Raptor tire chains recommendations please!

[Robtor310]

Cant speak for the rest of the country but with 4WD/AWD and all seasons, these are the only chains ive ever needed in Cali.

 

[Ruger]

lol how many 20% grades do you have there in NE?

LOL. Ask me that question. I live in northern Nevada and the Ruby Mountains are right outside my back door. I run DuraTracs and I'm delighted with them.

 

[bfr]

My experience is that the stock tires suck in serious snow and ice. For my 2011 I had Wrangler DuraTrac studded in LT325/65R18 mounted on Worx 803 Beast 18x9 black painted wheels. Drove like a winter rally car!

For the 2018 might do the same...or ?? But I'll start a winter tire thread for that.

So sorry, no recommendation for your chain request...other than: do you really wanna be crawling around at 5mph?

 

[ogdobber]

This got me thinking... Got my stock rims and tires on Craigslist and not getting hits... Think im going to stud them
Anyone do this?
Something like this https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/192344064637


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[xxaarraa]

This got me thinking... Got my stock rims and tires on Craigslist and not getting hits... Think im going to stud them
Anyone do this?
Something like this https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/192344064637


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Doing that by hand will take you hours, if not days. Lookup youtube videos of studding tires - takes a while even with an auto-loading stud gun.

 

[DooBs]

Yes, is sure does.
(People don't read any more.)

To be honest no I didn't. Guess what I'm going to be doing this weekend haha.

I have a set of 4 diamond pattern low profile chains. The manual says chains not recommended but does mention class s chains which are usually cables (cable chains are worth avoiding they break more often then not)
Big thing with chains is limit to 5mph and they are only for slick ice. If you can’t get there with your tires aired down to 8-10 psi and the locker in chains are not going to help.

Epic! Thanks

There are conditions in the Sierra's that the chp will check to see if you are carrying chains and won't allow you to pass if your not

This was the main concern. I didn't want to not have it and have to back track and waste hours in traffic to pick up chains.
But also if the snow is there... I don't know if I could resist the temptation to test out the truck haha.


Thank you everyone for the good feedback.
Now I know to read the manual and what set of tires to pick up next haha.
Thank you.

 

[RAPTERRIER]

Stock K02's have the snowflake symbol on the sidewall which qualifies as a traction device for the gubment, just like chains:

 

[tmd11111]

Snowflake

 

[d4nguy]

For anyone interested, here's my $0.02. I have a 2012 SCREW on 35" DuraTracs and I am a member of an 4x4 recovery organization in Colorado. I use my vehicle for high altitude off-road vehicle recovery and SAR. A few times I have found myself in snow 2'+ but I am always with a team of at least 2-4 other vehicles, mostly Jeeps, and we are all very well equipped and overbuilt. If you ever find yourself in a 2' snowdrift it does not matter what type of tires or chains your are running. You are not going anywhere without the help of others.

Regarding chains, I have a set of diamonds and a set of vbars. I can fit the diamonds on all 4 corners due to their low profile. If you read the specs on the diamonds, they are not rated for off-road use. I can attest to this as I destroyed 2 pairs of diamonds in about 6" of snow. Broke about 10 links. The diamond chains are appropriate for very hard pack or icy conditions so I only keep one set in the truck for this purpose. I don't believe I will ever need to use them but I already have them so no sense leaving them in the garage. If you had a set of studded DuraTracs they would probably perform better than these diamonds.

If you are going off road and need a heavy duty set of chains, there are no better chains than vbars. These ladder style chains are as beefy as they come, however they will not fit the front wheels because they rub the rubber boot of the ball joint and the UCA just barely enough that it will probably destroy the ball joint and damage the UCA at about 5 mph. I put them on the rears and put about $350 lbs of sandbags over my rear axle and MaxTrax for the front if needed. Going through 1' of fresh powder is no problem, but 1' of 3 day old snow that is slightly packed will be a challenge. It will pile up in front of you and eventually high center the truck.

Moral of the story is to know your limits. Diamonds are not very useful and vbars do not make you invincible. Get some studded DuraTracs,1 pair of vbars, MaxTrax and a winch and you will be as prepared as you will ever be. Also, test your equipment in a controlled environment with friends. You don't want to be using your gear for the first time when you get stuck.