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Years ago I bought some chains for my truck (2005 Tacoma 4x4) just in case I'd ever need them. I have tires sized 265/65-17 and I have confirmed that these chains are intended to fit that size tire.

I might be heading to the snow next week so I decided to do a dry run install today just to make sure I remembered how to put them on and that everything was in working order. But once I got them on I noticed that they were dangerously close to parts of my suspension on the inside of the tire. I've attached a picture to show what I'm talking about.

I admittedly don't know much about installing tire chains and if the set I have came with instructions they are long gone now. Did I do something wrong when i installed the tire chains that made them so close to the suspension or are these chains just not going to work for my truck? If I did do something wrong can anyone provide any suggestions as to what I should do differently?

enter image description here

Rory Alsop
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Broham
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1 Answers1

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Chains, when fitted properly, should be uniformly tight and not have "knots" or "bulges" to catch on suspension or the inner wings. That said, I have heard many chains "clanking" on cars that have them fitted badly... Make sure the chain instructions are followed as well as those of the car manufacturer ...

Two points:

One, that looks to be a large chain size - if clearance is such an issue, is it worth considering a slightly smaller size...

Two: a tire with a smaller width would provide more clearance: a 235 instead of a 265 for example. Many cars / trucks allow or specify a narrower taller winter tire - helps "cut" through the snow...

The tire and the steering joint shown should not change their relative positions ie the gap between them should not change, so as long as the chains are fitted correctly and not flopping about then they should be fine.

Solar Mike
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