Snow Chains - Frequently Asked Questions

I have a 4 x 4, do I really need snow chains?

The answer is YES. While 4 x 4 vehicles offer superior grip over conventional 2 wheel drive systems, snow chains significantly increase the available traction, beyond that offered by even specialised snow tyres. In addition to this, when travelling abroad you will find police and local authorities may prevent you from driving into many European ski resorts without snow chains.

How many snow chains do I need?

• Front wheel drive - 1 pair of snow chains fitted to front wheels
• Rear wheel drive - See note below
• 4 wheel drive:
  • Permanent 4 wheel drive: 2 sets of chains.
  • Manually selectable 4 wheel drive:
    • Moderate conditions: Engage 2wd mode, 1 set of chains. If vehicle becomes stuck in snow, 4wd may be engaged, but should immediately be disengaged once vehicle can be moved freely in order to avoid risk of damage to drivetrain due to differing wheel rolling circumferences.
    • Extreme conditions: Engage 4wd mode, 2 sets of chains.
  • Electronically controlled 4wd: 2 sets of chains.
  • Land Rover Freelander 1 (including 04 on facelift): 2 sets of chains. If 1 set of chains has to be used, these must be fitted to the rear wheels. Fitting chains to the front wheels only may result in damage to the VCU and/or IRD.

All vehicles will benefit from snow chains fitted to all wheels to gain lateral grip, to either reduce understeer on rear wheel drive vehicles or to reduce oversteer on front wheel drive and 4 x 4 vehicles.

My vehicle is rear wheel drive, should I fit them on the steering or driving wheels?

1. The safer (but more expensive) option would be to run chains all round. This obviously gives consistent grip at both ends of the vehicle, and maximum resilience against harsh conditions.
2. The alternative is to run chains just on the driven rear wheels. This ensures that the vehicle keeps moving forwards, but leaves you with reduced grip on the front of the vehicle. As a result, the vehicle will have an inherent tendancy to understeer. Conventional wisdom says that if a car is going to either under or oversteer, understeer is the safer option, as most competant drivers can easily assess the available grip, and any loss of control can normally be controlled easily by simply removing any throttle and brake that's being applied until steering is regained.

My car has large wheels and tyres with very little room to fit snow chains.

We sell a range of 'slim fit chains' for vehicles with low clearance. The easiest way to determine if your vehicle has a problem with clearance is to run your fingers around the entire wheel/tyre, if your fingers clear the suspension, wheel arch and inner wing then chains can generally be fitted. If this is not possible, we would recommend contacting us for further clarification.

I have a new car with alloy wheels, will snow chains damage/scratch the wheels?

All of our Konig and Thule snow chains are designed to clear the wheels. The self tensioning system that sits across the front of the wheel is rubber coated/plastic coated, so no damage will occur.