hey guys....got a few months till "winter" here in missouri. it means maybe 5-10 days when i might need some help getting up and down a 1/2 mile steep windy hill of a road. not very often, but i am thinking its not enough days to switch to snow tires and wondering maybe for an easy snow chain to put on just to get up or down the hill. i have a FWD countryman with pirelli run flats. do i just use two on the front wheels? any other advise?

 

Chains would go on the front wheels for a front wheel drive car.

Having been forced to put chains on several times during my travels from Bay Area to Reno and back, I can honestly tell you that I would much rather swap wheels and tires on a dry day before the bad weather hits than put chains on and off during bad winter weather.

 

I don't think normal "chain" traction devices will work on our cars (definitely NOT with the 18" wheel option). Some cable traction devices MAY be thin enough for inside clearance. I have an old set of cables from long ago that just barely fit on my All4 when not moving; I intend to NEVER use them, but in my state we are required to have them in the car when chain controls are in effect, even if the road is open for 4WD/AWD vehicles with M/S rated tires.

On my other car (a VW TDI with FWD) I use an option that requires no rear clearance, The Thule K-Summit:



These attach to a lug bolt and are easier to install than normal wrap-around traction devices. They are more expensive, however.

 

check out "snow socks". there are youtube videos of them in action. they are used on cars with expensive alloy wheels and appear to work!