Snow / ice chains on a quad R1T?

[Tbirdjeff]

Interesting that they want them on the rears only. I have fit my chains on my 22" and tried both front and back. I have seen no rubbing or damage or noise. The logic of having chains on the rear, if you really need steering control, makes no sense to me. If you are in need of chains, why not put them on the front where you get both traction and steering control? I realize the recommendation may be purely based on lack of clearance on the fronts, but otherwise, what am I missing?

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[Freddie]

Did anyone try Michelin’s Easy Grip?

 

[krockett]

Did anyone try Michelin’s Easy Grip?

I don’t believe they make any large enough for Rivian sized tires.

 

[MountainBikeDude]

TLDR
The chains will work to get you out of trouble provided you stay under 15mph, any faster and they seem to come in contact with the front and rear of the rear wheel well. I'll likely keep them as a just in case, and purchase snow socks as a high speed alternative.

Long version
So to follow up my earlier post (page 2), the chains unfortunately start to rub at "speed". They're fine below 10-15 kph, but beyond that, they pull away from the tire due to the rotational force and start to come in contact with the front portion and rear portion of the wheel well.

In the video I've included, you can see as the wheel comes up to speed, the slack that starts to build in the cables. Of note, I was driving in High suspension height. I did try low and normal and it was a similar result.


The last two photos are where I'm fairly certain, they were coming into contact with the wheel well.

 

[timmmmeh]

FYI, for my 21" wheels, these chains/cables have been great: https://peerlesschain.com/products/super-z8#19554

You can find them on Amazon at: https://a.co/d/3y3MO7j

Do you run with them in the front or back? Manual says back, but I would think the front would be better for steering control and stopping.

 

[PDXRivian]

I have a R1T with 20's and Nokian Winters on. The Pacific NW has had some killer ice storms this week covering local roads in a very thick sheet of smooth ice. The winter tires provided some traction but are just enough especially when you not only have to go up/down a hill but also try to avoid abandoned vehicles.

It is good to know that some chains would work in a pinch. Have you tried the Z8s on the front wheels as well?

 

[adst24]

TLDR
The chains will work to get you out of trouble provided you stay under 15mph, any faster and they seem to come in contact with the front and rear of the rear wheel well. I'll likely keep them as a just in case, and purchase snow socks as a high speed alternative.

Long version
So to follow up my earlier post (page 2), the chains unfortunately start to rub at "speed". They're fine below 10-15 kph, but beyond that, they pull away from the tire due to the rotational force and start to come in contact with the front portion and rear portion of the wheel well.

In the video I've included, you can see as the wheel comes up to speed, the slack that starts to build in the cables. Of note, I was driving in High suspension height. I did try low and normal and it was a similar result.


The last two photos are where I'm fairly certain, they were coming into contact with the wheel well.

you mention kph and mph....given you're in Canada like me I'm presuming kph ;-)

 

[MountainBikeDude]

you mention kph and mph....given you're in Canada like me I'm presuming kph ;-)

I had actually converted it to mph, but typo'd kph on the second mention. More people here familiar with Freedom Units, as opposed to Maple Syrups ?

 

[adst24]

I had actually converted it to mph, but typo'd kph on the second mention. More people here familiar with Freedom Units, as opposed to Maple Syrups ?

So a respectable 20-25kmh, which is likely the speed you'd want to do on a steep icy slope where you'd use them.

 

[bagsofcole]

Hey All, I'm hoping to get a little advice for our situation. Florida man here who moved to the North Georgia mountains and this is our first winter here. R1T quad with brand new Michelin Defender LTX M/S 2's on 21s. Our issue is the 1/4 mile long private road is a mix of asphalt and concrete and a grade of 12 - 20%. We got a whole 3" of snow and we've been "snowed in" for a week since the trees and mountains don't let the sunshine on much of the driveway. I'm an Flor-idiot and didn't shovel right after the snow so it's been melting and refreezing every night and there are patches of ice now (I think? it's like a hard snow). Temps have been in the 20-40s... We did leave a car down at the highway so we can walk the 1/4 mile down and up and we do, but my only neighbor just bought a 4x4 UTV and it's able to drive up and down with just the stock knobby tires so it got me thinking there must be a tire/chain/cable setup I can use on the Royvian. Once we get down to the highway, the town has been brined/salted the roads so no issues done we get out there. Think I can get away with a good set of chains (or only rear cables per the owners manual)? What would the ideal tire/accessory combination be so we can get in and out?

 

[not_a_car_guy]

Having to put chains on and take them off every time you leave your driveway is probably going to be a drag (they probably don’t want you driving with your chains on in the town because it is hard on pavement).

If it were just snow, your best bet would be to put on winter tires for the winter. That might still be the best option for small patches of ice as well. But if you aren’t going to shovel and large swaths of ice are unavoidable, especially on a 20% grade or in tricky places like a curve in the drive, then metal chains are unrivaled in ice, especially for stopping. So if you opt for those get the ones you can lay out and drive over making them super easy to install (I think they are referred to as a “ladder” design).

Although overall I would say there is not great option for going down a 20% slope that is completely iced up (as opposed to patches of ice). I would work on snow management to avoid letting ice buildup.

 

[Dave Cundiff]

Spikes-Spiders will fit on rear tires, @bagsofcole, though Rivian doesn't authorize them. [EDIT: This applies to 33" diameter tires such as 275/50R22 or 275/55R21. It does NOT necessarily apply to 34" diameter tires such as 275/65R20.]

On the front tires, apparently anything bigger than snow socks can interfere with steering.

Best wishes!

 

[ElGuano]

TLDR
The chains will work to get you out of trouble provided you stay under 15mph, any faster and they seem to come in contact with the front and rear of the rear wheel well. I'll likely keep them as a just in case, and purchase snow socks as a high speed alternative.

Responding to an older reply, but before this video I had no idea how much the chains flared out from the surface of the tire!

The tensioner looks a bit loose though, and the cables come out very far onto the face of the wheels...it makes me wonder if this particular set of chains might be a size or two too large.

 

[RivAW]

This is in the manual…

its funny that nobody wants to check the manual (which is now searchable) first....

 

[bagsofcole]

Having to put chains on and take them off every time you leave your driveway is probably going to be a drag (they probably don’t want you driving with your chains on in the town because it is hard on pavement).

If it were just snow, your best bet would be to put on winter tires for the winter. That might still be the best option for small patches of ice as well. But if you aren’t going to shovel and large swaths of ice are unavoidable, especially on a 20% grade or in tricky places like a curve in the drive, then metal chains are unrivaled in ice, especially for stopping. So if you opt for those get the ones you can lay out and drive over making them super easy to install (I think they are referred to as a “ladder” design).

Although overall I would say there is not great option for going down a 20% slope that is completely iced up (as opposed to patches of ice). I would work on snow management to avoid letting ice buildup.

Thanks you @not_a_car_guy. This is very insightful and I appreciate your response and time. I do plan on better snow management going forward. It's more patches than a sheet of ice, but the one 90 degree turn on the driveway is steep, and still has some ice and snow on it. I've been breaking it up and shoveling for the last few days, and my neighbor's been joy riding his side-by-side so that's helping too. I'm leaning towards peerless chains or cables all the way around. I'm not looking forward to installing and removing for the 1/4 mile, but it's better than being stuck in the garage or on the side of the mountain!

As a funny aside, Rivian mobile was supposed to show up tomorrow for a scheduled repair (3rd attempt) and I told him tmi and now they've delayed it, again. I figured he's more accustomed to this weather and I know he's got the 20" ATs so I was hoping he'd test it out for me!

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