Tire Chains & Snow Chains for Tires – A Buyer’s Guide

By: Discount Tire

When the weather takes a turn for the worst, people come to us with a few common questions. “Where can I buy tire chains?” and “how do I put chains on my tires?”

We have plenty of great tire chain options to help keep you safe this winter. For quick grip that doesn’t give up when the weather is truly at its worst, a set of snow chains for your tires may be your only choice. Chains are handy if you need traction quickly but don’t have the time or ability to install a dedicated set of winter tires and your vehicle isn’t AWD or 4x4.

If you think a winter tire and wheel package will better suit your needs, we have a great assortment to choose from.

But if you’re going to be facing truly harsh winter road conditions such as heavy snow, black ice and worse, then you just might need aggressive traction provided by a set of tire chains.

Before you go ahead and get a set of tire chains installed, be sure to check your state guidelines. In some states, tire chains and studded tires are only legal for use from November through early spring, while others have banned them entirely.

Choosing the best tire chains for snow

So, once you’re certain that you do in fact need tire chains to combat the elements, (and that you’re legally allowed to run with chains when needed) then it all comes down to choosing the right tire snow chains for your needs.

However, when you want snow chains installed on your ride, you need to know the size of your tires. (If you need help, check out our tire size guide for help reading tire sizes.)

Types of Tire Chains

Once you know the right size chains you need for your ride, you need to know the type of chain that will best suit your needs. Here’s a quick breakdown of the tire chain types we keep on hand:

Cable Tire Chains

For the driver who is looking for aggressive traction in ice and snow with lower clearance needs, we offer our cable tire chains.

As the name implies, these tire chains are made with a basic cable construction. This helps keep clearance low, meeting Class “S” clearance needs.

Another big advantage to our cable tire chains? They’re lightweight, which reduces their impact on your fuel economy and helps you maintain reasonable fuel consumption levels (when compared to heavier tire chain fuel usage).

As with all of the great Peerless products we offer, these tire chains are also easy to install and remove.

Of course, you can always let us install your tire chains. After all, there’s nothing easier than letting someone else take care of your tire needs, right?

Auto-Trac Snow Chains

Get the full-tilt winter traction of a set of cable tire chains, but with an easier installation process: our Auto-Trac Chains can help you battle whatever winter brings your way.

With its unique self-tensioning system and aggressive chain link design, automatic tensioning chains work to make sure your tire chains stay right where they’re supposed to stay—between your tires and snow or ice.

All you have to do is install the chains and attach the two outside self-tighteners. The auto-tension system will tighten the chains up as you drive.

If you want to dive into the tech talk, you may want to know that these chains are built with a manganese alloy that keeps them smaller and stronger, so they’re less likely to fly off while you’re accelerating.

And thanks to some pretty clever engineering by the folks at Peerless, these auto-trac tire chains have a smaller cross section, which reduces impact while providing more of that ice-cold winter grip you’re searching for.

Snow Socks – SuperSox

SuperSox from Peerless are a great way to improve your vehicle’s grip on ice and in snow without causing the same levels of discomfort and noise that you’d get from a standard set of snow chains.

Rather than functioning like a tire chain, you can think of SuperSox as a way to add temporary studs to your non-studded tire.

Built with a tough urethane liner and built-in metal spikes, Peerless SuperSox are designed to bite into ice and snow and keep you firmly planted on slick winter roads.

And the best part is they’re quick and easy to install when the weather goes south. They’re also equally easy to remove when it all clears up again.

Tire Chain Tensioners

Unless you’re rocking a set of self-adjusting tire chains (a great option, if we say so ourselves), then you’ll need a set of tire chain tensioners.

Simply put, this is a tough loop of rubber that wraps through hooks in your snow chains to help hold them firmly in place and prevent you from losing traction (or even losing the chains off your tires as you drive).

What to consider before buying snow chains

While snow chains can be a quick solution to get serious winter traction without having to changeover to a dedicated set of snow or studded snow tires, they do have some drawbacks you might want to keep in mind.

• First, they’ll cause a significantly rougher ride than regular winter tires or even studded winter tires.
• Second, they require that you maintain a very slow driving pace. While a slower pace is ideal during inclement winter weather, this can be a problem when the roads clear up.
• Finally, even the best tire chains are prone to breaking or coming off while you’re driving. Not only can this leave you stranded, it can also require you to re-install your snow chains on icy streets or in a high traffic area.

If you truly need the best possible traction for this winter season, you may want to consider a dedicated set of winter or studded winter tires.

Check out our page about the difference between studded tires and snow chains to learn more! 

And if you have any other questions about staying safe on those winter roads, check out our winter tire FAQ page where we address some of the most common questions about winter tire safety.

If you’re ready to outfit your vehicle with quick, powerful traction for snow and ice, we can get you back on the road in no time. Feel free to schedule an appointment or just stop by your nearest location to get your tire chains installed.

For more information on this and other tire and wheel services, check out our YouTube Channel or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.