Tire Chains for 2019 Chevy Suburban with Tire Size 265/65/18

Question:

Can you recommend a good inexpensive tire chain for a 2019 Chevy Suburban? We are driving to South Dakota, Yellowstone and Colorado for Spring Break. So they will most likely only be used a couple of times. We are renting a suburban and the standard tire size is 265/65/18.

asked by: Jennifer W

Expert Reply:

We have tire chains that will fit tire size 265/65-18. These include cost-effective cable types like # PW2028C that you referenced that are good to have in the vehicle just in case in order to meet a legal requirement.

I could not find an online copy of the owner's manual for the 2019 Suburban but I did find one for the 2018 model year. The 2018 and 2019 are part of the same generation of this vehicle. This 2018 online manual states on page 356:

"If the vehicle has 265/65R18, P265/65R18, P275/55R20, or P285/45R22 size tires, do not
use tire chains. There is not enough clearance."

But if you're traveling in an area that has a legal requirement to use chains, as is often the case in popular winter recreation areas like Yellowstone and the Dakotas, you need to at least have chains in the vehicle to avoid a summons in case the highway patrol is doing spot checks. In bad conditions highway authorities may even close access to certain roads for any vehicles without tire chains.

The best option is to use special low-profile chains, called S-Class chains, that are less likely to cause clearance issues with vehicle components like brake lines. There are three S-Class chain products shown on the linked page.

If you actually expect to install chains I urge you to invest in the Konig Self-Tensioning Snow Tire Chains # TH01594267. These will be easier to install and far more effective than the other option, the Glacier cable chains # PW2028C. The Glacier chains will allow you to meet a legal requirement but they will not be nearly as effective as the Konig chains.