Well The time has come that i need to invest in some snow chains,
Who make decent snow chains?
Are snow sweat chains any good?
Any brands to stay away from id rather pay a little more and get something decent than cheap crappy ones ..
Thanks Brad.
Snow Chains
Do you want pussy jap import type chains for the road only or do you want proper 4wd chains that can be used on ice, snow, mud etc. If you are in the south Island try the Chainman in Christchurch Cass street I think. I think they are the cheapest around. They made my 31" chains into 33" for $100.
Al
Al
rain, hail, sleet or snow, we go!
kdub104 wrote:the snowsweat chains are made in wgtn by superior industries and are bloody top of the line
so i dont know how you got PUSSY JAP IMPORT CHAINS
and chainmans stuff is all material import anyway and what isnt jap these days
well thats it sorted then, snow sweat chains it is!
club skifeild roads are a little tooo sketchy with no chains.....
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IcedJohnno
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If you are in the south island go to Chain Protection Services at 25 Birmingham Drive Riccarton Christchurch. Ph 03 338 1552
You will be talking to John; he is the main supplier of chains for all heavy-duty applications in the SI. Anything from full coverage earthmoving chains for running on sharp rock, to Mil-spec chains for the army where the steel is actually coloured green (not Plated), to light car chains.
If you are planning on using them on a 4x4 then do yourself a favour and get decent heavy duty ice-breaker chains with either the big vee links or the really heavy duty ones with the 4 vertical prongs on each cross-link.
A) They cut thru anything and really grip on hard ice or clay
B) They wont get stressed when you load them up with all the torque that you can apply in low range.
In fairness to Snow Sweat I can't really comment, as I have not used them. However I would never do that because as an engineer I know the result of stressing that diameter of small chain. The answer very quickly after loading them is PING Bang Bang Bang as the links break and then you have cross-chains flying around hopefully only creating panel damage but probably damaging brake-hoses. I have done this in the past albeit on a car but with the same dia. that Snow Sweat use.
Others may argue back that Snow Sweat chains are High Tensile Steel and therefore being smaller does not matter. Yes they are HT but so are all the decent brands and real 4x4 chain links are about 6mm or bigger in wire size section.
Hope this helps, I had to comment as I have many years experience at abusing chains mainly at this time of year as I prepare a Club Ski Field pre season.
John
You will be talking to John; he is the main supplier of chains for all heavy-duty applications in the SI. Anything from full coverage earthmoving chains for running on sharp rock, to Mil-spec chains for the army where the steel is actually coloured green (not Plated), to light car chains.
If you are planning on using them on a 4x4 then do yourself a favour and get decent heavy duty ice-breaker chains with either the big vee links or the really heavy duty ones with the 4 vertical prongs on each cross-link.
A) They cut thru anything and really grip on hard ice or clay
B) They wont get stressed when you load them up with all the torque that you can apply in low range.
In fairness to Snow Sweat I can't really comment, as I have not used them. However I would never do that because as an engineer I know the result of stressing that diameter of small chain. The answer very quickly after loading them is PING Bang Bang Bang as the links break and then you have cross-chains flying around hopefully only creating panel damage but probably damaging brake-hoses. I have done this in the past albeit on a car but with the same dia. that Snow Sweat use.
Others may argue back that Snow Sweat chains are High Tensile Steel and therefore being smaller does not matter. Yes they are HT but so are all the decent brands and real 4x4 chain links are about 6mm or bigger in wire size section.
Hope this helps, I had to comment as I have many years experience at abusing chains mainly at this time of year as I prepare a Club Ski Field pre season.
John
John,
I run the ice breaker ones from chain protection services and can also vouch for them. I have used them alot and never had one come apart, I have seen most other chains come adrift, there is an enormous stress put on them at times, links have straightened, hooks have straightened and inevitably you end up with needing a new brake line.
Whatever you do, don't buy aything with a spring in them. They stretch then also proceed to destruct.
NJ
I run the ice breaker ones from chain protection services and can also vouch for them. I have used them alot and never had one come apart, I have seen most other chains come adrift, there is an enormous stress put on them at times, links have straightened, hooks have straightened and inevitably you end up with needing a new brake line.
Whatever you do, don't buy aything with a spring in them. They stretch then also proceed to destruct.
NJ
SWB V6 Paj with one or two mods 
if you are only using them on club roads like you were saying the snowsweat chains are fine, i used them on all our troopys at opc on all four wheels to go up tukino which is a rough road / track up ruapehu, they would have up to ten people and all their gear for a week and low range for most of the road so they got a beating all the time, they were the hd 4x4 ones , our transits ran them on the back for the whakapapa road on seal and we had a good run out of them,bearing in mind that they were put on by outdoor instructors as well, so they must be easy to put on if they could do it!. cheers
vaughan
vaughan
IcedJohnno wrote:If you are in the south island go to Chain Protection Services at 25 Birmingham Drive Riccarton Christchurch. Ph 03 338 1552
If you are planning on using them on a 4x4 then do yourself a favour and get decent heavy duty ice-breaker chains with either the big vee links or the really heavy duty ones with the 4 vertical prongs on each cross-link.
A) They cut thru anything and really grip on hard ice or clay
B) They wont get stressed when you load them up with all the torque that you can apply in low range.
John
Are the ice breaker ones the "heavy duty" chains that chain protection services sell for $185+gst?
Seems like they are the same price as the snowsweat ones.
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IcedJohnno
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Without going and seeing John I cannot comment.
However in '03 I bought a set for one of the Broken River Ski Club vehicles and I came across the receipt a couple of nights ago. The cost back then for heavy-duty chains at a damn good discount was $175 + GST.
Perhaps the dollar climbing has got his prices down, I don’t know but I suspect that the decent heavy duty ones would be more like $250 as a retail price.
By the way I measured the links on my chains last night and the longitudinal chains and the twisted cross links are 7mm dia and the folded over joining links between the two types above are 8mm in dia.
Will be using both sets of my chains and both diff-locks this afternoon getting about a tonne of Ski-tow gear that’s on my trailer back up the mountain before the southerly hits and the snow gets too deep.
See you up at BR riding the snow, we open on the 31st
John
However in '03 I bought a set for one of the Broken River Ski Club vehicles and I came across the receipt a couple of nights ago. The cost back then for heavy-duty chains at a damn good discount was $175 + GST.
Perhaps the dollar climbing has got his prices down, I don’t know but I suspect that the decent heavy duty ones would be more like $250 as a retail price.
By the way I measured the links on my chains last night and the longitudinal chains and the twisted cross links are 7mm dia and the folded over joining links between the two types above are 8mm in dia.
Will be using both sets of my chains and both diff-locks this afternoon getting about a tonne of Ski-tow gear that’s on my trailer back up the mountain before the southerly hits and the snow gets too deep.
See you up at BR riding the snow, we open on the 31st
John
IcedJohnno wrote:Without going and seeing John I cannot comment.
However in '03 I bought a set for one of the Broken River Ski Club vehicles and I came across the receipt a couple of nights ago. The cost back then for heavy-duty chains at a damn good discount was $175 + GST.
Perhaps the dollar climbing has got his prices down, I don’t know but I suspect that the decent heavy duty ones would be more like $250 as a retail price.
By the way I measured the links on my chains last night and the longitudinal chains and the twisted cross links are 7mm dia and the folded over joining links between the two types above are 8mm in dia.
Will be using both sets of my chains and both diff-locks this afternoon getting about a tonne of Ski-tow gear that’s on my trailer back up the mountain before the southerly hits and the snow gets too deep.
See you up at BR riding the snow, we open on the 31st
John
Picked up a set today for the cruiser, and a set for my old mans patrol....
Just need to get my cruiser back on the road and then find some snow and test them. How long is the walk into br? Ive been known to ride at mt olmypus or cragieburn in the past.
I used to run snowsweat chains on my sj410 (when std) for offroading. they double your traction in slick clay, way more than even simexes. They lasted me quite a while before I flogged out the plastic bits and the clips. Didnt help that I welded thicker chain to the ladders. If your just going to use them onroad then they'll be fine. For off-roading way too weak for anything other than a 410 which has about 3 torks. 
I had them on the back cos they machined out my guards when I tried them on the front. On the back your much safer going down hills as the back doesnt try to kill you all the time, but as I found out, when going up a hill the front tried to kill me but it didnt work! and my suzuki commited suicide in vain
I had them on the back cos they machined out my guards when I tried them on the front. On the back your much safer going down hills as the back doesnt try to kill you all the time, but as I found out, when going up a hill the front tried to kill me but it didnt work! and my suzuki commited suicide in vain
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IcedJohnno
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Where you put your chains depends on where you are going or what you are trying to achieve.
If climbing steep tracks then chains on the back is better due to the weight transfer of the vehicle mostly back over the rear wheels. This is generally where I put my chains for ski field roads in winter as generally I only need one set once the skiing has started. (We doze and grade our road regularly as we own our own gear at BR)
If cutting thru deep snow and you only have one set then on the front is better, just like having a front only diff-lock is better than a rear only. The reason is that the front end will pull you through, rather than just scrabbling and being pushed by the rear.
The front end will give you better steerage too.
Just watch out for brake hoses and electric wires, if like me you still enjoy your electric front hubs. I have bent the brackets that support my front Hub wires inwards to keep them away from blocks of ice and the Chains.
In terms of Skiing/Riding at Broken River, the road takes you to the goods lift and if you want you can save another 8 mins walk by driving 4 more corners to Whiskey Creek Corner. That’s as far as we doze the road in the winter due to avalanche concern further on.
From there it is a 15 minute walk through Beech Forest to the top of the goods lift and the first Lodge. Another 5 mins from there gets you up the Stairway to Heaven and to the Access Tow.
The time spent walking is probably less than the difference in time taken to drive into Mt Olympus versus to BR and yes our road is always in better condition than theirs. That’s not to say I don’t love skiing at Mt O or enjoy the people over there though.
If climbing steep tracks then chains on the back is better due to the weight transfer of the vehicle mostly back over the rear wheels. This is generally where I put my chains for ski field roads in winter as generally I only need one set once the skiing has started. (We doze and grade our road regularly as we own our own gear at BR)
If cutting thru deep snow and you only have one set then on the front is better, just like having a front only diff-lock is better than a rear only. The reason is that the front end will pull you through, rather than just scrabbling and being pushed by the rear.
The front end will give you better steerage too.
Just watch out for brake hoses and electric wires, if like me you still enjoy your electric front hubs. I have bent the brackets that support my front Hub wires inwards to keep them away from blocks of ice and the Chains.
In terms of Skiing/Riding at Broken River, the road takes you to the goods lift and if you want you can save another 8 mins walk by driving 4 more corners to Whiskey Creek Corner. That’s as far as we doze the road in the winter due to avalanche concern further on.
From there it is a 15 minute walk through Beech Forest to the top of the goods lift and the first Lodge. Another 5 mins from there gets you up the Stairway to Heaven and to the Access Tow.
The time spent walking is probably less than the difference in time taken to drive into Mt Olympus versus to BR and yes our road is always in better condition than theirs. That’s not to say I don’t love skiing at Mt O or enjoy the people over there though.
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IcedJohnno
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Headed over Porter's Pass at 8.40 last Saturday, heading for Broken River Ski Club for more of my ski-field maintenance on Tows.
Got to the bottom of the Pass and 'Works' were trying to tell me to fit chains. comment back "I don’t fit chains on tar-seal. It buggers up my Ice-breakers" The guy looked at me funny and said "well you will have to fit them a round the corner. Make sure you're in 4wd then"
Drove quietly over the Pass noting thick ice in the usual places but that it had been gritted and that I was safe without chains.
Car-transporter semi rig stuck on the steep part and abandoned. I've driven down there in snow in a truck via the water-table for traction and know what that’s like, hmmmm.
Got to the Thomas Cutting b4 Castle Hill Village and waited for a wee Toyo van that was spinning his Chains cos he had no weight over the rears. He got up. Wonder if he could be done for 'Sustained loss of traction...'
Corner above the Village and there is a School Hiace van in the ditch. Been there since 4am. They had bought chains in Greymouth, salesman had fitted them to the FRONT wheels....
Larger size tyres on rears so the poxy quick-fits wouldn't fit, once they had worked out where to fit them. They had used shoelaces to take up the differences but had thrown one chain, surprise 
Fitted a set of chains to the front of my Prado and towed them out. All six of them wearing odd shoes cos of the laces and wrapped in sleeping bags were most grateful, as was their tutor later in the day when I rang her back. She had rung BR concerned early that morning, "Had they seen a school van full of kids..."
Told them about using the hand-brake for braking on a Rwd only as you don't loose the steering when the fronts lock up. That is how he had got into that mess.
Suggested they spend the morning at my mates B&B 'The Burn', at the Village. No way I was recommending that they drive down the Pass like that in those conditions.
Surprised at the road conditions and how the new Contractor 'Works' had been caught out. This happens every year that the snow-clearing contractor changes. Why hadn't they picked up this School van load of kids, when the did their road sweep? Cos they had been caught out, I reckon The last few years with Fulton-Hogan, they would have had much less ice on the road and they would have at least driven their 'safety sweep' ute thru if not the snow plow / grit trucks.
Had an interesting trip from there to Broken River's turn off avoiding tar-seal where ever possible. Fitted the rear set of chains cos I knew where I was driving next
I love driving this section of summer only track to do my maintenance, it really sorts out my demons.
Left the Lodges at 1350 m to drive up 'The Horror Stretch" with two inside and 'The Wooky' sitting on top of the spare wheel. Comment from inside passenger "#### I'm scared" comment back from driver "You're not the only one. Wait till we get into the drifts higher up". The Wooky is just whooping it up on the back, his way of releasing nervous energy.
Two zigs higher and I'm just crabbing sideways all the way up, sitting on 4.300 in 2nd low with both Locks in or so I thought. Hit a big drift and we stop having gone sideways nearer the outer edge. Some shovelling, 3 goes backwards and forwards and I'm nearer the inside of the track again.
The Wooky tells me my inside rear is spinning heaps but not the outer one. Rotate the rear locker switch again as it had not hooked up after I released it for the last hair-pin. More shovelling for about 15m along just the inside wheel line and I'm off again. 4300 1st, same in 2nd and evidently the Prado just lifts upwards 6" and planes across the snow about 1/2 way through the snow-pack. Both lockers working now and that rear outer wheel is right near the edge of the track. At least 400m vert to the river named Broken below.
We didn't take any photos on this part of the trip as we were all too pre-occupied...
Here are some from a bit later on
Prado resting after the 250m vertical climb from our Lodges. The Ski Field day Lodge, Palmer Lodge is to the left just out of the photo. NZ's highest weather station is behind my truck. Been there 40 years.
3900 in 3rd lo on the flat lands driving across our Intermediate Tow slope on the track to the Main Tow. Oh I love my front Lock-Right & factory rear electric locker
Similar place. Hey Al note the slight sign of a track above my drivers door. You had better get a suspension upgrade. That track has not been driven in 36 years and in a couple we may need to open it up with a digger or our dozer for some more development. Might be able to attempt to drive it before we do the upgrade... Only 6 foot cross-axling water gouged ruts thou. No way I'm taking my rig anywhere near it!
No the wooden Standard in the background is not vertical. Note the diff just kissing the snow as I plane through it and here just the small sideways crab action.
Who needs to see
Got to the bottom of the Pass and 'Works' were trying to tell me to fit chains. comment back "I don’t fit chains on tar-seal. It buggers up my Ice-breakers" The guy looked at me funny and said "well you will have to fit them a round the corner. Make sure you're in 4wd then"
Drove quietly over the Pass noting thick ice in the usual places but that it had been gritted and that I was safe without chains.
Car-transporter semi rig stuck on the steep part and abandoned. I've driven down there in snow in a truck via the water-table for traction and know what that’s like, hmmmm.
Got to the Thomas Cutting b4 Castle Hill Village and waited for a wee Toyo van that was spinning his Chains cos he had no weight over the rears. He got up. Wonder if he could be done for 'Sustained loss of traction...'
Corner above the Village and there is a School Hiace van in the ditch. Been there since 4am. They had bought chains in Greymouth, salesman had fitted them to the FRONT wheels....
Larger size tyres on rears so the poxy quick-fits wouldn't fit, once they had worked out where to fit them. They had used shoelaces to take up the differences but had thrown one chain, surprise
Fitted a set of chains to the front of my Prado and towed them out. All six of them wearing odd shoes cos of the laces and wrapped in sleeping bags were most grateful, as was their tutor later in the day when I rang her back. She had rung BR concerned early that morning, "Had they seen a school van full of kids..."
Told them about using the hand-brake for braking on a Rwd only as you don't loose the steering when the fronts lock up. That is how he had got into that mess.
Suggested they spend the morning at my mates B&B 'The Burn', at the Village. No way I was recommending that they drive down the Pass like that in those conditions.
Surprised at the road conditions and how the new Contractor 'Works' had been caught out. This happens every year that the snow-clearing contractor changes. Why hadn't they picked up this School van load of kids, when the did their road sweep? Cos they had been caught out, I reckon
The last few years with Fulton-Hogan, they would have had much less ice on the road and they would have at least driven their 'safety sweep' ute thru if not the snow plow / grit trucks.
Had an interesting trip from there to Broken River's turn off avoiding tar-seal where ever possible. Fitted the rear set of chains cos I knew where I was driving next
I love driving this section of summer only track to do my maintenance, it really sorts out my demons.
Left the Lodges at 1350 m to drive up 'The Horror Stretch" with two inside and 'The Wooky' sitting on top of the spare wheel. Comment from inside passenger "#### I'm scared" comment back from driver "You're not the only one. Wait till we get into the drifts higher up". The Wooky is just whooping it up on the back, his way of releasing nervous energy.
Two zigs higher and I'm just crabbing sideways all the way up, sitting on 4.300 in 2nd low with both Locks in or so I thought. Hit a big drift and we stop having gone sideways nearer the outer edge. Some shovelling, 3 goes backwards and forwards and I'm nearer the inside of the track again.
The Wooky tells me my inside rear is spinning heaps but not the outer one. Rotate the rear locker switch again as it had not hooked up after I released it for the last hair-pin. More shovelling for about 15m along just the inside wheel line and I'm off again. 4300 1st, same in 2nd and evidently the Prado just lifts upwards 6" and planes across the snow about 1/2 way through the snow-pack. Both lockers working now and that rear outer wheel is right near the edge of the track. At least 400m vert to the river named Broken below.
We didn't take any photos on this part of the trip as we were all too pre-occupied...
Here are some from a bit later on
Prado resting after the 250m vertical climb from our Lodges. The Ski Field day Lodge, Palmer Lodge is to the left just out of the photo. NZ's highest weather station is behind my truck. Been there 40 years.
3900 in 3rd lo on the flat lands driving across our Intermediate Tow slope on the track to the Main Tow. Oh I love my front Lock-Right & factory rear electric locker
Similar place. Hey Al note the slight sign of a track above my drivers door. You had better get a suspension upgrade. That track has not been driven in 36 years and in a couple we may need to open it up with a digger or our dozer for some more development. Might be able to attempt to drive it before we do the upgrade... Only 6 foot cross-axling water gouged ruts thou. No way I'm taking my rig anywhere near it!
No the wooden Standard in the background is not vertical. Note the diff just kissing the snow as I plane through it and here just the small sideways crab action.
Who needs to see
Last edited by IcedJohnno on Thu Jun 28, 2007 8:55 pm, edited 6 times in total.
You have all the fun Johnno, when you inviting us up for a play :wink: They made me put my chains on at porters on saturday. They were turning heaps of dudes away when I went through. Took them off at the top then they made me put them back on at Arthurs, took them off first chance I got as well. Thinking of running a snow trip down central when the roads open if you are interested sorry off topic :oops:
Al
Al
rain, hail, sleet or snow, we go!
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IcedJohnno
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[quote="stompin"]im sure i reconise you're truck from the car park at Mt O last year..
quote]
Yep that would have been me. Only ski-ied there one weekend but stayed both nights, drunken very, and I recall some naked night ski-ing. Hmm damn shame the camera flash died as one of the girls I went up with ski-ied off.....
quote]
Yep that would have been me. Only ski-ied there one weekend but stayed both nights, drunken very, and I recall some naked night ski-ing. Hmm damn shame the camera flash died as one of the girls I went up with ski-ied off.....
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IcedJohnno
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albundy wrote:You have all the fun Johnno, when you inviting us up for a play
Al
Saw your other thread post Al, thats what made me put this up. 1st photo posts for me, about time....
Sorry no vehicles up that track now, we have a bridge that goes across the 4wd track to get the skiers/riders up the Access Tow.
I wouldn't let anyone else up there anyway when it is like this. It is bloody dangerous, 4 to 500 vert drop off the side....
But see the text I added to the photos after you saw them, perhaps a summer trip in the future.
IcedJohnno wrote:stompin wrote:im sure i reconise you're truck from the car park at Mt O last year..
Yep that would have been me. Only ski-ied there one weekend but stayed both nights, drunken very, and I recall some naked night ski-ing. Hmm damn shame the camera flash died as one of the girls I went up with ski-ied off.....
Yerp that was it, that weekend was pretty good weekend.
Will be making trips up this year to the clubies again well worth the trip in all acords.