All the snowchains are are sold in pairs, and need to be fitted to the driving wheels.  Some people also fit them to the non driving wheels, which certainly improves all round stability, but is definitely not necessary.  4 x 4 drivers should fit snowchains to the front wheels unless we tell you which wheels to use – please check the snow chains database for fitting notes.

As a rule of thumb, traction control and anti-skid systems should be turned off when using tyre traction devices, except for AutoSock and Spikes-Spider systems.  If you can’t easily turn off these systems, then it’s probably OK.  Check your handbook!

Exchange Scheme

We’ll exchange unused snowchains if they are still in our current range at the time the exchange is arranged, and you purchased them from us; please phone (015396 21884) or
e-mail with the subject “Snow chain exchange” so we know to expect them.  (There’s no problem if you want to exchange for more expensive snowchains – you will in effect just be paying the price difference - but we don’t give refunds if you trade down market.)

Conventional snow chains/ snowchains (RUD, KWB)

These are much quicker to fit than you might think, but some are easier to fit than others!  All snowchains sold in the UK, except for the RUD automatic snowchains, are fitted by pushing a cable behind the wheel, lifting the two ends up the face of the wheel until they're well over the widest point, then joining them together and pushing them over the top of the tyre.  This is easy enough if there's plenty of space between the wheel and the wheel arch, but unless you’re a contortionist you’ll almost certainly need to kneel on the ground (which means snow, slush, dirt) to push the cable behind the wheel at ground level.  Self tensioning snowchains spare you the effort of getting out of the car after a few hundred metres to retighten the snowchain, but they don’t spare your trousers!  So check out RUD’s automatic snowchains if you’re fussed about this.  Some models are also better at protecting alloy wheels than others.

Spikes-Spider

These are certainly both the fastest and the easiest fitting of all snowchains available, excluding the time taken to fit the special hub mounting plates.  (Some people leave these plates in place all year, others fit them at the first sign of snow.)  Spikes-Spiders place chain and/or ice spikes around the face of the tyre. They don’t in fact grip the tyre all round, but only the part that’s in contact, or just about to be in contact, with the road; they’re otherwise free to move within the circular mounting plate, and as such will absorb the frequent changes in tyre shape.  The chains also lift off the top of the wheel as they come around, and so help to shake out compacting snow.  They’re technically very advanced, Swiss made, and provide full protection for alloy wheels.  They're not cheap to buy, but over a period of years the SPORT and CARRIER models in particular should prove to be the best value of all snowchains. They're easily resized, i.e. you can buy new parts to make them fit just about any size of tyre available.  All Spikes-Spiders can be used with traction control and anti-skid systems.

RUD ProtectAR
£12.95

Worried about your alloy wheels being scratched by snowchains? The RUD ProtectAR is a cheap solution, consisting of plastic guards which will hold the steel away from your alloys. There are 16 guards per set, i.e. 8 per wheel. They're suitable for use on any brand of snowchain, not just RUD snowchains.

The Starting Point

The starting point is to tell you that "conventional snowchains" (RUD, KWB), which wrap chain around the whole tyre, are not suitable for increasing numbers of vehicles, usually because they'd be too close to struts or brake pipes, or because there’s electronic sensing equipment which can't cope with finding metal where there's normally only rubber.  You must therefore visit our snow chains/snowchains database if you want to buy conventional snowchains from us, and choose first your car, then your tyre size, and in many cases also your engine size.  Some manufacturers don’t take this prudent view, so you’ll almost certainly be able to buy a set of chains “off the shelf” which will fit around your wheels. Our advice is to check your car handbook very carefully, because if there is a “No fit” for conventional snowchains there could be real danger and expense in fitting the chains and driving the car.

Please be sure to take your tyre size from the tyre itself, not from the handbook.  You are usually looking for three numbers, e.g. 195/65-R15, written on the wall of the tyre. (See Frequently Asked Questions for information on what these numbers mean.)


All the "other snowchain systems" we sell, (AutoSock, Farad SNOW, Maggi TRAK and Spikes-Spider) can be used on every vehicle, subject to finding a set of the appropriate size, even if the use of conventional snow chains is forbidden.

To see a spreadsheet of which of these systems fit each tyre size, i.e. to get an appreciation of relative transferability and all round value, please click here. There are no links to the Farad, Spikes-Spider and TRAK systems because these also require you to have wheel nut adapters of the correct size for your car; you'll find all the information you need on the snow chains/ snowchains database.

Maggi TRAK

These also place a ladder of chain and ice spikes around the face of the tyre, and are fitted from a crouching position.  They’re fastened to one of the wheel bolts – no special adapter is necessary - and wind themselves onto the wheel when it starts to move.


Farad SNOW

These have plastic traction arms and ice spikes and work very well in most snow conditions.  One size can quickly be rejigged to fit other tyre sizes.  They’re generally a slightly cheaper winter traction system than TRAK or Spikes-Spider for those who can’t use conventional snowchains.

QUICK LINKS
>> snow chains/ snowchains - an overview
>> snow chains - a little bit more information
>> Exchange scheme
>> Frequently Asked Questions
>> snow chains/ snowchains accessories
>> snow chains/ snowchains database

Snow chains/ snowchains are compulsory on most Alpine roads, even for 4x4 vehicles.  Increasing numbers of people also carry a set for UK use, for snow or for grass, e.g. to give essential grip in green field car parks during the British summer.

We are snow chain specialists, and distribute many of Europe’s best known brands, covering the whole range of snow chain sectors and aiming to have a snowchain for every available wheel size.