Which Tires should Tire Chains Be Installed on for 2015 Subaru Outback AWD

Question:

You recommend PW 1046 Glacier cable chains for the 2015 Subaru Outback, which I purchased from etrailer. The installation instruction for the chains says to mount them on the real wheels of an AWD vehicle. The Subaru manual says to use them on the front wheels only. I saw a You Tube instruction on mounting Glacier cable chains on a 2015 Forester in which they were mounted on the real wheels. Dont know if that Forester is AWD but assumed so. Should I follow the Subaru manual about mounting on the front tires for some particular reason? Thanks.

asked by: Charles L

Expert Reply:

Thank you for your purchase from etrailer!

Typically for All Wheel Drive vehicles, it is best to use chains on all of the wheels. This allows all of the wheels to have the same traction while driving. However, if using only one set of chains, you will want to follow the guidelines in your owner's manual.

Since the manual for your 2015 Subaru Outback instructions you to use them only on the front wheels, you will want to put the chains on the front wheels. I am not sure why Subaru wants you to use the chains on the front wheels, but it is a good idea to follow their instructions to comply for warranty purposes.

expert reply by: Victoria B