Snow Chains on your XR with 17" wheels

[harasn]

The wife and I have recently become adicted to snow skiing! Knew we couldn't fit chains to the XR cause the owners manual says not to! Potential for damage to the car! So we took our other car which is a new suzuki with 14" wheels! No problems with chains on it! Got to Mount Buller, and a BA XR8 passed me on the way up the mountain! Kept up with him, winding up the hill with the tyres screeching, and parked next to him at the top. I asked him what he does about when he has to fit chains, and he said he has been up heaps of times and all he does is jack the car up and fit the chains he bought from autobarn and away he goes, no probs! I was amazed! Later in the day I had a look over his car to check for damage, and noticed nice big rub marks on his rims! he never washes his car so doesn't know or care what damage is being done!

So what are we to do?

My plan is to buy a set of alloy 16" wheels and fit them up when I want to go to the snow! Then I had another idea to fit racing type road registerable tyres to these rims and use them for track days! whats your ideas?

[XRBloke]

Yeh apparently you cant do it, and I doubt you really wanna damage your rims.

Personally id just get a set of pursuit rims and put them on, that way it doesnt matter if they get damaged or not (plus they are cheap).

Im sure if you contact your local dealer they will have a few sets of the rims lying around off cars that have had alloys put on them, then all you need to do is get some tyres.

[Cro]

I've been doing some research on this for a while now, but havent got the guts to go through with it yet...

Apparently you can get a set of diamond snow chains (these are more expensive but provide better grip on ABS equiped cars than the conventional ladder type).

They have plastic coated outside chains which rub against your rims, and you can get thin ones so they can clear the guards with no worries on a standard height xr.

Obviously they wont last as long, but they do the job just fine.

If you feel like testing out my theory, go for it. I'll be trying it out next time I go to the snow (next year).

[ms700]

Im sure if you contact your local dealer they will have a few sets of the rims lying around off cars that have had alloys put on them, then all you need to do is get some tyres.

Somehow im sure harasn has a few spares lying around at his work...... :lol: :lol:

[xrturb]

I took my t to the snow this year and got caught in a blizzard and had to put chains on and had no problems with the 17in wheels the hardest part about putting the chains on was the gap between the wheel and the arch not realy be able to see what you are doing ,but if you put the chain on the wheel and look through the spoke of the wheel you can see the hook to join the chain..

btw when I had my gen 3 it says the same in the manual saying not to use on 17 rim either

[harasn]

Im sure if you contact your local dealer they will have a few sets of the rims lying around off cars that have had alloys put on them, then all you need to do is get some tyres.

Somehow im sure harasn has a few spares lying around at his work...... :lol: :lol:

funny you should mention that! shame we cant have them! will try to find the engineer involved in the wheels and that cause I know we test with chains but unsure what they do! I have heard those diamond chains are better though! still dont like the idea of rubbing on the wheel!

[GlennAUII]

Im sure if you contact your local dealer they will have a few sets of the rims lying around off cars that have had alloys put on them, then all you need to do is get some tyres.

Somehow im sure harasn has a few spares lying around at his work...... :lol: :lol:

funny you should mention that! shame we cant have them! will try to find the engineer involved in the wheels and that cause I know we test with chains but unsure what they do! I have heard those diamond chains are better though! still dont like the idea of rubbing on the wheel!

just plan to take it to the snow about a week before you swap it over

So whats that leave you open too... about every 5 weeks you can go to the snow? :lol:

[XRBloke]

Im sure if you contact your local dealer they will have a few sets of the rims lying around off cars that have had alloys put on them, then all you need to do is get some tyres.

Somehow im sure harasn has a few spares lying around at his work...... :lol: :lol:

funny you should mention that! shame we cant have them! will try to find the engineer involved in the wheels and that cause I know we test with chains but unsure what they do! I have heard those diamond chains are better though! still dont like the idea of rubbing on the wheel!

just plan to take it to the snow about a week before you swap it over

So whats that leave you open too... about every 5 weeks you can go to the snow? :lol:

:lol:

Typhoon next time Harasn???

[Honest Gaza]

I read the manual and decided not to take the Turbo.

Instead, I stole a Late model camira wagon from a workmate that had gone overseas for 8 weeks and then hired chains as normal....never had to use them though.

I might add, when a man hops out of a Late model camira wearing a Ford jacket, it's amazing the comments that get thrown his way

[harasn]

Typhoon next time Harasn???

nah couldn't afford it! rather a XR6T with the callibration for the F6 ECU in it! Can be done, so I hear if you have the right number of gears in the gearbox!