re: Cables/Chains

[Matthew Shaw <shawm@xxxxxxxxx>]

John

I've been driving to Tahoe almost every weekend of the
ski season for the last six years now. My car a 320is 
which has a limited slip diff.  (it's been through some 
stuff you wouldn't believe)  First of all, if you have
all season tires (will have a M/S mark somewhere on the
tire) you can get through chain controls may times if the
controls are set at R1.
  
R1 = 2wd cars with all season tires ok.
R2 = 2wd cars must have chains.  4wd with M/S tires ok.
R3 = 4wd with chains only.

If it is R1 I don't recommend going without chains if your
your tires do not have a pretty good tread depth left on
them.

I've never seen R3 controls, they will close the road first.

As for the brand of chain I prefer, "White Star" is it.  In
addition to being easy to put on, they run much smoother
than your standard cheepo's they do cost about $60 though.
Don't waist your money (or car) by using cables.  Cables are
junk!  They don't grip worth a damm (your wheel spins inside
the damm things)  and they fall off all the time, just ask
a Cal Trans snow plow driver.  If the chains that you had
on your Pontiac fell off, they were either put on wrong or
they were driven on dry (no snow) pavement to long and wore
through and broke.  When your out of the snow take them off,
I know it's a pain but it's better than breaking them.  If
you hear any tic tic tic tic, stop get out & check to be sure 
there's no lose ends hitting the fender.  You shouldn't hear
anything, but sometimes ice can cause this noise (but that's
rare)

I'm happy to say that I will not be needing to put chains on
anymore, bought an ix a few mo's ago.  I will keep a set of
cheepos in the car just in case  (for the real deep stuff)

Hope that helps-

- -Matt

>I am headed into my first winter with my 540i.  Is there a recommended
>manufacturer or supplier of tire cables.  I'll be making a run up to Lake
>Tahoe for T-day and could use some advice.  When my wife and I got married,
>she had a '78 Trans Am (that car and I never got along, it's gone I
>stayed).  Anyway, we drove that POS up to the Lake one winter and on the
>way home, one of the chains broke.  It made a mess of the right rear
>quarter panel.  I would really like to avoid the same experience (Pontiac
>piloting and chain break).

>Thanks,

>John Fagerlund

>'95 540i

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