Tire Chains Specifically for Mud

[Nickofthewoods]

I'm familiar with using chains for snow but am looking at picking up a set of Vbar chains specifically for mud use. A lot of the areas I hunt are shale and I'm tired of getting stuck or stranded after a rain or snow, and I don't want to try to winch myself down 15 miles of road or have to wait for days until it dries out. My primary hunting vehicle is a '96 Jeep Cherokee with a 2 inch lift and 235's so I have good space in the wheel wells for chains.

Anyone know how well chains work on muddy roads in the kind of sticky clay that immediately packs your tire treads? I'm not talking about deep mud bogs where getting high centered is possible, just slick muddy roads. I would rather not have to chain up all 4 wheels in this scenario, so would a set of Vbar chains on the rear tires help enough in that kind of mud when combined with 4wheel drive? I have a plow truck that I keep the rear tires chained up on, and it works great combined with 4wd...in snow. I'm reluctant to chain the fronts of any of my vehicles for fear of throwing a chain and having it take out a brake line, which is not as big of a deal for a rear drum brake. Obviously, chains are going to be better than no chains, but how effective are they in mud? Could I expect to be able to extract myself when 4wd alone Is not enough?

 

[go_deep]

I use a chain with ice cleats welded on them. We were bird hunting Southern Nebraska a few years ago roads were total slime, couldn't physically drive down the in 4x4 with new tires on my buddies Tahoe. Went back to the hotel for my chains, put one on the left front, one on the back right, we hunted all week long with the place to ourselves, never seen another person down those greased up roads. So yes, they work great!

 

[MtnMuley]

If I can't get around mud in my swampers, I'm not going. No way would I chain up in mud. All I can see chains doing is digging yourself deeper.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Whoa ok, two very different responses. To clarify further, the Shale that I drive on doesn't typically strand you in deep mud so much as you just won't have traction once it's wet and your tread is packed full. Try to go forward and you mostly just slide, not dig down. These are mostly roads that when dry, rarely require 4WD, so not very technical or with deep puddles or bogs, just bad when wet.

 

[Bighorner]

I live in an area with gumbo and chains do make a difference. My rule is that chains are for getting out of muddy roads not getting in. I hate to complain, bit guys that chain up on the highway to tear the heck out of a dirt road for ten miles is why things get shut down.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

I live in an area with gumbo and chains do make a difference. My rule is that chains are for getting out of muddy roads not getting in. I hate to complain, bit guys that chain up on the highway to tear the heck out of a dirt road for ten miles is why things get shut down.

Thanks for that input, definitely not looking to chew up the roads, but more as you described, a backup for extraction when conditions get bad.

 

[5MilesBack]

Mud is about all I've used chains for. Hunting the rifle seasons they used to be necessary where I hunted.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Ok thanks everyone, that makes me feel better about getting a set. The aggressive Vbar type is what I want and they aren't exactly cheap, but it beats being stuck I guess.

 

[sneaky]

I'm familiar with using chains for snow but am looking at picking up a set of Vbar chains specifically for mud use. A lot of the areas I hunt are shale and I'm tired of getting stuck or stranded after a rain or snow, and I don't want to try to winch myself down 15 miles of road or have to wait for days until it dries out. My primary hunting vehicle is a '96 Jeep Cherokee with a 2 inch lift and 235's so I have good space in the wheel wells for chains.

Anyone know how well chains work on muddy roads in the kind of sticky clay that immediately packs your tire treads? I'm not talking about deep mud bogs where getting high centered is possible, just slick muddy roads. I would rather not have to chain up all 4 wheels in this scenario, so would a set of Vbar chains on the rear tires help enough in that kind of mud when combined with 4wheel drive? I have a plow truck that I keep the rear tires chained up on, and it works great combined with 4wd...in snow. I'm reluctant to chain the fronts of any of my vehicles for fear of throwing a chain and having it take out a brake line, which is not as big of a deal for a rear drum brake. Obviously, chains are going to be better than no chains, but how effective are they in mud? Could I expect to be able to extract myself when 4wd alone Is not enough?

Rear only? If you can't steer then rear traction isn't going to help much.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[zion zig zag]

I carry a full set (all 4) of v-bar chains. Like others have said, they are insurance for getting out, not going in.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Rear only? If you can't steer then rear traction isn't going to help much.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Good call. I don't have problems steering with this set up on my plow truck in the snow but with mud packed in the tread I guess I probably should at least get a front wheel like @go_deep suggested. Or maybe I should just shell out and get a set of 4.

 

[Opah]

 

[Opah]

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[86indy]

You better be be ready to get GOOD ratchets caked up and or wrecked. I've launched the cheap ones a good ways

 

[DudeBro]

This is a timely thread for me. I'm looking to buy chains for my stock '15 GMC Sierra 1500. Owners manual recommends no chains, but I think I can get by with class "S" chains. I was looking hard at the Super Z6. Since y'all are talking about V-bar chains (which I fear would tear my front end up), would it even be worth Super Z6 in the mud?

 

[fmyth]

This is a timely thread for me. I'm looking to buy chains for my stock '15 GMC Sierra 1500. Owners manual recommends no chains, but I think I can get by with class "S" chains. I was looking hard at the Super Z6. Since y'all are talking about V-bar chains (which I fear would tear my front end up), would it even be worth Super Z6 in the mud?

I'd get under the truck and see what component is too close to the tire. The industry standard for chains is 1 1/2" of clearance. Most likely your brake calipers or brake lines are too close to the tire for clearance. This can be easily remedied by running hub centric wheel spacers. My 2019 Ram 1500 needed 1" spacers front and rear to run chains. The spacers have been on for 11k miles with 6k of those off paved roads.

 

[DudeBro]

I'd get under the truck and see what component is too close to the tire. The industry standard for chains is 1 1/2" of clearance. Most likely your brake calipers or brake lines are too close to the tire for clearance.

To me, the closest thing of concern looks to be the ABS/speed sensor cable. It's about 1 1/2 inches below the inside diameter of the wheel. Am I looking at that right? I haven't had a modern day set of chains on a wheel, so I'm not sure how far down they come on the backside.

 

[gbflyer]

They work great. Grew up in W CO where the top gets slicker than greased owl crap with very little rain. There is almost always a bottom to it. The old deep lug tall/skinny Dayton bias ply tires work (they used to last about 10,000 miles) and chains work. That’s it. Never seen a radial that works in it, even today. The key to success with chains is putting them on before you need them. Do they tear up the road? Yep. Not unlike the cattle do when pushed down them or the dumb asses with their unchained 35’s spinning and sliding all over the place.

 

[Marbles]

Forestry uses chains, so while I have not used them for mud, I know they work. Rather like the hunters in South East Alaska who wear instep crampons when there is not snow on the ground because of how slick things are.

I would make sure to get chains that are rated for off road use. The higher end forestry chains use a diamond pattern. I know diamond patter works a lot better in snow.

 

[fmyth]

To me, the closest thing of concern looks to be the ABS/speed sensor cable. It's about 1 1/2 inches below the inside diameter of the wheel. Am I looking at that right? I haven't had a modern day set of chains on a wheel, so I'm not sure how far down they come on the backside.

View attachment 272864View attachment 272865View attachment 272866

This is the area where the chain rides on the inside of the tires and is where it is most likely to contact (dead center of the pic I posted. I'd buy a set local or on amazon and mount them up and measure. When I put my chains on I could see that they were nearly touching the upper front ball joint. I put 1 1/2" spacers on and then had enough clearance at the ball joint but the chains were now too close to the front wheel fender opening where my mud flaps were located. Sent the 1 1/2" spacers back and bought 1" and now I have clearance about 1" clearance on the front and 2" on the rear.