Not to hijack the Thanksgiving snow thread......

Do you prefer to put on 1 set of snow chains or 2 sets?

4 wheel drive I put on front set if I have to put on back set it is time to turn around. 2 wheel drives I only put on One set. I was born and raised in snow country disregard first rule at your own risk.

I have never used chains on my pickup, but if I did they would go on the front. And I couldn't agree with you more, if I had to put them on the back tires, time to turn around.

I should have said the drive tires, in a front wheel drive car they go on the front, rear wheel drive they go on the back.

Usually only on the front on a 4X4 however there still has been many times I've used them all the way around on my 4X4's guess it really depends on ones confidence or thrill level !!

All four on 4x4 I believe it reduces the strain on transfer case when both front and rear axles have the same amount of traction. Not a mechanics opinion just mine. On two wheel just the drive axel.

I have never heard of chaining up front wheels on a 4x4 until I was hunting in Utah one season. Roads were snowy and muddy, guide explained putting them on the front allows for traction + steering....had never occurred to me before. I keep a set of 4 under the back seat of my 2500, only had to use them twice.

I started driving 50 years ago and have had to chain up multiple times every year since. The mountains get up to 12 feet of snow and ours is usually wet and heavy. You don't get off the main roads without chains. Even the logging trucks chain up. Post men and delivery drivers may go days without taking their chains off.

I was hunting mule deer In Wyoming and was contemplating driving down Into this steep ditch to cross Into the next sec of land. We had a 4 wheel Bronco and we weren't sure about making It through.

Then along comes this cowboy he stops at the ditch and gets out and chains up his front wheels on a 2 wheel drive pickup. So being curious I went over and asked him why. He said, son If you can't steer you your not going to make it.

I do both front and rear square links. Our camp road turns to solid ice and is off road. To me using only one set of chains is risky and if you get into a situation that requires the second set . You may not be able to stop and put them on. The cost of four chains versus truck repair or injuries to your self and passengers out ways taking a chance with one set of chains in my opinion.

I got a good laugh when I was in California for work watching people at the chain up areas putting chains on the rear of front wheel drive cars. It was one of those "hold my beer and watch this" kind of shows. I made sure I got out ahead of them though, I knew what was about to happen.

^^this is what I did when living in Idaho, not here in Hades.

front chains on my 87 Yota would get me thru nearly 16" but put em on the back as well, to get thru 24". After that, I'm plowing up over the hood and time to turn around.

kept mine on for weeks, just going to work and back...used bungy cords for tensioners.

Traprjohn what part of Idaho were you in?

I got 2 sets and have had to chain up all 4's , not very often. There's only about 2 months out of the year here in our mountains that your safe to hang the chains at home. One thing i love is the spider web tensioners.

I haven't had to put on 2 sets but a few times. There are times waking up at camp to a good snowfall and it is better to be safe than sorry especially on narrow mountain roads.

Elk hunting in Colorado we would commonly chain up. We were usually pulling horse trailers into back country on a "no maintenance" road. If we got out to chain up, we always did all 4 tires. Many times that was on the way in, 3rd season, and we would leave them on till we came out and hit maintained road.

Now that you guys mention chains, I have a 2 wheel drive truck but I don't think I will need them here in east TN right ??

I'm of the mind set to chain up front and back tires on my 4wd just because it's a steering thing I like the control.
With that said I build my own chains to fit whatever I own and instead of a cross link every 4 side links mine are every 2 side links for a smoother ride if thing's are really bad I'd put the chains with ice breaker links up front then hang on it's about to get western ha ha .

What's sad is many of the newer 4wd vehicle's don't have the fender clearance for tire chain's and most tire companies won't allow their tires to be sipped to really improve traction and improve the life of the tires.

Lap chains can be handy also,when you don't quite need to chain right up.