Anyone tried using chains on their stock summer 18" wheels?

I've never tried chains before - is it likely to be a disaster?

 

i don't think that i would do that. i know that in the handbook, it does instruct you in the use of snow chains. i know that there is a maximal speed that you can travel with the chains installed. my own feeling is winter tires, yes. winter tires and awd, even better. but if you feel that the weather is so bad that you need chains, it is time to buy an awd 2nd car, used if need be. i drive my tt daily in the northeast, but if the snow gets over 5 or 6 inches, i use my freelander. i just can't see using chains.

 

Just change to Blizzaks and you will be fine. I was in 10 inched the other day with Pilot sports. Little problem, but not much considering. Imagine if I had good tires.

 

Well, I've been saying no problems in snow on the summer Conti's til 2 weeks ago. The tires now have 14,000 miles, and in about 3" of snow turning to ice, it started to be a problem. I found myself looking for untracked snow to find grip, as the icy stuff was pretty challenging. I think DocJackson is right, snows alone would be fine. AS

 

i used cable chains on my 930 for skiing and they worked well but your speed is very limited. a 4wd TT is the ultimate snow porsche, even on icy snow, great snows should do it.... but dont be afraid of chains. carry them and you won't need them... leave them at ahome and you will!

 

Well, I didn't need them this year in the end. Only 2-3 inches of fresh snow where I was staying in Wales and the summer Pzeros handled that fine, although I did take it very slowly.

Maybe carry some chains for later in the year in Austria!

 

You've got to be kidding Watt! I'm no fan of the Cayenne, but don't you think that might be just a little better in the snow than a Turbo?

And what's more, since getting my Audi S4, I can really see how much better the AWD system on the Audi is as compared to that on the Turbo. There's just no comparison! The Porsche system requires wheel slip before it starts working. The Audi system is mechanical and instantanious preventing wheel slip. It feels like it is directly connected and really allows you to play with the handling of the car. I had so much fun in it this winter! So easy to hang the tail way out even on fast corners.

The idea of chains on a Turbo is just rediculous. Chains are the last resort. They're for crawling along in first or second gear. Hardly performance stuff. Might as well walk!

Come on guys, just because you might be able to make a Turbo do something in the snow, what's the point? The winter wheels and tyres alone can cost more than a good snow beater. I doubt many people reading this are suffering money problems. So just get a car more appropriate to the task and enjoy it.

Stephen

 

Like Watt said - get chains (if you live in a crazy region like the High Country near Yosemite were unusual weather systems come in) and keep them in the trunk.

You can put them them on if you need them to crawl home, but if the weather is so bad that you need to put them on in your garage - just stay home!

 

Is there even one person here with actual experience using chains on a 996 Turbo???

Stephen

 

Good point Stephen - Like many, I'm sometimes anxious to help out with "opinions"... to come clean - my experience and the basis of my semi pro-chain comments is actually on rear wheel 911's.

In that case, they were a nice insurance policy. Like I said, not something i'd look forward to driving with (keep in mind you may risk fender damage if a chain comes loose and you're going too fast) but a cheap bit of peace of mind in situations like High Sierra driving where you're at 4000 ft and a spring time squal comes out of nowhere.

Now back to Stephen's point: Turbo is a differerent animal and I'd personally want to make sure I knew how the AWD would be effected by chain usage.

I suspect that the 964 forum would be a good source of info. Many 964 owners are c4 (awd) drivers and that particular forum has an unusually high number of very bright owners who live/drive in Switzerland and other eu snow belt type areas where chains are much more common than they are in the States.

Good luck.

 

I have 4 snows - 17 inch Pilot Alpins - on my 996 TT. Snow chains in New England would not help; the limiting factor for me is when the car plows the snow onto the windshield and I cannot see any longer. About 8 inches I think, but I have not gotten out of the car to measure. Snow chains might have allowed me to drive up the driveway once, but the effort to put them on would have been a lot more than just walking up the driveway and waiting in the house for the plow guy.

I am not good enough to attempt driving the car in the snow on Pilot Sport Cups or Kumho Victoracers, which are my other tire choices.

Why drive it in the snow? Because this is the one car to rule them all and in the darkness bind them. Not to mention that it is a blast, and it annoys everyone you talk to.

Michael Wilson

 

i WAS THINKING OF GETTING CHAINS FOR MY 2003 tt, I PRESENTLY USE DUNLOP WINTERSPORT AND THEY ARE VERY GOOD, FOR CHAINS I WAS CONSIDERING GETTING - SPIKES SPIDER AS THEY SEEM A USER FRIENDLY OPTION, ANYONE EVER USED THESE BEFORE?

CHRIS, BUFFALO, NY

 

I've used Spike Spiders (but on a mini-van, not a Porsche). Sometimes they were easy as pie, and other times a Pain in the butt. Not a lot easier than good chains, IMHO (and my wife thought chains were easier). Also, they required you to use special lug nuts and mount an adapter to those lug nuts.

 

You're breaking my heart :-0