We have now made three videos designed to help people see exactly what it takes to install tire chains by RUD. Why tire chains by RUD? That is because we are the owners of a tire chain website called Tire Chain Dealer which sells RUD tire Chains.

Grip 4×4
The first movie we made was with our Honda Ridgeline where we installed the Grip 4×4 chains. Now, keep in mind, this movie was made in June in Southern California. Rest assured, there is no snow or ice in this video. Nevertheless, it is always recommended that you try on your tire chains before you really need them.

I want to say don’t be confused about the ease of installation. These chains go on quickly once you know what you are doing. It took me over ten minutes to figure it out the first time just following the instructions. But now that I have gotten it down, well now it takes about 2 minutes to install.

Also, I like the diamond pattern of these chains which by all means has got to be better traction than the traditional ladder style of chains. Many people like to point out how the diamond shape gives better sideways traction so you won’t slide so much sideways during turns or on slanted roads.

One or Two Sets
You will also find a lot of websites out there trying to sell you on the need to have two sets, one for the back and one for the front. Sure it is nice to have two sets; however, the need truly depends on your environment. Most people use them only for emergencies when trying to get to the slopes or to their vacation spot and in most cases the one set of chains is all that is needed. My initial belief was that there would be two cases where having two sets ought to be seriously considered. If you have a 4 wheel drive vehicle and you desire to take advantage of your 4 wheel drive functionality, then having a second set would be beneficial. Also, if you have a rear wheel drive vehicle, you may want two sets as well, the rear so you can move and the front so you can steer. However, it is very important that you check your owners manual before buying that second set. For example, my owners manual for the Honda Ridgeline states as follows:

Mount tire chains on your tires when required by driving conditions or local laws. Install them only on the front tires. Do not use chains on the rear tires.

Thats enough convincing for me. My Honda Ridgline is 4 wheel drive and I only need one set…not two.

Tire Cables
The next movie that I made was with the flimsy tire cables. Tire Cables are cheap. They retail for about $30 plus. I remember the first time I saw tire cables, I just kind of chuckled and felt nervous for the person wearing them. I just wanted to ask him, “Are you really safe with those things?” After thinking about it, I could see how tire cables could be useful for someone living in the city that wants to get home right after or during a big storm. They certainly beat not having anything at all, and they are not as hard on the asphalt. But still, after trying on the Grip and seeing how easy it is for them to go on, unless you are really pinching your pennies, I would not buy the cables. You should get the Grip model instead.

Now if you do go with the tire cables anyways, I do recommend you put a pair of gloves into the box for when you do need to install your cables. In the movie, I installed them using my bare hands in 80 degree weather. It was hard on my hands to pull up the cable to secure it into the securing device. I really had to yank on it. Now just imagine if this were 10 degree weather and you didn’t have gloves on. I am quite confident that there will be some profanity coming out of your mouth on that day.

Compact Grip
The last movie we made was the compact grip. These chains are very similar to the Grip 4×4 except that they are made for smaller tires. The chains are virtually the same - except I ran into one significant difference. Comparatively, the tensioning chain of the Compact Grip ran a lot longer than did the tensioning chain for the Grip 4×4. With the Grip 4×4, I simply ran the tensioning chain through the yellow loop and hooked it onto the blue chain across the tire. With the compact Grip, I had to route the yellow tensioning chain through two yellow loops and then around blue chain to continue taking out the slack.

Rudmatic, Classic V, Kantenspur, or German RUDs
Why are there so many names? I don’t know. I know I got confused when first learning about these. I will just call these the Rudmatic Classics. The Rudmatic name is typically for the passenger vehicles and the Classic V is for Trucks and SUVs. They are virtually the same thing, just sized differently for your vehicle type and tire size. These are the chains that originally put RUD on the map.

The Rudmatic is sometimes called German Ruds because they are actually manufactured in Germany using high grade Chromium Alloy Steel which is a much higher grade metal than you are going to find in other chains. Not only will these chains last a long life, these chains don’t take up as much room because the chain is smaller making it attractive to vehicles whose front tires set uncomfortably close to the suspension bar. One example of this is the Land Rover LR3. Just place your hand behind the top of the front wheel and you will know what I mean. You can barely squeeze your hand behind the wheel. They make this chain for both small and very large vehicles including buses.

Centrax
The last Tire Chain style I want to mention here is the Centrax. Now I have not personally used this tire chain yet, I could see how this one would be attractive to professionals. The only chain that is easier to hook on would be the rotogrip which just requires flipping a switch. The centrax simply snaps onto an adapter that is prefitted onto a lugnut. Fit the chain to the outer portion of the tire, snap the center attachment into the lugnut fitting, and clamp down on the center latch. When you start driving, the chain pulls itself onto the wheel. It is pretty cool.

Now for me, someone who wear jeans to work, the Centrax would not be appealing. However, if I were wearing a suit to work every day, I certainly would not want to be doing a lot of bending over and fitting tire chains on the dirtiest part of my car just before giving some big presentation. That is who the Centrax caters to. If getting dirty is just not an option, and you can afford these superior chains, then by all means, you will be grateful for the advancements made by RUD here.

Rud makes chains for multiple uses. We not only have chains for cars, trucks, and SUVs, we also have chains for industrial equipment, tractors, and ATVs, buses, graders and more. If you don’t see the chains you are looking for on the site, then don’t hesitate to call us to see if they do indeed have exactly what it is that you need - (949) 429-8730.

Go have some fun in the snow. We will see you there!!!