Running Tire Chains on a Denali?

[Rivieraracing]

Any of you Denali owners ever run chains on your trucks? I dry fitted some on today for the first time and it looks like I have enough clearance to put them on the front tires with nothing in the way but the back has the stupid e-brake cables ran in a horrible spot, one of the dumbest ways I've ever seen which doesn't allow the room for chains unless you bent it out of the way! Stupid GM!!

Anyways, I know the owners manual says to not install chains on the denali but it also says that if you do make sure you have enough clearance from anything hitting! Would it be bad for an all-wheel rig to only have front chains or would it need to be on front and back to keep from hurting any of the drive train? I've never needed to chain up my denali ever and I've drove through some pretty extreme weather without any problem at all!

By the way, my denali is stock heights and pretty close to stock tire size!

 

[Repo503]

We might be in for some rough weather next week. I've never chained my Denali either but I have done an AWD Jeep with a 50/50 split and only chained the fronts with no problems...I probably wouldn't run this setup often but if you had to stick some on to get over the pass or a quick trip to work you would probably be fine. I only used them once to get up Timberline Road after a pretty good storm and truth be told I probably didn't really need them.

 

[jhellwig]

All or none on these awd drive vehicles. Chaining one end will freak the traction control out. Chains on both will probably freak it out anyways. It would be fine if you had a 2 speed awd tcase and ran it in low.

 

[Jay]

You will have to chain all four tires. These AWD systems use an open differential in the transfer case... meaning that the PCM has to apply the brakes at individual wheels (yes, without you doing anything) to transfer the power to where it needs to go.

All the system does is monitor the individual wheel rpm against steering angle and driver input and, within certain data ranges, applies the brakes to the individual wheel or wheels that have the highest rpm to slow them down and let other wheels speed up in relation. That's the technical version of what the manufacturers tell you of this: "The system senses wheel slip, and transfers power to the wheels with traction."

If you only chain the front, the fronts will get all the traction and the back wheels will constantly slip while on ice or slush, meaning the PCM will make the rear brakes drag for as long as this condition exists. The reverse happens if you only chain the rears. At low speeds it won't hurt the transfer case, but it will eat up your brakes and rotors.

Like said, if you have the full time 4WD system found with the 4.8 and 5.3 (the Borg Warner 4482 transfer case, has "AWD" and an optional low range which is "real" 4WD), you can chain either the front or back as long as you use the low range option.

 

[Rivieraracing]

So, read this and see if it changes anyones opinions on what is ok to do, this is word for word out of my owners manual:

"Don't use tire chains. There's not enough clearance. Tire chains used on a vehicle without the proper amount of clearance can cause damage to brakes, suspension or other vehicle parts. The area damaged by the tire chains could cause you to lose control of your vehicle and you or others may be injured in a crash.
Use another type of traction device only if its manufacturer recommends it for use on your vehicle and tire size combination and road conditions. Follow that manufacturer's instructions. To help avoid damage to your vehicle, drive slowly, readjust or remove the device if it's contacting your vehicle, and don't spin your wheels.
If you do find traction devices that will fit, install them on the rear tires."

So, any new ideas? Too much gray area in that statement out of the owners manual without enough explanation! And the crappy part is I can put chains on the front without a rubbing problem but not the back because of that stupid e-brake cable?!?!?

---------- Post added at 08:26 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:19 AM ----------

And by the way, I do have 2 set of chains for my truck if I can figure out a way to move that e-brake cable at the rear axle without breaking it, I hate chaining up but sometimes it's mandatory in some of the places I drive up at the mountain and if I chain up I do all 4!!

 

[DenaliAK]

I've never even considered chains on my truck, and I have the privilege of driving in some of the worst winter weather mother nature has to offer.

I always have winter tires on, for one thing, which with the right driving ability has never let me down. It's actually really uncommon to see anyone in Alaska with chains, which might shock some people.

So, I don't know what kind of tires you are running, because that makes all the difference in the world when driving in winter conditions. If you absolutely need chains on, then go for it...even if it's just the front, but go slow and take them off as soon as you don't need them. They tear things up, including the tires themselves. I'd save them for those situations where you have no choice or when the police won't let you go further without them. I'm sure they wreak havoc with the traction control, so turn it off (that may same counter-intuitive).

I dunno, man...if you just need them to get over the pass, put them on, go slow, then take them back off immediately. I'd recommend a good A/T tire or a studless winter tire like a Blizzak instead, though (I know, that's more money then chains, but if you do this frequently enough it might save parts of your truck from the chains).

 

[Rivieraracing]

Thanks for your info Scott! I brought his thread up because going over some mountain passes and freeways when ODOT declares that you must have tire chains on to drive the road (doesn't happen all that often) and in the past have just turned around and went home because I didn't have them for my truck (even though my truck could handle the conditions without a problem). Now I have 2 sets that will fit my truck and could chain up all 4 tires if it was needed to protect an AWD truck. I'm not a big fan of putting on chains and haven't needed to even in bad conditions with this truck, just it's a big ticket to ignore a mandatory chains sign when I didn't put them on! Sounds like it's not a big deal to put them on just the back since it says it in the manual, just hoping for some good knowledge on how to properly chain up an AWD!!
All 4 wheels, just the fronts, just the backs, or not at all!!

 

[DenaliAK]

Do all 4 if you can. Just the fronts is a bad idea...I take back what I said before...it gives you cornering grip but then you lose the back-end really easy. Just rears would theoretically work ok and is the most common way you see them run, I'm just worried about you screwing up the e-brakes.

 

[jomulk56]

An alternitive to chains would be Autosocks (http://www.autosock.us/). I can't say how they work since I've never tried them.

 

[DenaliAK]

Interesting. Never heard of them, but might be worth a shot.