Interesting winter wheel chains

~smokey~ · February 08, 2016, 03:55:10 AM

Never seen anything like these, I would imagine under certain circumstances they would come in pretty handy.

https://youtu.be/IPd3O5_SJEs

snowstorm · February 08, 2016, 06:43:34 AM

there are a few fire trucks and oil trucks with them. the trouble with them is they only work if the truck is moving

Ocklawahaboy · February 08, 2016, 06:55:53 AM

Looks like if they were not lined up just right they would beat your side walls to death. It is interesting to see what y'all put yourselves through up there though.

Skip · February 08, 2016, 07:16:16 AM

All the school buses here have them,.

coxy · February 08, 2016, 07:30:42 AM

if your going to slow they don't work they just hit the in side of the tire I think they are the worst thing they ever invented it makes SOME people think they can go any place

yukon cornelius · February 08, 2016, 07:55:36 AM

We had them on all fire trucks and ambulances. Ours got stuck either up or or down often.

bill m · February 08, 2016, 07:15:18 PM

The "Onspot" brand seam to be the most popular in this area. Just about every Oil, Propane, Ambulance and firetruck have them.

JJ · February 08, 2016, 10:41:43 PM

I've seen them in action on school bus and oil trucks; they do work. All emergency trucks and ambulances have them in in this area as well.
since spun by tire rotation, I do not see how they could damage sidewalls, but do no good if not moving.

JJ

kensfarm · February 08, 2016, 10:51:43 PM

Quote from: Skip on February 08, 2016, 07:16:16 AM
All the school buses here have them,.

The buses in PA too.

Ljohnsaw · February 08, 2016, 10:57:55 PM

Quote from: JJ on February 08, 2016, 10:41:43 PM
I've seen them in action on school bus and oil trucks; they do work. All emergency trucks and ambulances have them in in this area as well.
since spun by tire rotation, I do not see how they could damage sidewalls, but do no good if not moving.

JJ

Take a look again at the video around 1:20 - the tires were spinning and then deployed the roto-grip and off they go. That is a really neat invention!

starmac · February 09, 2016, 01:35:59 AM

They work, sort of. Quite a few truckers installed them, some because they had the fancy fenders and couldn't chain up, others because you can legally run without chaining up when the chain law is up, but if ou need chains, they do not cut it. lol

hamish · February 09, 2016, 07:06:47 PM

Quote from: snowstorm on February 08, 2016, 06:43:34 AM
there are a few fire trucks and oil trucks with them. the trouble with them is they only work if the truck is moving

Well that's kind of the whole point of any tire chain system...............to get moving.................

~smokey~ · February 09, 2016, 07:20:19 PM

Even if the vehicle isn't moving I'm guessing if you get the wheels spinning it would engage the chains, I wonder if they make a cable version of these, they would do less damage to the roads and you wouldn't have the same flailing action of the chains.

thecfarm · February 09, 2016, 08:40:44 PM

I've never seen them before.

Ljohnsaw · February 09, 2016, 08:50:54 PM

So I was coming back down the hill from my property (no snow on the roads) and there was a CDF (California Department of Fire) truck (a brush fire truck) and low and behold, there was a handful of short chains hanging down by each back tire. Guess they use them out here, too. I'll have to stop in and talk with some of the guys to see how they work in our snow.