Snow chains at the flick of a switch

Has anyone seen these snow chains before?
Not sure how much they cost though.

Don't think we have enough snow in the UK, especially in the South to justify fitting them.
Would you fit them to the front wheels?

seems like a genius design, if there as good as ive just read

Wow! Simple, and yet genius. Where's the catch?

Nope I haven't seen them before. I won't fit them to any wheels unless it was an HGV or PSV as that's the type of vehicle shown in the film.

No link, can't see them.

link is the words snow chains in first post

My main concerns would be :
Tyre wall wear : If the drive wheel is really soft enough to prevent damage to the tyre wall, how long does it actually last before wearing itself away? And how gentle is it likely to be in icy conditions where it'll harden and crack, and that close to the road where the spinning chains of death will kick up all manner of stones and whatnot and throw them into the whirring wheels of doom?
Fouling : Just look at it! If one of those chains gets embedded in the ground or tyre tread, the whole thing will rip itself to bits in the vicinity of your wheels/brakes/suspension, leading to what is known in some circles as "interesting times".

Can't really see where it mounts either.

I wonder what certification robo-undercarriage-mincer™ has.

Best I can do in something nice to say is : Obviously this is an important part of "all the gear", but I'm really not sure that you could live with it if you had any idea, so .. perfect gift for the gadget-lover in your life?

Vinlander said:

My main concerns would be :
Tyre wall wear : If the drive wheel is really soft enough to prevent damage to the tyre wall, how long does it actually last before wearing itself away? And how gentle is it likely to be in icy conditions where it'll harden and crack, and that close to the road where the spinning chains of death will kick up all manner of stones and whatnot and throw them into the whirring wheels of doom?
Fouling : Just look at it! If one of those chains gets embedded in the ground or tyre tread, the whole thing will rip itself to bits in the vicinity of your wheels/brakes/suspension, leading to what is known in some circles as "interesting times".

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And if the chains get damaged while spinning at speed and fling out from under the truck into other traffic or pedestrians.
Interesting idea but lot of potential for issues.

Feathers McGraw said:

And if the chains get damaged while spinning at speed and fling out from under the truck into other traffic or pedestrians.

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Ah, there's that bright side I was looking for

Vinlander said:

Ah, there's that bright side I was looking for

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Or lycra louts.

Feathers McGraw said:

Or lycra louts.

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Road tax dodgers.
Can't help feeling that the word "sever" has been underused in this thread.
Early days yet, but just to be safe, sever, severed, severing, and a severely for good measure.

Although realistically the chains (of death) should never spin that quick since you're only using them on ice.

What's to say the chain will.go under the width of the tire? I imagine the wear rate on them chains to be pretty high.

The wear rate is pretty low as the chain drive ratio speed is low in relation to tyre and road speed , ie the chain is deployed so that the tyre and road surface is almost stationary in relation to the chain
They are available in the USA as Instachain , and have been about for quite a few years . They are not cheap
about $1600 for the lightest cheapest model . They are only deployed when you lose traction , for as long as is needed . They are air operated to deploy , then drive wheel ensures correct rotational speed.They are classed as a service item , so routine check and replace worn components. HTSH

jamesmartin said:

link is the words snow chains in first post

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Thankyou James.

Beneagles said:

Wow! Simple, and yet genius. Where's the catch?

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the price it seems, a great idea though,eliminates all the complications with std chains

A manually operated version could be affordable.

Clever, and certainly better than the BMW 'paddles' that two friends of mine once spent a fortune on! I've got some chains for the 2wd car, but wouldn't mind trying some of the socks - anyone tried them? (I once had an Alfa that didn't have clearance for chains, so had socks but never had the need to try them).

boguing said:

Clever, and certainly better than the BMW 'paddles' that two friends of mine once spent a fortune on! I've got some chains for the 2wd car, but wouldn't mind trying some of the socks - anyone tried them? (I once had an Alfa that didn't have clearance for chains, so had socks but never had the need to try them).

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I've got a couple of pairs of socks.
I can confirm tht the thicker ones keep my feet warmer in snowy weather.

I did leave myself wide open there, didn't I? Good shot.

The day I se them on Ice Road Truckers is the day I will think them a good idea.