Thinking of buying a new 2008 GV. Only new car I could find thats 4wd, manual and has low gear. I live on a rough dirt very steep road and in snow sometimes need chains even with studded snows. Doesn't look like much clearance for chains. Anyone ever use real chains on a GV? Not cable chains they are way too flimsy. Looks like the RUD Grip 4x4 are sturdy. Don't really want to lose ground clearance with smaller rims but are smaller rims available for this model? Any info would be great. Thanks.
I use chains on our '06 GV about 6 times per winter. I have "Alpine" chains. They are more hefty than cable chains, but not as heavy as traditional link chains. They certainly do the job, don't break, and are far easier to mount than ordinary chains. (This style of chain is no easier to dismount, however.) I've only used them on the back wheels, and have never had a clearance problem.
The comparison didn't note that the Alpine has more crosspieces than the RUD. So the Alpine has smaller voids on the tire surface with no chain. Which is better. The Alpine's lighter links also means you can drive faster before they start to lift off the tire and hit the body.
A way to make chains easier to mount and dismount is to park the vehicle with the wheels to be chained sitting on small blocks of wood.
One reason I would never get larger tires for the GV is that they would not leave room for decent chains, and we do need to use chains sometimes.
Thanks for reply. I live up a steep curvy mountain road and need the chains on the front tires. Tires on the 2008 are P225/70/16, is this the same with 2006?? Saw the alpine chain comparison to others good to know about the closer crossover links on the alpine. Still look pretty flimsy for our road. I need to get speed going to climb the first mile of switchbacks. Just don't think there is the clearance for mounting & turning with chains. Can't find smaller wheels because of the bolt pattern on the GV, do you know if you can get smaller wheels? Hate to lose the clearance but don't want to chop up my wheelwells.
Quote:
Originally Posted by geevee
welcome, barbuki
I use chains on our '06 GV about 6 times per winter. I have "Alpine" chains. They are more hefty than cable chains, but not as heavy as traditional link chains. They certainly do the job, don't break, and are far easier to mount than ordinary chains. (This style of chain is no easier to dismount, however.) I've only used them on the back wheels, and have never had a clearance problem.
The comparison didn't note that the Alpine has more crosspieces than the RUD. So the Alpine has smaller voids on the tire surface with no chain. Which is better. The Alpine's lighter links also means you can drive faster before they start to lift off the tire and hit the body.
A way to make chains easier to mount and dismount is to park the vehicle with the wheels to be chained sitting on small blocks of wood.
One reason I would never get larger tires for the GV is that they would not leave room for decent chains, and we do need to use chains sometimes.
We use the chains on unmaintained, snowy or icy logging roads in the mountains. Probably not much different from your driveway. I have in the past used thick heavy truck chains on a couple of vehicles. They may be better for chewing through very deep snow, but the GV has superior capabilities that give much better traction plus it can float on top of more dense snow. So I think the thickness of the links is not important other than strength.
I haven't heard of people breaking the Alpines. Spinning wheels is what breaks chains. The old chains with no X-pattern often spun because the links were only on the ground briefly. The design of the RUD/Alpine means there is chain on the ground most of the time, which means less chance or need to spin. And of the two, the Alpine is the less likely to spin. Logic suggests that it's a wash between the two for breaking while spinning. One is more likely to spin, but it's stronger.
While both chains will do well for you, I can't vouch for clearance for the RUD's. I use the Alpine chains on the back at all times. With the GV's weight distribution and locked center differential, I don't see why to put them on the front to go up. And to go down, I want to use the back end for braking, not the front. It has ABS anyway.
Clearance is more likely to be a problem on the front. I have broken other chains on the front of a Pathfinder. The broken chain then cut the brake line. That's part of the reason I won't put chains on the front wheels. And if there is a clearance problem on the front, the thicker RUD's will encounter it first.
An alternative would be to put Alpines on all four wheels. Out of dozens of "chained" outings, I can think of only two that we've done where four chains were really needed.
Our '06 has the 17" rims, but the overall tire size is the same as the 16"s. Going to a smaller diameter would cost underbody clearance, and clearance helps keep you from getting beached in deep snow. Going to a narrower tire with the same diameter would retain underbody clearance, but improve clearance for chains. So you might want to get a tire that's the same as the oem's except narrower, and that would certainly accommodate the RUD chains. Narrower tires are supposed to be better in snow anyway.
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