AutoSock-Fabric "snow chain" thing. Anyone use em?

[rg200amp]

Sooo, I live in Philadelphia. We have the potential to get hit with a few storms of 5+ inches of snow. Some years we get a few feet.

So. Im not in an area that really warrants the cost of the steel wheels and snow tires.

I was thinking of picking up a set of snow "chains or cables" just to lessen the chances of getting stuck if im out and about.

It's just after researching, I have found people complaining of having there rims scuffed and marred up from the cables/chains while in use.

This lead me to the "fabric" socks. They look like a joke, but a few Youtube vids show them working somewhat well. . . .

Here are a few vids from people and one from the maker of the product. . . What do you all think? Worth a shot? they go for like $50-$75 a set. . . . .

I may give them a "test" this year if no one here has any bad experience with them . . . . .

Video from AutoSock maker:



This one is very impressive since I have had an Rx-8 in the snow and even a coating can leave you stranded!




I did see a review that stated they worked, but after a prolonged drive they tore. . .

That does not deter me considering I am looking for something to get me out of a "jam" should I need them. The ease of use and lack of risk of damage are really drawing me to these. . . .

Just something to have in the trunk. . . . . .

 

[rg200amp]

I found a few pairs on Ebay for $45. . .

 

[eljefino]

Give it a shot for us!

Remember, it will always be suboptimal conditions when you have to put those on. Wearing a suit, screaming kids, dark and pouring rain, standing in slush, whatever.

You won't want to wear them out so you'll be donning and removing them all the time.

I do understand the intermittent climate you're contending with. I'd probably go with "Spikes spiders" in that instance.

 

[JimPghPA]

Regarding your statement of "So. Im not in an area that really warrants the cost of the steel wheels and snow tires." I strongly disagree with what you think.

I live in Pittsburgh and we get the same winter conditions as Philadelphia and a set (all 4) of Blizzaks are a great thing to have on a vehicle in the winter.

It only takes driving on one section of road that is iced over to bust up your vehicle and possibly the people in your vehicle, and possibly people in another vehicle, or pedestrians. If it were only about material things such as vehicles, then it would not be a big deal. But when it comes to damaging people that is another level of problems.

Sure in general the winters have been getting milder, but from December through March you can end up on ice.

Cars now days have enough power to rip up a set of chains if you spin the wheels with too much throttle. If they can rip up metal chains they can easily rip up cloth.

BTW the key to using metal chains is to use double the recommended number of tensioners, take the chains off before you drive on road without snow, and never use enough power to spin the wheels.

Chains can damage fancy wheels, and if a link breaks or you only use one set of tensioners and a hook comes loose, you can damage the wheel well and or the side of the vehicle by the tire.

If you were to use a flimsy cloth system the key would be to never use enough throttle to cause the tires to spin, and to also stop and take them off as soon as you get un-stuck.

You would be much better off with a dedicated set of winter tires on their own rims. Once you use a set (ALL 4) of Blizzaks in the winter you will never want to go through a winter in an area that gets show without them. Blizzaks have about half the traction of studded tires when on ice, and that is still a lot of traction.

There are many true stories about how vehicles with Blizzaks have maintained control while other vehicles either can not move or can not steer or stop and end up crashing.

Look on YouTube for vehicles sliding one ice and crashing. Not one of them has a set of Blizzaks on them.

 

[sciphi]

They look like a single-use product for drivers who aren't typically driving on snow. The Web site also stated they weren't for use in severe snow situations. Not sure what a severe snow situation is for them. My guess is that they don't want somebody thinking they can drive through a foot of untracked snow with these.

They look like they do indeed work, once or twice. I wouldn't rely on them for consistent use, more for "OMG the roads are covered with 5" of unplowed snow and the plows are still getting coffee" situations. For somebody in the Philly or D.C. area, they'd likely be a good thing to have in the trunk.

Performance winter tires would be the best solution. These should do what you're asking, though.

 

[rg200amp]

Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
Regarding your statement of "So. Im not in an area that really warrants the cost of the steel wheels and snow tires." I strongly disagree with what you think.

I live in Pittsburgh and we get the same winter conditions as Philadelphia and a set (all 4) of Blizzaks are a great thing to have on a vehicle in the winter.

It only takes driving on one section of road that is iced over to bust up your vehicle and possibly the people in your vehicle, and possibly people in another vehicle, or pedestrians. If it were only about material things such as vehicles, then it would not be a big deal. But when it comes to damaging people that is another level of problems.

Sure in general the winters have been getting milder, but from December through March you can end up on ice.

Cars now days have enough power to rip up a set of chains if you spin the wheels with too much throttle. If they can rip up metal chains they can easily rip up cloth.

BTW the key to using metal chains is to use double the recommended number of tensioners, take the chains off before you drive on road without snow, and never use enough power to spin the wheels.

Chains can damage fancy wheels, and if a link breaks or you only use one set of tensioners and a hook comes loose, you can damage the wheel well and or the side of the vehicle by the tire.

If you were to use a flimsy cloth system the key would be to never use enough throttle to cause the tires to spin, and to also stop and take them off as soon as you get un-stuck.

You would be much better off with a dedicated set of winter tires on their own rims. Once you use a set (ALL 4) of Blizzaks in the winter you will never want to go through a winter in an area that gets show without them. Blizzaks have about half the traction of studded tires when on ice, and that is still a lot of traction.

There are many true stories about how vehicles with Blizzaks have maintained control while other vehicles either can not move or can not steer or stop and end up crashing.

Look on YouTube for vehicles sliding one ice and crashing. Not one of them has a set of Blizzaks on them.



Sure I would be better off with 4 winter tires.

I would be even better off in an AWD Audi.
And I would be even better off than THAT with an AWD Audi with winter tires!!!

Ya gotta keep things in perspective. . .

I don't live in the suburbs. It only takes 1-2 days for the City to have all the roads plowed and salted.

$700 for about a grand total of 1-2 hours of snow driving a season, in Philadelphia, is not what I call a needed investment considering once im home, I don't "Need" to go anywhere.

Just good old common sense can get me from point A to Home with a FWD VW!

It's just the rare chance that my drive wheels have zero traction. That would throw me out of commission.

For the price, even if they only last 2-3 short 2-3 minute "uses" I think they would have been worth it.

Im going to order em.

 

[UG_Passat]

if you're going to use them, put them on all 4 wheels, to help maximize the traction during braking & steering.

But really... just stay home. It is safer as all the idiots out there whom are not prepared or think their are invincible with AWD/4WD crash into you.

 

[rg200amp]

Originally Posted By: UG_Passat
if you're going to use them, put them on all 4 wheels, to help maximize the traction during braking & steering.

But really... just stay home. It is safer as all the idiots out there whom are not prepared or think their are invincible with AWD/4WD crash into you.


I am not going to need all fours. If I have the front ones on, my speed is not going to be more than 5mph. I plan on taking them off ASAP after I get "unstuck". I live and work in Philly. No highway, or any street driving that has a speed limit higher than 35MPH. So when it's bad out, everyone putts along at 10-15mph.

If I had a "real" commute, I would invest in winter tires.

I mean, if I know snow is coming, I will be home. The only thing out of my control is if im at work and the snow comes. I work less than 5 miles away and again, all city roads.

The OEM All-Season Hancook's have like new tread (only 12K on them) So im really not worried. Just trying to be "reasonably" prepped.

 

[UG_Passat]

Can't you utilize SEPTA? I am familiar with Philly, as I am from there orignally

 

[Falken]

Get Winter tires, on all 4's.

You benefit from better cold weather traction, even on dry pavement.

Keep a spade in your trunk. Any freak storms, ANY, and you'll never ever get stuck ever, with a shovel.

You can dig up your own gravel from under the snow on the shoulder of the road to use as traction aid if you need as well.

Edit: Also, remember, if you slide out of control and need to make an insurance claim, how much is the deductible, and how much would it bother you that your car has been in an accident? What if you didn't survive or lost a loved one?

If you have Winter, even tiny ones, get Winter tires. You have a Winter jacket and gloves? Get a matching set of Winter tires. Do it.

 

[sciphi]

My relatives in Philly are excited when they get snow. They don't get that much since it's usually warm enough to melt it quickly.

While snow tires are a great idea, even in Philly, they're not strictly necessary. Getting by with all-seasons is the norm for that area.

As I said, sounds like a nice backup option to have "just in case" a rainstorm turns to snow and the snow removal folks are caught napping.

 

[JimPghPA]

My brother put a set of Blizzaks on one of his vehicles, and one winter weekend he and his wife were going into downtown Pittsburgh to go to a show. They came out of the fort pit tunnel and onto the fort pit bridge. The bridge had black ice and there is a slight turn required because of the way the tunnel lines up with the bridge. His vehicle with the Blizzaks was able to turn on the black ice. The same size vehicle behind his was going the same speed and did not have Blizzaks. It slid straight on the ice and could not turn, so it went into a cement siding of the bridge. Those Blizzaks more than paid for them self right then and there.

One winter we were going over to a friends house for a pre-Christmas get together and on the main 4 lane road about a few blocks from their house the road was glare ice. Cars were literally rubbing their sides against the center barrier because the slight slope of the road was more that their tires could handle with the glare ice. Our vehicle with the Blizzaks had traction and we were able to drive around all the stuck cars.

BTW 4 wheel drive may get you moving in a deep snow if you have any half way decent tires, but it will not give you any advantage in moving forward, or steering, or stopping on glare ice. One of our vehicle is a rear wheel drive without a posi-traction. So if one of the back wheels slips that vehicle will not go in the snow or ice. With the Blizzaks on that vehicle I have driven around front wheel drive vehicles that were spinning their wheels and not able to go up the exit ramp in the back of Century III mall in the south hills a few days before Christmas when everyone was out shopping. With the Blizzaks I never have one of the back wheels spin so that car will out perform front wheel cars and 4WD on ice.

Another of my brothers put a set (all 4) of Blizzaks on his 4WD SUV. One snowy winter day he took his kids to a birthday party at one of their friends. He said that when he got there he decided to go up the long steep driveway so he and his kids would not have to try to walk up it. The mother of the house saw how he was able to bring his vehicle up the driveway and said to him, you have one of those vehicles with 4 wheel drive that can make it up our drive way. My brother said that he has 4WD but he has 4 Blizzaks on it and they are so good that he left it in 2 wheel drive.

Another winter a local road was glare ice and two men were having trouble even standing up, and they were stopping all traffic and saying do not go down that hill, it is glare ice and there are two vehicles down there that slid on the ice and damaged their vehicles. I said that I have 4 Blizzaks and will take it easy and will be all right. One was a van and the other a car. Both had blown out their passengers side front tire when they could not handle the slope of the road combined with a turn. One of them had destroyed the rim. They were both changing to their spares.

I drove around them with no problem.

Blizzaks have a special soft rubber for the first half of the treed. That rubber has microscopic holes in it that allow it to get past the microscopic layer of water that forms when a tire presses on frozen ice. That microscopic layer of water acts a a lubricant, and the special rubber gets past it down to the solid ice. Blizzaks also have microscopic hard carbon particles that act as microscopic ice cleats. Only the first half of the treed has this special rubber. Once you wear them down past the first half of tread you can use them as summer tires, but they do not have the special winter traction on ice. Also the special rubber is extra soft, and if you run them in warm weather you will wear them out fast.

I would rather be in a 2WD with a good set of Blizzaks in the winter than a 4WD without Blizzaks, any day.

There are a few other tires from other manufactures that also have a special winter rubber that grips on ice. Tire-Rack use to have some videos showing cars on an ice ring and how different tires perform.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: sciphi
The Web site also stated they weren't for use in severe snow situations. Not sure what a severe snow situation is for them.


Good point. My argument would be that any time I would have to get out with a shovel, tire chains, or tire socks, I would consider that a "severe snow situation."

 

[rg200amp]

Originally Posted By: Falken
Get a matching set of Winter tires. Do it.


Ummm. No.

I appreciate everyone's opinion.

But as I said. I do not need winter tires.

 

[rg200amp]

Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
My brother put a set of Blizzaks on one of his vehicles, and one winter weekend he and his wife were going into downtown Pittsburgh to go to a show. They came out of the fort pit tunnel and onto the fort pit bridge. The bridge had black ice and there is a slight turn required because of the way the tunnel lines up with the bridge. His vehicle with the Blizzaks was able to turn on the black ice. The same size vehicle behind his was going the same speed and did not have Blizzaks. It slid straight on the ice and could not turn, so it went into a cement siding of the bridge. Those Blizzaks more than paid for them self right then and there.

One winter we were going over to a friends house for a pre-Christmas get together and on the main 4 lane road about a few blocks from their house the road was glare ice. Cars were literally rubbing their sides against the center barrier because the slight slope of the road was more that their tires could handle with the glare ice. Our vehicle with the Blizzaks had traction and we were able to drive around all the stuck cars.

BTW 4 wheel drive may get you moving in a deep snow if you have any half way decent tires, but it will not give you any advantage in moving forward, or steering, or stopping on glare ice. One of our vehicle is a rear wheel drive without a posi-traction. So if one of the back wheels slips that vehicle will not go in the snow or ice. With the Blizzaks on that vehicle I have driven around front wheel drive vehicles that were spinning their wheels and not able to go up the exit ramp in the back of Century III mall in the south hills a few days before Christmas when everyone was out shopping. With the Blizzaks I never have one of the back wheels spin so that car will out perform front wheel cars and 4WD on ice.

Another of my brothers put a set (all 4) of Blizzaks on his 4WD SUV. One snowy winter day he took his kids to a birthday party at one of their friends. He said that when he got there he decided to go up the long steep driveway so he and his kids would not have to try to walk up it. The mother of the house saw how he was able to bring his vehicle up the driveway and said to him, you have one of those vehicles with 4 wheel drive that can make it up our drive way. My brother said that he has 4WD but he has 4 Blizzaks on it and they are so good that he left it in 2 wheel drive.

Another winter a local road was glare ice and two men were having trouble even standing up, and they were stopping all traffic and saying do not go down that hill, it is glare ice and there are two vehicles down there that slid on the ice and damaged their vehicles. I said that I have 4 Blizzaks and will take it easy and will be all right. One was a van and the other a car. Both had blown out their passengers side front tire when they could not handle the slope of the road combined with a turn. One of them had destroyed the rim. They were both changing to their spares.

I drove around them with no problem.

Blizzaks have a special soft rubber for the first half of the treed. That rubber has microscopic holes in it that allow it to get past the microscopic layer of water that forms when a tire presses on frozen ice. That microscopic layer of water acts a a lubricant, and the special rubber gets past it down to the solid ice. Blizzaks also have microscopic hard carbon particles that act as microscopic ice cleats. Only the first half of the treed has this special rubber. Once you wear them down past the first half of tread you can use them as summer tires, but they do not have the special winter traction on ice. Also the special rubber is extra soft, and if you run them in warm weather you will wear them out fast.

I would rather be in a 2WD with a good set of Blizzaks in the winter than a 4WD without Blizzaks, any day.

There are a few other tires from other manufactures that also have a special winter rubber that grips on ice. Tire-Rack use to have some videos showing cars on an ice ring and how different tires perform.
.

I will give you an A for effort.

But as stated, I do not need winter tires and I will not be buying them this season.

 

[rg200amp]

Originally Posted By: UG_Passat
Can't you utilize SEPTA? I am familiar with Philly, as I am from there orignally


No. More hassle than its worth.

 

[JimPghPA]

rg200amp, you remind me of JFKjr who knew enough to schedule his flight for VFR but got pushed into flying in instrument conditions because of the other people he transported.

I hope you always have the final say so about weather you take a trip, and can pick and chose to go or not to go depending on the current and near future driving conditions. But if others who do not pay attention to such details have too much influence in the decision making of going or not going, then I think you are fooling you self and setting yours self up for bent fenders and possibly worse than that.

I will admit that not every winters worth of driving has a situation where Blizzaks save the day, but I also know that at least once in every 10 winters worth of driving there is a time when those tires more than pay for them self.

Good luck to you.

 

[Falken]

^^ Jim +10

I live in Quebec, and we see a lot of freezing rain.

Our weather is humid and icy and is arguably the worst in NA, regardless of season.

Something is nice about paying for and rolling around on overkill.

Noting inspires a bigger grin than having Blizzaks (or Yokohama IG-20) when you have tons of black ice.

An extra set of dedicated foul weather tires defer mileage off of your summer tires anyway.

The few bucks of extra peace of mind is the way to go.

 

[Rand]

NE OHIO has similar weather. rain ice snow and throw in random 12" lake effect snow dumps.

I'd take a ford focus* with 400$ worth of steelies and snow tires over a 45000$ audi awd with the factory tires.




*during a snowstorm anyway.

I run blizzack ws-70's on my forester its a tank in the winter. I'm driving along like normal.. just have to watch out for everyone else who thinks their baldies are ok for 55/65mph with 1-2" of snow on the interstate.

 

[JimPghPA]

Rand, you are correct about the winter set taking up some of the miles that would otherwise have gone on the summer set.

The biggest hassle I have about keeping two sets of tires (4 winters and 4 summers) for each vehicle it that the steel rims require me to 1) take them to a car wash and blast off all the crud such as winter salt and then give them a day or more to dry, and then 2) spray paint touch up of about a whole spray can of Rustoleum semi-gloss black per set of 4 tires, and 3 knock the air pressure down to about 4 to 6 PSI and store on the tires on their sides elevated by 4 red bricks on the bottom tire in each stack so as to take it easy on the belts inside of the tires. And then put the air back in before putting them back on.