I have a 4WD, do I really need snow chains?

The answer is YES. While 4 x 4 vehicles offer superior grip over conventional 2 wheel drive systems, snow chains significantly increase the available traction beyond that offered by even specialised snow tyres. In addition to this, it is the Victorian law when travelling to Mt Hotham ski resort you must carry snow chains. Hoys recommend ALWAYS using chains when going downhill on icy roads.

How many snow chains do I need?

• Front wheel drive - 1 pair of snow chains fitted to front wheels
• Rear wheel drive - See note below
• 4 wheel drive - Ensure 4 wheel drive is engaged/1 pair of snow chains fitted to front wheels

All vehicles will benefit from snow chains fitted to all wheels to gain lateral grip, to either reduce understeer on rear wheel drive vehicles or to reduce oversteer on front wheel drive and 4 x 4 vehicles.

My vehicle is rear wheel drive, should I fit them on the steering or driving wheels?

With rear wheel drive cars, there are basically two options.

1. The safer (but more expensive) option would be to run chains all round. This obviously gives consistent grip at both ends of the vehicle, and maximum resilience against harsh conditions.
2. The alternative is to run chains just on the driven rear wheels. This ensures that the vehicle keeps moving forwards, but leaves you with reduced grip on the front of the vehicle. As a result, the vehicle will have an inherent tendancy to understeer. Conventional wisdom says that if a car is going to either under or oversteer, understeer is the safer option, as most competent drivers can easily assess the available grip, and any loss of control can normally be controlled easily by simply removing any throttle and brake that's being applied until steering is regained.

My car has large wheels and tyres with very little room to fit snow chains. What can I do?

We sell a range of 'slim fit chains' for vehicles with low clearance. The easiest way to determine if your vehicle has a problem with clearance is to run your fingers around the entire wheel/tyre, if your fingers clear the suspension, wheel arch and inner wing then chains can generally be fitted. If this is not possible, we would recommend calling Hoys for further discussion. Remember your car will sit lower when loaded with holiday luggage.

I have a new car with alloy wheels, will snow chains damage/scratch the wheels?

All of our Konig snow chains are designed to clear the wheels. However as you can imagine, as the tyre rotates with speed, some chain can slap against your rims.  It is advisable to bring some duct tape to cover your rims if you're worried as Hoys takes no responsibility if damage occurs.