Snow chains for modern vehicles
We were stopped on the Hootersville approach last spring!!!!!
Cop made us get out and show him the chains!!!!!
And not a skerrick of snow on the roads!!!!!
Yet another example of why many people don’t respect cops.
I had no problem!!!!!
He was doin his job, and it was easy and painless, cause I was playin by the rules!!!!!
The only people that have no respect for Cops, have little respect for most things in life!!!!!
Didn’t wanna make him search my person!!!!!
Suuuuuuure you didn’t
Well, at first I didn’t!!!!!
People who have little respect for cops simply have no respect for fatuous bureaucracy, greedy revenue raising, gratuitous harassment, abuse of power, corruption and the senseless wastage of taxpayers’ money.
People who think cops automatically deserve respect purely due to their chosen profession, clearly have no respect for logic and common sense.
Discussion about things other than tyre chains and arse cracks——————————> another thread
I reckon there’s a few Cops that would love to wrap a snow chain, around the necks of some of the arse cracks that are on the streets!!!!!
I see what you did there.
Muddy, I would ring Hoy’s and talk to them. We have bought / traded in old and new many times with various vehicles, what those guys don’t know about chains, ain’t worth knowing 
Bought some Konig T2 Magic chains. I spoke to a guy at the shop who was very knowledgeable and reckons these will have plenty of clearance despite being 16mm chains. I ended up getting the “240” size which is at the small end of 4WD chains. He tried to fit some from the “car” range but they were either too large or too small.
People who have little respect for cops simply have no respect for fatuous bureaucracy, greedy revenue raising, gratuitous harassment, abuse of power, corruption and the senseless wastage of taxpayers’ money.
People who think cops automatically deserve respect purely due to their chosen profession, clearly have no respect for logic and common sense.
Thank god, someone had to say it. I know quite a few cops, most are great people however some of them are total fcukwits and shouldn’t even be allowed to leave their residence much less carry a badge and a gun and have any sort of position of power. I’m also sick of people saying that the cops have a hard job, it’s not like they had no idea what they were doing when they signed up, eyes wide open and they still wanted to do it so that’s their call.
On topic are these legal alternative to snow chains in Vic yet?
From what I understand the RMS in NSW has allowed them but it wasn’t the case when I still lived in Vic, I was very interested in them due to the car I owned at the time running 20” wheels and having zero clearance for chains.
From what I understand the RMS in NSW has allowed them
Really? I didn’t know they’d been cleared in NSW I was actually pretty sure they weren’t. I have next to no clearance on the inside of my wheels so have held off on chains so far.
On topic are these legal alternative to snow chains in Vic yet?
From what I understand the RMS in NSW has allowed them but it wasn’t the case when I still lived in Vic, I was very interested in them due to the car I owned at the time running 20” wheels and having zero clearance for chains.
Definitely not at Hotham. There is a huge thread on another forum discussing the changes to chain requirements at Hotham for 2013, and the official notice explicitly bans socks and also spider chains. It’s the banning of spider chains that is freaking people out, because it obviously leaves those who have cars with minimal clearance with precious few options.
I dont know how well those socks work, but not supprised Hotham is strict. Anyone who has driven Hotham road on a full snow/ice cover would totally understand. So sketcy and dangerous. Even 4x4 go sliding into the embankements
I dont know how well those socks work, but not supprised Hotham is strict. Anyone who has driven Hotham road on a full snow/ice cover would totally understand. So sketcy and dangerous. Even 4x4 go sliding into the embankements
You’re not wrong, k2. Anyone who is wondering can take a look at my vid of the trip up in early winter 2012:
I’ve always been fine with the Forester and chains on the front when needed. When I was buying my new chains, the guy at the shop was trying to sell me snow tyres. Apparently in cold temps your standard “summer” tyres go all hard and plastic-y and don’t grip so well. Winter tyres stay rubbery. He reckons chains are fine while going uphill but while coming down with chains on front, if your rear end starts sliding you can still get into trouble. I guess that’s possibly right, but I still reckon it’d be a hell of a lot cheaper to buy a second set of chains for the rear than to buy winter-specific tyres and have to change them in/out twice per year and store the others. I guess if you were going up every weekend or something you could probably justify winter tyres.
I think its a case of bureaucracy not understanding technology and therefor banning it out of stupidity. If it’s good enough for France and the amount of snow and ice they would experience there you would think it would be good enough for here.
From the website
NSW
RTA - Snow chains
In extract - For full details click here
Driving in the snow.pdf
National Park regulations state that all vehicles (except four wheel drive vehicles) entering the National Park must carry chains when driving through designated ‘snow and ice’ risk sections. Snow and ice risk sections are identified by black and yellow signs within the Kosciuszko National Park. The current designated ‘snow and ice’ risk sections are:
Alpine Way – Thredbo to Tom Grogin
Kosciuszko Road within the National Park boundary
Guthega Road within the National Park boundary
The only road to the NSW ski resorts covered by this law is the road to Perisher.
4WD vehicles
Although excluded from the requirements to carry and fit chains, the RTA recommends that persons driving 4WD vehicles (which include off-road vehicles, all wheel drive vehicles and sports utilities), except those fitted with winter tyres, carry snow chains and fit them when directed. They will assist you in driving on ice and snow by improving your vehicle’s traction with the slippery road. You may also need them in the event of extreme weather conditions.
If carrying snow chains, check in the vehicle’s user’s manual or with your service provider to which wheels they should be fitted…...
As an alternative to snow chains, 4WD vehicles not fitted with winter tyres may be fitted with snow traction devices, such as items made from textiles, that comply with the Austrian Standard ONORM V5121.1.
Autosocks comply with the Austrian Standard ONORM V5121.1.
From that I gather that you can use them on 4wd vehicles as a driving aid but not sure about 2wd??????
When I was buying my new chains, the guy at the shop was trying to sell me snow tyres.
From what I’ve observed overseas snow tyres make a massive difference. The Japanese fly around in their little tiny cube cars with thin snow tyres and rarely seem to lose traction. It’s really only the trucks/buses you regularly see with chains.
I’m sure there must be a sacrifice in wear rating though that would make them less than optimal for the typical Australians drive to the snow i.e 99% of it isn’t actually on snow/ice rather a dry highway.