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Old 09-28-2020, 10:26 PM   #1
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2020 DX3 Tire Chain Thread

There is very very little clearance for chains on a DX3. You could use the socks, which are approved in Colorado and I can confirm (After using them on a friends 2 wheel drive lexus) they work well. Looking at them you would think you would get worse traction....but thats not the case. We couldnt climb this hill in the lexus...just spinning. Put the socks on and it was like we had 4 wheel drive...went right up the hill.


That said, we tried them in deep snow...no dice. Need real chains.



After looking at the clearance on the DX3, really the only issue is the outer "fender". This piece appears to be only used for appearance/looks.


I was thinking possibly making those "fenders" attach with dzeus fastners. If you have to chain up, simply remove the "fenders" and leave them off till you are chainless.


I dont plan on ever using my DX3 in the snow, but you can get caught out there and it can hit you. In colorado, thousands of dollars of fines for blocking the highway. Ive gone from zero snow, to blizard like conditions in 10 miles heading up towards vail.



--John
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Old 09-29-2020, 06:49 AM   #2
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I carry a set of dually chains for if it gets so bad I have to say screw the fenders.

I carry a set of single cables for if I want to be a little more careful. (Or if in case 1 I feel I need traction on the steer tires ... in reality I'm probably just parking on the side of the road in that situation. )

Either way my preferred method is choosing the right time based on weather forecast. Vail pass got shut down 2 hours after we decided to book it yo Breck last year because of a looming storm.
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Old 09-29-2020, 01:31 PM   #3
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Here in WA state, it's also getting ridiculously over regulated. Now, not only are we required to carry chains for almost half the year (depending on where you are driving), but they require one to carry, not 1 but 2 extra sets of chains, just in case! Who is John Galt?

I ended up getting these in both doubles and singles with a few of these tensioners for deep snow if we get caught driving in the hinterlands to/from Leavenworth for Christmas. I ended up just getting 3 boxes of the same thing. I haven't opened them or used them so can't comment on how well they work or fender clearance. They are frickin heavy and bulky though.

I also bought these just in case and as a light weight, light duty easier alternative because it seems like driving out here it's always taking chains off for the valleys and putting them back on for the next hill.
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Old 09-30-2020, 10:12 AM   #4
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Rancher, wow...sounds like your prepared for the storm of the century! With chains I’ve seen M2 based work trucks go places where standard 4x4 pickups were stuck. They are so heavy when you add the chains it’s a monster.

I’m hesitant to purchase chains for it till I know if the clearance will work out. As I said it seems to be the outside “fender” is the only close clearance. It looks so close even a totally tight chain might hit. Very tight.

I thought about cutting and doing some fender flares but who wants to cut into that part .

The dezus fastener - remove the fender when using chains looks like the safest method to me.

—john
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Old 09-30-2020, 03:48 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by Rancher Rob View Post
I also bought these just in case and as a light weight, light duty easier alternative because it seems like driving out here it's always taking chains off for the valleys and putting them back on for the next hill.
I've lived in WA for almost all my life. Spent 10 years living in CO and a few years on various parts of the planet courtesy of the Army.

One thing certain, Snow is different in various parts of the world. What might work in CO, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, or Europe may not work at all in WA.

Our mountain snow is often referred to as "Cascade Cement". "Snow Socks" may work well in some snow but here you need something that can DIG through the wet, heavy, icy, stuff we get in our mountain passes.

That said, when the snow gets real bad and the plows can't keep it pushed off so that people with All Season tires can keep moving, they just close the passes.


As for making the panels removable, using Dzus fasteners, that's kind of throwback to 1950's vintage cars that had removable fender skirts. Should work fine.
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Old 09-30-2020, 04:13 PM   #6
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I agree, the snow is different! Here in CO we can get 1" of snow and a hill be impossible to go up. The snow fills the road surface making it totally smooth, like ice.


People think..."only an inch of snow no big deal" then they crash. You actually get much better traction and i feel much safer when theres 6" plus of snow....


--John
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Old 09-30-2020, 04:37 PM   #7
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I agree, the snow is different! Here in CO we can get 1" of snow and a hill be impossible to go up. The snow fills the road surface making it totally smooth, like ice.


People think..."only an inch of snow no big deal" then they crash. You actually get much better traction and i feel much safer when theres 6" plus of snow....


--John
Again, depends on location.

When I lived in CO my late wife and I got our winter entertainment by watching the evening news. The stations took great delight showing all the 4 X4's upside down in the ditch along the hills on I-70 and around town when it snowed.

Wasn't the equipment or drive-train, it was always the "nut behind the wheel".
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Old 10-03-2020, 03:38 PM   #8
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That’s funny titan mike! I remember one time in my ex girlfriends 2 wheel drive car...I was chained up in the middle of some bad ice/snow storm. Came to a hill and saw 4x4 after 4x4 try to climb it and slide back down. I went up it nice and slow in the chained up 2 wheel drive. I am a bit of a smart ass so Of course i stopped half way up and waved to the people who had tried unsuccessfully to make it up the hill, then started with no spinning and topped the hill.

I then came back down and drove one of those people to the auto parts store to pickup some chains.

Until you’ve used them you have no idea of the increase in traction guys.

—john
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