Please allow for the use tire chains

[Lost in the Scout]

Please allow for the use tire chains. There are some situations where no traction mode will help, and the only thing that is going to get you there are chains/cables.

I know there are tire socks, and they help. But they just are not the same thing.

 

[78Traveler]

As the youngest kid, who had to get out in the knee deep muck to lock the hubs in several original Scouts...I was just thinking today how I'd not only like some modern chains FROM Scout.

I'm sure it wouldn't be TOO hard to find the best modern type to work with the vehicle. Do a little testing and let people know the best way to use them with an EV. Maybe there is something I'd need to know? Or maybe the vehicle would need to know it had chains on? Not sure, but as another winter storm approaches Texas....and I'm thinkin of driving to our place in Maine...I think of chains. Hope someone else hears this! Thanks for the thread!

 

[04Ram2500Hemi]

I’m bringing this back as a plea for room for tire chains. I found myself in the woods today 20 miles from anything with a foot of snow (and more in places) with nowhere to turn around. The snow in places was also mixed with ice and mud. It was the most nervous I’ve been in years when in the woods. @Jamie@ScoutMotors for all things holy, please let the Scouts work with snow chains!

 

[R1TVT]

Not a chain guy, but my Winter wheels and dedicated winter tires go on this week.

Huge fan of running Nokians (Hakka LT3's), but could be an entire thread on the subject of snow tires alone

 

[cyure]

Not a chain guy, but my Winter wheels and dedicated winter tires go on this week.

Huge fan of running Nokians (Hakka LT3's), but could be an entire thread on the subject of snow tires alone

Okay I have never switched for winter tires. I just run DuraTracs all year long. I always thought snow tires were studded. Is that the case or is there something else?

 

[Chaz26]

Okay I have never switched for winter tires. I just run DuraTracs all year long. I always thought snow tires were studded. Is that the case or is there something else?

You can get winter tires that are studded, but also ones that are not. The compound in the tires is different to all season/summer tires which allow them to work better in colder temperatures (typically best below 45f or 7c). The tread design is also more aggressive to help get through snow. You can get winter tires that are more snow focused like Nokians or you can get others that might be better in cold and rain while not quite as good in heavy snow (but still better than all seasons). Studded don't really help much in the snow, they are mainly beneficial for ice.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

I have a set of chains for my Lightning. I don’t use them. Never needed chains for any of my vehicles, despite the ~100 inches average snowfall here. I have them so when I travel I can demonstrate that I have chains for those places that care. I find studless winter tires are the best for our area.

 

[R1TVT]

Okay I have never switched for winter tires. I just run DuraTracs all year long. I always thought snow tires were studded. Is that the case or is there something else?

LT3's are "studdable", but I run them studless. The design of the tread, the added sipes, the cold-specific tire compound and the tire's ability to grip, stop and shed snow are unbeatable.

I try to spend as much of my winter free-time outdoors and would go insane indoors all winter. Time spent in the mountains in a cold climate (where you are seeking out snow) requires really good tire performance, and this is the #1 best thing you can do to improve winter performance and safety if you choose to do a lot of driving in the snow, or where it could be snowing. Combining better tire performance with systems like Snow Mode (and lower regen in an EV) are also important in a heavier vehicle like an EV truck.

 

[BeerParty]

Please allow for the use tire chains. There are some situations where no traction mode will help, and the only thing that is going to get you there are chains/cables.

I know there are tire socks, and they help. But they just are not the same thing.

I am not sure what you are actually asking for here. I know that some manufacturers suggest not using chains, but when I dig into the details that is due to potential damage to the wheels. I don't know of any manufacturer that doesn't allow tire chains. Is there a vehicle like the Scout that you can't put tire chains on?

 

[cyure]

I am not sure what you are actually asking for here. I know that some manufacturers suggest not using chains, but when I dig into the details that is due to potential damage to the wheels. I don't know of any manufacturer that doesn't allow tire chains. Is there a vehicle like the Scout that you can't put tire chains on?

I had an Audi A4 Wagon years ago that said don’t put chains on it but I had no idea why.

 

[BeerParty]

Okay I have never switched for winter tires. I just run DuraTracs all year long. I always thought snow tires were studded. Is that the case or is there something else?

Snow tires have the option to be studded, but that is not the defining characteristic. Studded tires are not allowed in some US states and in other US states they are only allowed during the winter months (for example, in Massachusetts studded tires are only allowed from November to April). The main things that define a good winter tire are the rubber used and the tread pattern.

From the Bridgestone website:

Winter tires are specifically designed to handle the challenges of driving in the most dangerous months of the year. From their tread patterns all the way down to the chemical compounds in the tread rubber, they are built specifically to provide better grip and more control in winter conditions.

 

[Logan]

I have a set of chains for my Lightning. I don’t use them. Never needed chains for any of my vehicles, despite the ~100 inches average snowfall here. I have them so when I travel I can demonstrate that I have chains for those places that care. I find studless winter tires are the best for our area.

The only times I've needed chains, were in pretty severe conditions. But I have needed them. And its amazing how well they work.

My parents cabins aren't all that far from where I believe you are. This was in early 2021, when they got something like 3ft of snow at their cabin, in like 36hrs. They had 8 miles of fairly well maintained (but not plowed) non-paved forest service road to get through, just to get to the highway, to eventually get into Payson. And every road out of Payson was closed.

The snow came up past my knees - about my inseam in most places. Which meant that the snow came up over the bumper on the 2002 F150 FX4 supercrew my parents have (up to/level with the bumper, but wasn't going into the grill, if that helps with visualization).

This fell overnight. I'd shoveled/cleared some of their driveway area the night before, and its just behind the carport area, which is why this part isn't quite up to the bumper there. And that thing on the left is a picnic bench. The top is almost level with the snow there. You can actually see the chains there (we put them on the night before).

Which means that when driving, we were pushing snow/compacting where we were driving. Its hard to tell in the photo below, but the there is a foot or so difference in height between the underbody area, and the areas to the side of the tire tracks. And you can see where the pumpkin for the rear axle was scraping along (we did a quick check down a shorter run of the road, to make sure we could get out before we closed down the cabin/actually committed to loading up and leaving. In case we got stuck we could hike back to the cabin and wait it out).

On the way out (photo above), we came across at least 5-10 other trucks/SUVs/SidebySides that were stuck/stranded/abandoned. Some were in the ditch on the side of the road, some were just right in the center. We were chained up front and rear, in a non-lifted, bone stock F150 FX4, and made it out just fine.

Another time we were up there in similar weather, and we had to tow a ford explorer full of people out the whole 8 miles back to the highway. Again, we had chains (that was actually our first time we used them), and they didn't, and it made all the difference in the world.

For this type of vehicle, I'd really hope that we can use actual chains, and not just cables, or "snow socks".

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

The only times I've needed chains, were in pretty severe conditions. But I have needed them. And its amazing how well they work.

My parents cabins aren't all that far from where I believe you are. This was in early 2021, when they got something like 3ft of snow at their cabin, in like 36hrs. They had 8 miles of fairly well maintained (but not plowed) non-paved forest service road to get through, just to get to the highway, to eventually get into Payson. And every road out of Payson was closed.

The snow came up past my knees - about my inseam in most places. Which meant that the snow came up over the bumper on the 2002 F150 FX4 supercrew my parents have (up to/level with the bumper, but wasn't going into the grill, if that helps with visualization).

This fell overnight. I'd shoveled/cleared some of their driveway area the night before, and its just behind the carport area, which is why this part isn't quite up to the bumper there. And that thing on the left is a picnic bench. The top is almost level with the snow there. You can actually see the chains there (we put them on the night before).

View attachment 10999

Which means that when driving, we were pushing snow/compacting where we were driving. Its hard to tell in the photo below, but the there is a foot or so difference in height between the underbody area, and the areas to the side of the tire tracks. And you can see where the pumpkin for the rear axle was scraping along (we did a quick check down a shorter run of the road, to make sure we could get out before we closed down the cabin/actually committed to loading up and leaving. In case we got stuck we could hike back to the cabin and wait it out).

View attachment 10996

On the way out (photo above), we came across at least 5-10 other trucks/SUVs/SidebySides that were stuck/stranded/abandoned. Some were in the ditch on the side of the road, some were just right in the center. We were chained up front and rear, in a non-lifted, bone stock F150 FX4, and made it out just fine.

Another time we were up there in similar weather, and we had to tow a ford explorer full of people out the whole 8 miles back to the highway. Again, we had chains (that was actually our first time we used them), and they didn't, and it made all the difference in the world.

For this type of vehicle, I'd really hope that we can use actual chains, and not just cables, or "snow socks".

I believe this storm was one of the several that brought a total of 40 inches of snow to our home in a similar time period (we live on a 2-mile gravel road that’s poorly maintained). We didn’t have the Lightning at the time. I had the snow tires on the Tacoma. The Taco had only about one inch more clearance than the Lightning has. The Taco did fine without chains.

But different snow, different temperatures, different conditions, etc., despite being relatively nearby geographically and the same system.

I didn’t mean to imply that chains aren’t useful. I have owned chains or cables for every truck/suv I’ve owned. It’s just that personally have rarely found use for them.

 

[Logan]

I believe this storm was one of the several that brought a total of 40 inches of snow to our home in a similar time period (we live on a 2-mile gravel road that’s poorly maintained). We didn’t have the Lightning at the time. I had the snow tires on the Tacoma. The Taco had only about one inch more clearance than the Lightning has. The Taco did fine without chains.

But different snow, different temperatures, different conditions, etc., despite being relatively nearby geographically and the same system.

I didn’t mean to imply that chains aren’t useful. I have owned chains or cables for every truck/suv I’ve owned. It’s just that personally have rarely found use for them.

Oh, sure. I hear you. With that in mind, I've had a set of chains in my Jeep for 15 years, and have never used them . Never needed it.

But, I guess I'm more saying "the Scout is a type of vehicle, that I'd hope would be allowed/supported to use them on, instead of lame snow socks".

For reference my Ioniq 9 (an "SUV" with 6.9in of ground clearance) says not to use snow chains. But thats not the sort of vehicle I expect to have with me in situations like the above.

But the Scout is EXACTLY what I'd want in those situations.

 

[J Alynn]

The only times I've needed chains, were in pretty severe conditions. But I have needed them. And its amazing how well they work.

My parents cabins aren't all that far from where I believe you are. This was in early 2021, when they got something like 3ft of snow at their cabin, in like 36hrs. They had 8 miles of fairly well maintained (but not plowed) non-paved forest service road to get through, just to get to the highway, to eventually get into Payson. And every road out of Payson was closed.

The snow came up past my knees - about my inseam in most places. Which meant that the snow came up over the bumper on the 2002 F150 FX4 supercrew my parents have (up to/level with the bumper, but wasn't going into the grill, if that helps with visualization).

This fell overnight. I'd shoveled/cleared some of their driveway area the night before, and its just behind the carport area, which is why this part isn't quite up to the bumper there. And that thing on the left is a picnic bench. The top is almost level with the snow there. You can actually see the chains there (we put them on the night before).

View attachment 10999

Which means that when driving, we were pushing snow/compacting where we were driving. Its hard to tell in the photo below, but the there is a foot or so difference in height between the underbody area, and the areas to the side of the tire tracks. And you can see where the pumpkin for the rear axle was scraping along (we did a quick check down a shorter run of the road, to make sure we could get out before we closed down the cabin/actually committed to loading up and leaving. In case we got stuck we could hike back to the cabin and wait it out).

View attachment 10996

On the way out (photo above), we came across at least 5-10 other trucks/SUVs/SidebySides that were stuck/stranded/abandoned. Some were in the ditch on the side of the road, some were just right in the center. We were chained up front and rear, in a non-lifted, bone stock F150 FX4, and made it out just fine.

Another time we were up there in similar weather, and we had to tow a ford explorer full of people out the whole 8 miles back to the highway. Again, we had chains (that was actually our first time we used them), and they didn't, and it made all the difference in the world.

For this type of vehicle, I'd really hope that we can use actual chains, and not just cables, or "snow socks".

Beautiful setting