothing! Moreover, they are cheaper in price than snowy ones. The installation of such chains also helps to keep the car in oncoming rides on an inclined road. Please note that the mud chains do not have a self-tensioning mechanism. After installing them on the wheels, it is recommended to get out of the car after a few meters and check the chain tension, and if necessary, pull them back.

Usually, it’s enough to put on the wheels of the machine one set of chains of two pieces on one axle. However, when you have to overcome a very difficult area on an all-wheel drive car, you may need to change all four wheels!

Bracelets

Bracelets on wheels are almost an analog of chains, which are simply sawn into several separate pieces. They are usually put on wheels a few at a time, because the more bracelets there are on the wheel, the higher passability will be. 3-4 bracelets are recommended for each wheel. Of course, sometimes, to get out of a snowdrift, one may be enough, however, this is rather the exception. Therefore, it is better to play it safe and fix a few pieces, evenly distributing them on the wheel. Especially bracelets in that installation is possible both in advance and already at the moment when the car is already stuck in the snow. In the second case, of course, you have to tinker, but the bracelets for use in such emergency situations are quite suitable.

Unlike snow chains, bracelets are more versatile. You do not need to select a model for the exact size of the wheel, however, before buying, please clarify this question with the seller. It is basically impossible to install them on some wheels, for example, if the slots are very narrow, or the wheel has a very small size. The bracelets themselves may differ between each other by the length of the belt and the number of links. They are divided into sizes that are designed for installation on cars, on crossovers and on large SUVs.

When using bracelets, it is worth considering that there will not be a particularly smooth ride, but on a snowy road they work perfectly, and they will also easily help to leave the snowdrift. Among the minuses of these devices can also be noted an increased load on the suspension and a possible break, if the operating rules are not observed. In general, they are not as durable as chains.

The difference in price between different sets is usually caused by the material from which the slings are made, the quality of the lock, the presence of additional protection for the disks. If you want the bracelets to serve for a long time and be as convenient as possible in use, then you should not save on fasteners. The very part of the inconvenient fasteners makes installation very difficultas much as it can complicate an already unpleasant situation when the car gets stuck in the snow.

Trucks

Traction control belts are sand tracks, or sometimes they are also called "traps". Thanks to these devices, the wheels can catch on a hard surface and overcome a difficult area. They are special profiled plates, which can be plastic, composite or aluminum. This is a very good solution if you need to pull out a car stuck in a snowdrift. You do not have to look for boards, branches and other garbage to put under the wheels. If you have tracks in the trunk, just shove them under the drive wheel in the direction of the vehicle. The big plus is that it is a universal product and is suitable for any car, of various brands. Sometimes the trucks can be used as a jack stand if you have to replace the wheels in difficult conditions on a snowy road.

You canbuy chains and anti-skid bracelets in the online store 130.com.ua. Our catalog contains a large selection of options for different cars with any wheel size. Managers will always help you choose the best option, taking into account the characteristics of your machine.

TOP 3 snow chains

Best wheel chains

Looking for a quality and the best chains on wheels? This rating of chains on wheels is made on the basis of such parameters as: high demand with positive feedback from our customers, high-quality manufacturing — absence of factory defects and service calls, and official warranty and post warranty support in Ukraine.

Snow chains on wheels Pewag Servo SUV RSV 80

Features:

★ Lock thickness 3.55 mm
★ for wheels - 255/70 R15, 275/60 R15, 215/85 R16, 225/75 R16, 235/75 R16, 245/70 R16, 255/65 R16, 235/65 R17, 215/75 R17.5, 225/65 R18, 245/60 R18, 275/45 R18, 255/45 R19, 255/40 R20
★ They have a samonyanki mechanism