snow chains.............None will work????!!!!

karen72 wrote:ok so I think I am going to just bit the bullot and say sod it and get a cheap set off ebay like you say.

Do you think these will do the trick?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Snow-Chains-for-Cars-all-sizes-TUV-GS-Approved_W0QQitemZ380098151421QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item380098151421&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1299%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

many thanks
Karen

This is very interesting. I was told, like you, that no chains would fit my current or previous cars, and was told this was because of the alloy wheels and low profile tyres.

I also saw with my own eyes MANY high spec cars in Austria and Germany all with black wheels, no alloys on, all using winter tyres.

However, the company selling these snow chains says they are approved and that they will fit many different sizes and all manufacturers.

I fully appreciate Ise's experience in this field, as he lives out in Switzerland, but I am afraid that we are talking about UK cars here and tourists wondering whether they need chains or not. Looking at that ebay seller, they are suggesting that these chains are suitable for almost any car, and yet it is being suggested that this may not still be the case.

Are we talking personal opinion now, or are we talking legal requirements and factuals, because I am getting more and more confused on this subject each time it is raised.

Once again this thread seems to be heading down the Legal/Bureaucratic requirement route!!! :!:

Surely the main points are

1. Do they fit?
2. Will they do the job if required?

Karen - I would suggest that if the above criteria are met, you will be fine. :D

Dont sweat the technicalities!!!!!!!

The local police wont shoot you and throw you in a ditch!!!!!!!!

Brucie wrote:Once again this thread seems to be heading down the Legal/Bureaucratic requirement route!!! :!:

Surely the main points are

1. Do they fit?
2. Will they do the job if required?

Karen - I would suggest that if the above criteria are met, you will be fine. :D

Dont sweat the technicalities!!!!!!!

The local police wont shoot you and throw you in a ditch!!!!!!!!

I tend to agree with those sentiments, however Ise appears to have a different view on this, and will no doubt comment soon.

gdbn wrote:You should also remember these laws are mainly for the local population.
You will not see many tourists in foreign cars being stopped anywhere for not having the correct winter/summer/all year tyres.

of course you do :roll: that's the whole point of the regulations that exist, they're for the safety of the tourists themselves and so those of us who live here don't have to sit behind traffic jams of foreigners who can't get up the hill. We've all got winter tyres anyway. There was concern locally last year when the police seemed not to enforce these rules one snowy day and there was chaos on some local roads.

Tony_H wrote:

karen72 wrote:ok so I think I am going to just bit the bullot and say sod it and get a cheap set off ebay like you say.

Do you think these will do the trick?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Snow-Chains-for-Cars-all-sizes-TUV-GS-Approved_W0QQitemZ380098151421QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item380098151421&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1299%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

many thanks
Karen

This is very interesting. I was told, like you, that no chains would fit my current or previous cars, and was told this was because of the alloy wheels and low profile tyres.

I also saw with my own eyes MANY high spec cars in Austria and Germany all with black wheels, no alloys on, all using winter tyres.

However, the company selling these snow chains says they are approved and that they will fit many different sizes and all manufacturers.

I fully appreciate Ise's experience in this field, as he lives out in Switzerland, but I am afraid that we are talking about UK cars here and tourists wondering whether they need chains or not. Looking at that ebay seller, they are suggesting that these chains are suitable for almost any car, and yet it is being suggested that this may not still be the case.

Are we talking personal opinion now, or are we talking legal requirements and factuals, because I am getting more and more confused on this subject each time it is raised.

I know in Germany they're not good at enforcing proper choice of wheels but it doesn't change the fact that it's potentially fatally bad advice to put steel wheels onto performance cars, it's just physics and you can't alter that as was famously said :lol:

karen72 wrote:Oh My God

I have been looking at getting some snow chains and was giong to buy some off ebay. HOWEVER, I decided to ring Volkswagen today (we have a passat 2004) to see how much it would be to buy VW snow chains. The guy was really helpful and he had also contacted another company that deal specifcally with snow chains and was told that VW Passats could not have snow chains as the clearance at the wheelarch or something like that was not big enough for them.

I cant believe that this is true. The guy said my only option was a snow sock which costs £86 but not sure if this would be legally classed as a snowchain. Surely people drive VW Passats in Austria?

I do not know your tyre size so follow the link, hope it helps 8)

http://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehsel2.php?emulate=snowchains&query=Volkswagen

One day to go :thumbup:

Hi all,

Just one point to watch out for is that the chains do not go anywhere near your brake pipes. I brought chains for my bmw x5 and was told that my car can only have chains on the rear. The reason being that if put on the front the chain will catch the brake pipe and most probably rip it off. Result being no brakes!!!

When u get them fit them in daylight and get your head behind the wheel and make sure they can't catch anything otherwise you may have more problems!!!

Ohh and guess what..... They never came out of my boot!!!

Have a great trip

Chap

Ise, for heavens sake, we are not taking about performance cars, just your average A4 estate or BMW 3 series.
I dont care what you think or what your opinion is, fact is nearly every car i saw had plain black steel wheels on with winter tyres.