I do a lot of skiing every winter and that means snow chains. Not only are they difficult to install and adjust, but when they break, they can beat the heck out of your wheel well and cause accidents. Don't drive on broken snow chains. By carrying a few tools and a few extra emergency links, you'll be able to repair your chains on the spot and get back on the road quickly--and save a few bucks in the process as well.
Avoid breaking your chains in the first place by sizing them correctly and using adjusters. Get the size of your drive tires by reading the information on the sidewall; your auto parts store will have a chart giving proper chain sizes. Tensioners or adjusters are rubber cables with hooks to take up slack on the sides of your chains. Place the hooks evenly around the edges of your chains, drive for a short distance, and re-adjust to take up any slack.
The most common reason snow chains break is driving too fast. Keep your maximum speed to no more than 20 to 30 miles per hour. You'll know if a chain breaks because you'll hear it beating against your wheel well. Stop. You don't want the tire chain ruining your tire or wrapping around your axle.
Pull into a safe area and remove the broken chain by opening the connector links and driving forward a short distance to free the chain. Identify the broken spot and determine whether it is on a side chain (on the side of the tire) or on the cross chain (goes under the tire).
To repair a side chain, slip n ia side chain repair link to reconnect the chain. Use a hammer to close the side chain repair link by striking it against a hard surface--a steel anvil or, in a pinch, a rock or the road surface.
To repair a cross chain, use an emergency cross chain repair link. Connect the broken links and drive on it... the fastener is self-closing once the car is underway.
