Educate me on snow chains for a Tacoma, please

[Kevin T]

What type of wheels for chains in front?

chains are the way to go. cables work but are pron to breaking more than chains. rudd 4x4 chains are great,you are able to install them with-out having to drive them on,even if you are stuck you can put them on. the big thing with ifs is that upper control arm clearence. so you need to get aftermarket wheels with a bigger back space or use wheel spacers,though im not a fan of them. for the money chains and cables are the same price 200 for 4. i love may rudd chains just got back from a week of off roading in the inyo mountains. up 18inch drifts of snow was no prop with chains, with all 4 on up hill was a dream. if you realy want to do it right do the mods do get all 4 on.

So what type of wheels would be used? would larger tires work too?

 

[mep1811]

Check out this company . http://www.tirechain.com/?gclid=Cj0...yy2bC3R9AZi-Cbze2Y3cjXW40UNa9si9awaArup8P8HAQ

They are very knowledgeable and helped me order chains for my Porsche Cayenne.

 

[steelhd]

Having lived in the south most of my life, I have no experience whatsoever with snow chains. I know that some of the parks out west require vehicles to have snow chains before entering in the winter, so I figure I need to pick up some. I was hoping for some education from you guys. Specifically, are chains or cables better? Tacomas only use them on the rear wheels? Any particular brand or type I should check out? I'm running 265/75r16 BFG ATs, if that changes any answers. Thanks all!

I have an 11 Tacoma with the same size tires. Per the owners manual, chains can only be used on the rear. If you run your hand behind the back of a front tire you will understand why. On my truck with stock 16" alloy wheels there is only around 3/16" (+/- 1/8") of clearance between the raised letters on the tire sidewall and the bump on the knuckle. As the suspension flexes that's probably the case at the UCA too. As it currently sits there isn't a low clearance class S cable that will safely fit. There are probably ways to fit class S cables on the front. Spacers or different offset wheels might do it as would narrower wheels with correct offset and 235/85 pizza cutters. But then it's on you to measure very carefully with the suspension static and fully cycled because if anything goes wrong it can tear up the ABS sensors or worse. But I intend to try something. Having traction chains or cables on the front for getting down off the mountain when it's icy is pretty much mandatory for some of the places I like to go. If ya don't have them on the front ya can't steer and will end up in the trees or a canyon.