How Many Tire Chains Do You Need On Your Tires?

Are you looking to buy tire chains but are wondering how many tire chains do I need?  Well, you are in luck.  This article explains how many tires chains you would need depending on if your car is front, rear, or all wheel drive.  It also explains when should you use tire chains and when should tire chains not be used.

What Are Tire Chains?

Tire chains are used to wrap around your tires to provide grip in snow and ice.  They are chains that you wrap around your tires which will provide your tires more grip in adverse conditions.  However, tire chains should not be used most of the time unless you live in Anartica.

When Should You Use Tire Chains?

Tire chains should only be used when there is snow or ice on the road.  If you use tire chains when there is no snow or ice on the road you can damage the road and potentially your vehicle.

How Many Tire Chains Do I Need?

You would want to have at least two tire chains to use on your tires.  Four tire chains for all four tires would be ideal but at the very least you would want two tire chains to use on your drive wheels.

Do You Need to put Tire Chains On All Four Tires?

You would ideally want to put tire chains on all four tires if possible.  At the very least you should put tire chains on your drive wheels.  If you don’t know which of the wheels on your car are the drive wheels it’s fairly easy to find out. The easiest way to find out which of your wheels are drive wheels is to search for your specific vehicle online by using the year of the vehicle, the manufacturer, and the model.

There are three different drive wheel configurations.  They are front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, and all wheel or four wheel drive.  All wheel and four wheel drive are essentially the same thing.  All wheel drive is just an intelligent version of four wheel drive which means that your vehicle uses all four wheels to move your vehicle forwards or backwards.

Tire Chains On Front Wheel Drive Cars

If you have a front wheel drive car then you would want to put tire chains on the two front tires.  If your two front tires are responsible for moving your vehicle then you want them to have the most grip possible in snow and ice.  Usually, most cars have larger brakes rotors and pistons on the front of the car.  This means that adding tire chains to the front two tires of your car should also help you bring your car to a stop quicker.

Tire Chains On Rear Wheel Drive Cars

If you have a rear wheel drive car then you would want to put tire chains on your two rear tires.  Again, if you only plan to use two tire chains you would want to put the tire chains on your two drive wheels.  Usually, most sports cars and roadsters are designed with rear wheel drive.

Tire Chains On All Wheel Drive Or Four Wheel Drive Vehicles

If you have all wheel drive or four wheel drive then you would want to put tire chains on at least the two back tires because usually, they are dominant in all wheel drive vehicles.  If you have an all wheel drive vehicle your best bet is to put tire chains on all four wheels.  This will help your vehicle get moving from a stop and will also help you bring your vehicle to a stop faster.

Remember that all wheel drive does not help bring your car to a stop it only helps you get your car moving.  All modern cars have all wheel braking.  This would include front wheel and rear wheel drive cars.

All wheel drive is more common on SUVs and trucks than it is on passenger cars.  The exception to this is on higher-end luxury vehicles.  Most of Audi’s car lineup uses all wheel drive.  BMW also has their X drive configuration which means the car has all wheel drive.  Acura also has a version of all wheel drive named SH-AWD which stands for super handling all wheel drive.

How Much Do Tire Chains Cost?

Tire chains typically cost between $80-140 for a set of two tire chains.  This means that if you want to put tire chains on all four tires you would be looking at double that price or about $160-280 for tire chains for all four tires.

How Do I Know What Size Tire Chains to Buy?

To know what size tire chain you would need you would first need to know your tire size. Not all tire chains are created equally, they are designed to fit different sized tires.

The easiest way to find out your tire size is by taking a look at the sidewall of your tires.  On the sidewall of your tires, you should see a section that has three numbers.  The first number is the width of your tires in millimeters.  The second number is the thickness of your tire in relation to the width of your wheels.  The third number is your wheel size in inches.

To learn more about what these three tire numbers mean you can check out this article explaining all out tire sizes and what they mean.

Once you know your tire size you can then find the corresponding tire chains that would fit your tires.  Most tire chain manufacturers will have a chart outlining what tire chains you should purchase depending on your tire size.

How Fast Can You Drive With Tire Chains On?

You don’t want to drive highway speeds if you have tire chains on your tires.  Most tire chain manufacturers will recommend that you don’t exceed over 30 MPH when you have tire chains installed on your tires.

What’s Better Tire Chains or Cables?

Tire chains will typically provide more grip in the snow because they cover a larger area of the tire surface.  Tire cables stretch across the tire while tire chains are designed in a pattern that will intersect the tire surface in different directions increasing the overall surface that is covered by tire chains.

Are Tire Chains Bad For Your Car?

Tire chains are not bad for your car if used properly and in right conditions.  However, if you install tire chains improperly or you drive on dry pavement with tire chains they can become dislodged and damage the wheel well or fenders of your car.