What Tire Chains do You Recommend for My 2020 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon with 285/70-17 Tires?

Question:

I live in southeast Texas on the Gulf Coast so snow chains are new to me. Ive been reading the Jeep Owners Manual and your articles as Im about to purchase snow chains for m 2020 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. Questions: The Owners Manual says to put them on the rear tires only. is this accurate and why? They also mention using S-Class Snow Chains but for 245/75R17 tires ?. I have All Terrain KO2 Baja Champion LT285/70R17 116/113Q Tires on the Rubicon. They came stock with the custom wheels. What is my best option for chains? I own property in northern New Mexico in the mountains. Thank you very much. Texan without a clue.

asked by: Peter G

Helpful Expert Reply:

I second-checked with your 2020 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon's owner's manual, and you are absolutely correct about the manufacturer's recommendation to install tire chains on the rear wheels only. The reason why is because the manufacturer does testing on your Jeep in order to test for different things like traction integrity and damage to the drive train/brakes with tire chains installed. While I can not pinpoint a specific reason why Jeep recommends this, it is always a good rule of thumb to follow all guidelines mentioned in the manual.

The manual also recommends using Class S chains on 245/75R17 tires only. The reason why manufacturers have specs like these is to wash their hands of any liability if there is any damage to wheel well components like struts. I am happy to say that we have had neighbors that have used tire chains on the common tire size of LT285/70R17 on your Rubicon. You just need to do some extra measurements to make sure you have enough wheel well clearance.

Since you live in the mountains, I assume you probably need off-road and on-road approved chains. However, we do not carry any Class S approved chains that are off-road rated. Your best option is the Titan Chain Alloy Snow Tire Chains - Diamond Pattern - Square Link # TC2327. The great thing about these chains is that they come with a self-tensioner mechanism that takes away the headache of having to adjust the chains after each trip. In order to use these chains safely, you need to have a minimum of 1.46" (37 mm) between the top of the tire tread and the wheel well and at least 0.59" (15 mm) between the tire's sidewall and the vehicle itself. I went ahead and attached a diagram that shows how to conduct these measurements.

expert reply by: Bob C