Tire chains ‐- do cams work??

[D60]

275/70/18 on a 1/2 ton

I'm very skeptical of cam chains. These have several (maybe 5 or 6) cams around the outer sidewall you twist down with a flat key.

My skepticism comes from how they stay closed. It seems they cam over but then require tension to stay closed. What's to stop them from twisting open if tension is lost?? And once ONE opens up, then it's a RAPID domino effect, as I see it??

I understand you can still use tensioners, but what if you lose/break a tensioner? With a standard chain that outer sidewall can only open a little if properly sized from the start. But if a cam chain unclicks all its cams.....things get sketchy.

Cam chains seem to be taking over. What am I missing? Will they not open up wildly if tension is lost?

 

[Creekside]

I used them when I ran tow trucks in winter-they are the standard in truck tire chains. I would get them as tight as possible and then used the spider looking bungee cord on the outside of the tire to maintain additional tension. Never had any problems with them coming loose but I would install them and roll forward and backwards several times and take up another link if necessary. I (thankfully) have no experience with chains on light duty trucks or cars so I can't help there.

 

[MrkofXcellence]

I never used chains with cams that used any kind of tool. The ones I have used used a means of attaching the chain ends together where you would put a lever through the end-link then fold it back onto itself and lock it into the link behind it. I always just used rubber tighteners and never had a problem. These days, with the 20’s that came factory on my Silverado, I’m relegated to only use cable-chains.

 

[Vercingetorix]

The reason they don’t lose tension when done properly is you shouldn’t be using them much at all. After mounting the chains and tightening them with the cams, you drive a bit. Then you loosen all the cams and move the chain hooks tighter, inside and or outside until snug again. Repeat until they are as tight as you can get them. Then turn the cams. I don’t remember ever using more than 1 or 2 cams and a bungee cord to add tension and keep the tail from flailing. Even if the cams turned, which never happened, the chain is still relatively tight