Are Larger Chains Required for Snow Tires

Question:

Hi, I need deep snow chains for my 2004 F150. I have Thunderer LT275 65 R18 snow tires on now and they will be used mostly off road to get home. I am not sure if the chains need to be a sIze larger or more? I cannot get any answers from the net. I am a past customer. Hopefully you can help. Thanks.

asked by: William D

Expert Reply:

Since tire chains fit a range of tires you will be able to use a chain designed to fit 275/65R18 size tires like what you have on your 2004 Ford F-150. I confirmed this with one of our tire chain manufacturers.

With that being said, you always want to make sure that you're checking out the owner's manual for your vehicle and abiding by any guidelines in there. The online version of the owner's manual for your F-150 says to only use Class S chains, but all of the Class S chains are designed for on-road use only.

For something that is rated for on or off-road use you'll need to use chains like Titan Chain Snow Tire Chains # TC2828, but these are not Class S rated so you might run into some clearance issues on the inside of your sidewall. If you do end up going with these chains then I also recommend using chain adjusters like part # TCMA2 to keep your chains snug against your tire.

expert reply by: Jon G