Snow chains

[Zoro]

My work takes takes me all over the place and the Eagle is my primary vehicle. Switching to studded snows but wondering about snow chains mainly for starting out from a stop on really gnarly unmaintained roads in bumper deep snow or packed ice on steep hills.

If I'm not mistaken you want to run chains on all 4 wheels on a FT4WD so one end doesn't grab more than another and blow up the VC, right?

What chains (not cables) do you guys recommend?

[eaglebeek]

I would not run chains on one end of a 4WD equipped with a viscous coupling or any other automated all-wheel drive for the reason you stated.

For the conditions you describe you should get tire chains with crossbars on the traction chains. You may have to special-order. Virtually all that I've seen in the stores are the cable variety. 

[carnuck]

If you switch tcases so you have a locked 4 high then rear chains only is fine.

[Zoro]

If you switch tcases so you have a locked 4 high then rear chains only is fine.

Yeah, I like my FT4WD tho. One of these days I'll be swapping in the 229.

[carnuck]

You can go NP229 or NP228, which has 2wd, 4wd hi full time and 4wd low part time.
You can go NP219, which has 4wd hi full time, 4wd hi part time (Edrive) and 4wd low locked. (I'm selling one of those for $150 in Seattle)

NP208 has 2wd hi, 4wd pt hi/lo and with the front axle unlocked, you could have 2wd low (great for pulling trailers)

[captspillane]

If you switch tcases so you have a locked 4 high then rear chains only is fine.

Yeah, I like my FT4WD tho. One of these days I'll be swapping in the 229.

This is part of why I'm primarily installing the NP242. You have full time AWD as well as a fully locked 4WD. You could actually have chains with either, since the full time position in the NP242  is open differential. It will adjust accordingly without damage. There is very little to be gained with a viscous coupling and the rare time that it will make a difference I'll be in "part-time" with immediate response instead of delayed, weak response.

The Eagle transfer case can last a long time in all wheel drive. I've never had one fail and I have several that have over 200K without ever being put into 2WD. I blame the majority of failures on the viscous coupling actually. When the tiny, crappy Oring lets some of the silicon fluid out into the case it eats up bearings like sand.