Tire chains for the truck - Which style?

While V-bar chains work excellent when the ground is soft or the snow is deep, but with 80psi in the rear tires, V-bar chains are going to SUCK on hard surfaces.

If you want chains as a safety net to be able to chain up with the going gets fairly bad, then the $112 V-bar chains on tirechain.com are probably a great plan. If you think you'll be running down the road, I'd opt for the slightly more expensive 7mm square link "boron alloy" chains instead. Smoother on hard surfaces, and almost as effective on ice. Also a bit lighter...

Honestly, any set of actual chains is going to work so much better than not being chained up that it almost won't matter if they're v-bar or not... Even the cable chains, which are much easier to store and install will make such a difference that you'll think you're invincible...


Good luck!

Side note....does anyone run 80lbs tire pressure in the winter unless hauling really heavy (like a 4-5 sled trailer)? That seems mega excessive for average loads even in a diesel, no? The rear end isn't THAT much heavier than a 1/2 ton at 30 some odd lbs in the tire pressure. Just curious

NorthMNSledder said:

I run 75 in my Ram all the time, year round. It hates low tire pressure and you even have to hit a button on the dash if you are going to run lower (then 70 I believe) otherwise the TPMS yell's at you on the dash.

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That's the main reason I only buy 1 ton trucks. I hate tire sensors!! I am lifted and running bigger tires and normally run them at 60 psi. U get a much better ride running less psi.

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One plug to being deleted with an H&S or sismilar tuner you can tget rid of those annoying features like TPMS dingers, I always run mine at 80 if its a 10ply tire, 60 if 8ply ect, never know when a guy might have to haul something , cant hurt a tire running it at its rated psi haha its a pickup not a prius or a Cadillac :eyebrows::eyebrows:

^ It's not that it hurts it, it's just the ride and traction suck.