4x4 And tire chains

JayinNY · Jan 12, 2021

I have a 4x4 atv, its full time 4x4, the back of my

Property is down hill, coming back up in 5-6” of snow, the atv will spin all the way to the top, sometimes I have to back down and try again, well i had tire chains on a garden tractor 30 years ago, that i saved, so i got them out tonight and was thinking of putting them on the atv, where would it be best to put them front tires or rear tires? I dont know if they will help any, but i have nothing important to do so I figured ill give it a try.

Bill(Wis) · Jan 12, 2021

The center of gravity going uphill will be toward the rear so putting the chains on the rear would make sense. I could tell you stories about front wheel drive cars trying to climb snowy hills and spinning out while the rear wheel drive cars went right past them. That was back when people said that front wheel drive was better in snow.

JayinNY · Jan 12, 2021

Thats what i was thinking especially if i tow my little trailer too, or maybe one chain on front one on back on opposite sides?

Bill(Wis) · Jan 12, 2021

I don't know anything about the driveline on that thing. Putting one chain on front and one on rear could end up with the two without chains spinning??? Due to differential action???

M Nut · Jan 12, 2021

Chains on rear.

Tony in SD · Jan 12, 2021

If you only have one pair of chains, always put them on the front. That way you can steer the atv. If you put them on the rear, you will soon take them off and put them on the front. This is especially true if you are on hills or mountains with slipper snow, ice and/or mud.

marloweg · Jan 12, 2021

chain up all 4 will make it unstoppable and will keep the front from sliding when you angle the plow

dpendzic · Jan 12, 2021

On my atv i have the milk crate over the rear axle---and in the winter i put a few concrete blocks in it

Fred47M · Jan 12, 2021

Atvs seem balanced well with mid mount engines so its probably even advantage front or rear. I would maybe try weight one end, chain other like mentioned. I put a tube of sand on back my atv because have plow on front so it evens it out. I have chains on all four on my plowtruck and sometimes I get nervous I'm going to break something (differential or t-case) because too much traction and binding. But yes unstoppable.

JayinNY · Jan 12, 2021

Thats a good idea, i do have a 60 # tube of sand,, thanks.

4play · Jan 12, 2021

I would make sure the chains fit the tires, not just on the tire but clearance between plastic, shocks, axles, brake lines etc. Check the front real good, steering both ways and cycling the suspension. Make sure the chains fit tight, and consider what might happen if they become loose or get thrown off (broken plastic, brake lines etc). If the chains have to be modified to fit, will you be able to swap them to the other end, different size tires?

It doesn't sound like you are on ice or sliding around, so I don't think you need to prioritize steering traction with putting chains on front. Climbing a hill the rear tires are what needs the extra traction. It helps getting chains tight if you air down first and then fill tires back to spec to tighten them up

Stuart · Jan 13, 2021

Front wheel drive vehicles will do better in snow. I live in southwest Wisconsin and my front wheel drive vehicles will out perform rear wheel drive. Your engine weight is over the drive wheels.

JK-NY · Jan 13, 2021

I agree with what you said , for best results going uphill, chains on the back.

Texasmark1 · Jan 13, 2021

Rear is where I'd put them and with low ATV tire air pressure (like 5 psig rated tires and all) any difference in diameter should be moot. On the rear, traction is driving the front of the tractor down so before the rear starts floating over the terrain it has to lift the whole machine. Mounting on the front, there is nothing up there to lift and it is dragging the rear. If you don't believe it makes a difference, take your 1000# ZT and a ⅓ sloped pond bank and do the following:

Drive it straight up the bank head first and note your traction. Reverse the process....drive it straight down the bank....assuming you have room to stop before you hit something. Wink!

BarnyardEngineering · Jan 13, 2021

(quoted from post at 19:46:17 01/12/21) The center of gravity going uphill will be toward the rear so putting the chains on the rear would make sense. I could tell you stories about front wheel drive cars trying to climb snowy hills and spinning out while the rear wheel drive cars went right past them. That was back when people said that front wheel drive was better in snow.

The difference is tires. People with new front wheel drive cars were running "All Season" tires because the dealer convinced them that they were just as good in snow. People with older rear wheel drive cars had dedicated snow tires because they couldn't move in the winter without them.

Front wheel drive with dedicated snow tires IS much better in snow than any rear wheel drive. Rear wheel drive, the rear end is always trying to be in front in slippery conditions.

Bill(Wis) · Jan 13, 2021

You didn't bother to read the post. We are talking about going uphill. UPHILL. Your front-wheel drive will be next to useless going UPHILL as compared to a rear wheel drive car.

JimB2 · Jan 13, 2021

I agree with Tony in SD BUT you must check the front wheel clearances when you turn the wheels maximum in either direction the chains are not contacting the frame or the fenders of the ATV.

John in Mich · Jan 13, 2021

Been there, done that. In 1979 I bought a Chevy, 4 cylinder, automatic trans, front wheel drive,
Citation for my wife. (Yes, the Citation was an 80 model that came out in April of '79) We had a '78
Chevy 350 V8, auto trans, rear wheel drive, Suburban as well for our family stationwagon.
The Suburban got stuck in 8" of snow. The Citation was plowing the snow with the front end.

Russ from MN · Jan 13, 2021

I put a set on the rear of my Honda 400 Foreman, it helped a lot on smooth lake ice with no snow on it. But, in your case you need to be very careful if you put them on the rear and climb a hill, if you're spinning and the chain catches on something it could flip you over backwards. I had that happen on a lawn tractor once! For safety sake, it might be better to put them on the front, if you have clearance.

DoubleO7 · Jan 13, 2021

If your tires are so fat that they float your atv ontop of the fluffy snow, chains won't help much.
Unless/until you can get down to the ground.

IowaJohn · Jan 13, 2021

We're hilly here, so when we get ice most everyone who needs to go puts chains on the front of 4wd pickup.

Stuart · Jan 13, 2021

I read the post. I will give you my address, bring your rear wheel drive vehicle and compare it to either of my front wheel drive cars. It is far easier to pull the vehicle uphill such as a front wheel drive car does than it is for a rear wheel drive to push the vehicle up the hill. The farm I grew up on had a long steep driveway. Our front wheel drive vehicles with half tread tires would make it up the hill far easier than our rear wheel drive vehicles would with new tires and 200 lbs of weight in the trunk. I have no idea what color the sun is in your world

495man · Jan 13, 2021

I had a 4x4 wheeler.

I had chains on all four tires.

I started with chains on the rear, made a huge difference, but then became hard to steer because the extra traction on the rear end kept pushing.

Added the front chains and made a huge difference.

Stuart · Jan 13, 2021

I read the post. I will give you my address, bring your rear wheel drive vehicle and compare it to either of my front wheel drive cars. It is far easier to pull the vehicle uphill such as a front wheel drive car does than it is for a rear wheel drive to push the vehicle up the hill. The farm I grew up on had a long steep driveway. Our front wheel drive vehicles with half tread tires would make it up the hill far easier than our rear wheel drive vehicles would with new tires and 200 lbs of weight in the trunk. I have no idea what color the sun is in your world

4x4 And tire chains

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