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Motoring Discussion > Snowchains - a cautionary tale	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: IJWS14	Replies: 0

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Thu 12 Dec 13 09:29

Snowchains - a cautionary tale - IJWS14

SWMBO was desirous of seeing the alps in winter so booked a chalet for the first week of December. Advice was that you must have snow chains if it snows as there will be a blue sign at the bottom of the hill.

Car is a Passat SE on standard 7 1/2 inch 8 17 wheels - manual says snow chains cannot be fitted and VW helpfully sent a list of wheel/tyre combinations which can be used and fitted with chains.

It is a company car so changing wheels difficult (admin wise).

Internet shows both Weissenfels (an Italian company) and Thule make chains which they claim can be used (although both say follow instructions in the manual which of course says they cannot be used . . . .)

Second hand set of Weissenfels "Clack and Go Quatro" chains purchased and they are fitted to the tyre size by adjusting links, not tensioned as standard chains are. Before leaving set the chains up to fit the part worn Pirellis on the front.

In Metz I touched a kerb and the net effect was that I ended up with two new Continentals on the front (one the spare). Arrived in the Alps without needing to fit the chains but with more snow forecast decided spend some of Sunday morning trying them out on the snow covered drive . . . was so cold some of the gravel and snow was frozen to the tyres.

Chains would not fit and needed re-adjustment for the unworn tyres. Glad I found out in the sunshine of Sunday morning and not at the bottom of a hill in a snowstorm at minus 9 in the dark!

Overall these work, are easy to fit and don't foul anything so allow chains to be used, but they do need adjusting for tyre size AND wear so I will need to check the fitting each winter. They are neat on the new tyres and are currently adjusted as large as they will go and bigger than Weissenfels say they need to be for this size tyre which is apparently common?

Critical point is that they meet the French regulations so covered me for the 200 or so miles we did the wrong side of blue signs which I now know only appear in winter, are taken down each spring and are at the bottom of almost every slope in the Alps.

The worrying bit is that SWMBO thinks that I don't need to worry about snow now as I have chains. Leaving Pontarlier for Lausanne after 5-6" overnight snow on top of the similar amount already laying (roads cleared) when we got there she was totally unconcerned. I delayed starting til it was light and was ready to turn round and drink coffee for a couple of hours while they cleared the roads if it was too bad. I view the chains as being there to get me out of trouble, not into it.

Will keep the chains until the car goes and sell them if they don't fit the next one.

SWMBO wants to go back next year!

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