Question on snow chain installation

[sdaccord01]

Hi,

I am planning on going snowboarding soon as the season is here and I'm wondering how hard is it to install snow chains and if the weather is bad enough to use them are there usually people to help with the installation on the road for a fee? I'm also wondering which one to get, whether one is better than another. I have a 2000 Honda Accord Coupe EX V6, and I understand that I will need to purchase a rack as well to mount my snowboard on the top of my roof. I just want to make sure of everything so that I have a good safe trip to there as I have recently started to snowboard late last season and looking to go again very soon. Thanks in advance.

 

[NateD]

I have the same car. I bought some generic cable style chains from pep boys ($60). They are not that difficult to put on, provided you test fit them before hand. They worked really well climbing etc, but I only bought a single pair for the front... Although I think you are supposed to get them on all 4 wheels for equal traction when braking/turning?

 

[brtspears2]

It's easy, but it can be messy if the side of road is slush. There will be guys on the side in bright yellow coats when the CHP says you have to have chains.

I have a set of cheap traction cables I got for about $50, but if it's snowing hard, don't drive until it clears up. I never heard of getting them on all four wheels, but on the drive wheels only. But then I live in California and the most driving in the snow I do is roughly 10 miles a year when Caltrans is too lazy to plow the road to my local ski resort. (Hwy 18 to Snow Summit)

 

[Toki]

i put some on my parents car when i was 15. i remember it was snowing a lot, and it was the only time we had to stop, other then taking them off, so they must not have come off.

 

[sdaccord01]

Sounds good, I went to http://www.tirechain.com/CarChains.htm to find some tire chains and they say that the diamond pattern is best. I might go for those, as soon as I find my tire size. Thanks for all your help.

 

[paulney]

Just practice putting the chains on and off in your driveway first. Dealing with the chains for the first time in the snow and slush with a flashlight is not fun. Guys on a road charge smth like $20-$30 to put chains on and $10 to take them off, I think.

 

[axelfox]

Bring some zip ties just in case.

 

[CTrain]

If you really still can't figure out how, pay the guy $15 for him to up it on once and watch.
BTW, are you in Sacramento ?? I'm looking for people to carpool to Tahoe and such for the ski season.