What wheels to fit Snow Chains to?

[Burns]

I will be using my Stagea for a fair few snow trips over winter and will probably be forced by a snow cop at some time into fitting chains as unnecessary as they probably are on the Stagea.

Being a RWD based driveline I was thinking it would be best to fit them to the rear wheels but in conditions when you would be fitting them you would have the 4WD button selected locking the center diff and giving you a 50 – 50 front to rear torque split.

Would it then be best to fit them to the front wheels giving you better traction for braking and steering as well as forward drive?

[Sydneykid]

As it's a 4wd, I don't think you need snow chains. Maybe check with Parks and Wildlife, tell them its the same as a Forester (they won't know what a Stagea is). In Japan they appear to put snow chains on all 4 wheels on Stageas.

[jake32]

I will be using my Stagea for a fair few snow trips over winter and will probably be forced by a snow cop at some time into fitting chains as unnecessary as they probably are on the Stagea.  

Being a RWD based driveline I was thinking it would be best to fit them to the rear wheels but in conditions when you would be fitting them you would have the 4WD button selected locking the center diff and giving you a 50 – 50 front to rear torque split.  

Would it then be best to fit them to the front wheels giving you better traction for braking and steering as well as forward drive?

i have some snow chains for sale if you want ..make an offer

[slow13dude]

I have "snow tyres" on my GTR, can't you just use snow tyres, or do you have to use chains?

Bridgestone Blizzak

[jake32]

i have some snow chains for sale if you want ..make an offer

also have 16inch snow tyres 4 x 225/50 and 4x 205/55

not getting used much in brisbane

[Burns]

In the Victorian mountains all vehicles must carry chains. They just don’t make 4WD fit them as early and in fact most AWD are treated as 2WD so it’s only really the true 4WS’s that they don’t tell to fit chains at the slightest sight of snow.

Snow tyres are good on snow but not worth worrying about in Aus seeing you would only ever be going 20km max on snow after a 400km drive on highway and they are no better on ice. On soft powdery snow or slop chains are actually worse than just normal tyres. They dig thought the snow and slip on the asphalt.

I normally ignore the goons and signs telling you to fit chains and only fit them when it gets icy at which point AWD is not much help any way.

Im really just trying to work out what wheels they should be fitted to and I don’t want to fit to all wheels. With the 4WD button on the dash and snow mode on the auto selected does it give a true 50 / 50 split front to rear? In which case I guess the front would be the best option as long as it has the clearance and the AWD system dose not do anything funny.

I already have chains to fit 16 inch wheels