Tire chains / cables suggestions

[Scott A.]

I have an 85 Chevy K20 plow truck that works great, but I would like a little more traction with it after getting it stuck plowing tonight. The tires I have on it now are in pretty good shape, but not the best with traction (off of Duramax dually). Instead of looking at different wheels/tires (mine has 8-lug rims), I thought tire chains or tire cables would be a worthy investment.

Anybody have any experience with these? Do they make that much of a difference? My last plow truck was an F250 with oversized tires, and it wasn't much better traction wise. I am plowing some pretty deep snow drifts, and the primary use for this truck during the winter is plowing.

Thanks,

 

[Rebel]

Chains give you the best assist. I haven't used chains in years, but I do plow and I think I understand what you're up against. I've never used cables, but I can't help but think they wouldn't hold up for plowing. The bad part about chains is putting them on, but once you do it several times it gets easier. The other thing to consider is how much travel between plow jobs. One thing for certain, the more drive wheels that have chains, the less anything is gonna hold you back.

 

[Scott A.]

Thanks....I've heard chains will grab better, but the cables will ride better. Not too worried about ride quality though. Most of my plowing is done in rural areas, primarily my driveway. I will drive it (10) miles to work too if its real bad. The truck is a 3-speed with a granny gear, so I wouldn't want to plow too many areas with it, definately more work than an automatic.

One other thing I noticed yesterday is the rear end is not a limited slip! Think I need to address this later this year, as parts seems to be pretty cheap for this series of truck.