Tire chains

[chorky]

Sorry that I wasn't clear with the snapshots of the owners manual. What I posted earlier is for the 2023. It recommends auto socks only with the stock Rubicon tire size.

Your owners manual should match this. The following is the 2022 manual I downloaded, and it shows the wrong tire size for the Rubicon and says snow traction devices should not be used with any other tire sizes. Not much good guidance from this manual at all.
View attachment 276169

View attachment 276168

interesting. I didnt even look at the tire size ? so thats a fail. It must be a cya thing from corporate because i cant imagine chains wont fit. Hopefully @Kevin_D can put his on and maybe share his thoughts before snow hits.
IMO its an absolutely TERRIBLE idea that any vehicle manufacturer designs their vehicle to not be able to fit chains.

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[Jeffjk]

I’m running these La Clede reinforced V Bar (#3831CAM) on all four 37x12.50R17 Nitto Trail Grapplers. They fit just fine with a Metalcloak 3.5” Game Changer lift and the Rubicon fenders with the inner still intact.
They may be a bit large for the Rubicon Falcon Wild Peak MT (~33”) but they do list 285/65R20 which is close then most 35s, all the way to up to 37s.

Edit: I do still have the Wildpeak takeoffs if you’d like me to test fit. I think the #3827CAM are going to be the better choice for the smaller Rubicon tires if you need V bar. I agree with the previous response that it might be hard to find something one size fits all in the 33 and 35 ranges.

My use case is mostly off road recovery in the Rocky Mountains. I’m a member of Colorado 4x4 Rescue & Recovery (co4x4rnr.org) so we go out on a lot of winter missions on trails. I will say it’s rare to need to use them on pavement here in Colorado. Unless it’s an epic storm, 4x4 and airing down slightly is usually fine.

If you are using tire chains off road make sure they are rated for it. Be sure to take it slow in general both on and off pavement, adjusting as needed. We’ve seen even off road rated & reinforced chains break (eg. in icy & snowy rocks) and do some nasty things to brake lines, wiring harnesses, etc.

I’d recommend purchasing from an automotive service equipment & supplier such as McGee Company here in Colorado. They specialize in this type of equipment and stock a lot more sizes & styles than most places. A real person is just a phone call away to get you the right product for your use case too.

 

[chorky]

I’m running these La Clede reinforced V Bar (#3831CAM) on all four 37x12.50R17 Nitto Trail Grapplers. They fit just fine with a Metalcloak 3.5” Game Changer lift and the Rubicon fenders with the inner still intact.
They may be a bit large for the Rubicon Falcon Wild Peak MT (~33”) but they do list 285/65R20 which is close, 35s, all the way to up to 37s. I do still have the Wildpeak takeoffs if you’d like me to test fit.

My use case is mostly off road recovery in the Rocky Mountains (I’m a member of co4x4rnr.org so we go out on a lot of winter missions on trails). I will say it’s rare to need to use them on pavement here in Colorado. Unless it’s an epic storm, 4x4 and airing down slightly is usually fine.

I’d recommend purchasing from an automotive service equipment & supplier such as McGee Company here in Colorado. They specialize in this type of equipment and stock a lot more sizes & styles than most places. A real person is just a phone call away to get you the right product for your use case too.

Thats an awesome group to be a part of. Great to know they fit with that lift. I have not settled on what lift yet But will probably end up with 35’s when the stock tires wear out.

What is your wheel offset? Though. And have you out chains up front or just on the rear?

yeah I hear ya with on road use. Last year When I still had my OBS 7.3 I had to go to Spokane up and over a few passes right after a huge storm dumped over a foot on the interstate. Plows didnt get to it until the afternoon, and under the snow was about 3 inches of solid ice from all the trucker traffic. Lots of passenger vehicles with winter tires slid off the road. People were still trying to go 80 ??‍

 

[Jeffjk]

Thats an awesome group to be a part of. Great to know they fit with that lift. I have not settled on what lift yet But will probably end up with 35’s when the stock tires wear out.

What is your wheel offset? Though. And have you out chains up front or just on the rear?

yeah I hear ya with on road use. Last year When I still had my OBS 7.3 I had to go to Spokane up and over a few passes right after a huge storm dumped over a foot on the interstate. Plows didnt get to it until the afternoon, and under the snow was about 3 inches of solid ice from all the trucker traffic. Lots of passenger vehicles with winter tires slid off the road. People were still trying to go 80 ??‍

Sounds like we are going a similar route, I wanted to use all the standard equipment for awhile. I got about 36K out of the Rubicon tires then considered 35s but ultimately decided to go all the way to 37s with regear. It was hard finding chain to span 33”, 35”, 37”. You could probably make it work with a bunch of bungees to keep stuff tight but that’s probably pushing it.

There’s no way around running front and rear chains on some of these trails in certain spots during the winter. I will say they’ll just barely click the inner fender (just slightly) at full turn, sway bar disconnected, full upwards stuff on the driver side (nothing will tear off though). Otherwise there is plenty of clearance with a mild lift and bigger tires…35s would be a sweet spot it seems. I think the alpine would work pretty darn well for the Rubicon tires & wheels. It’s going to be a bit of a tight squeeze but I can’t see it causing too much of an issue. I agree with previous replies the manual is probably erring on the side of caution due to lawyers & corporate.

It drags having to take them off and put them back on but it’s necessary sometimes going thru mixed terrain. When the powder gets deep they often work against you trying to stay afloat but can be helpful when bashing drifts and trying to create ruts.

I can see if I can dig up some old photos or test fit them and take some. It’s getting to be about that time of year to test winter gear & get ready to everyday carry again!

It’s pretty similar here in the Rocky Mountains (especially near the tunnel on I70) during a big storm the trucks and traffic pack the snow down into ice. That’s by far the majority of the use case for on road for me otherwise the JT is very capable taking it slow. I couldn’t agree more that people drive way too fast for conditions and often end up in the soft shoulders. I can’t even count how many people I’ve pulled back on the road with a kinetic rope coming back from snowboarding during a big powder storm. Some people totally ignore or are ignorant of the traction laws and just how quickly things can take a turn.

 

[Snake Eyes]

Yeah I am debating if I want to take my TJ back to 31's so not gonna get rid of them. But I need chains for the JTR anyway...


Well I'm originally from Wa, they get the wet icky snow west of the cascades - but I understand what your saying totally. It's not the snow I am concerned about. Its the ice. I live 60 miles from a major town, and 2 hours and 3 passes from a major city both of which I have to frequent. All pavement. Winter weather storms can last a solid month - easy. So just staying home is not an option. These roads are also heavily used by reckless truckers and inexperienced cars who dont know how to drive in anything other than sunshine. So when I need traction, I flat out NEED traction. Last year over a dozen people died on the route 5 minutes outside the town I live in. That doesn't include the other 3 towns it takes form to get where I need to go. It's a serious problem - mostly because people drive far too fast for conditions. I'm not much of a snow wheeler anyway. So this is strictly for pavement/dirt road use. Studs and dedicated winter tires are great, but still not good enough for solid ice. Hence the mention of v-bar chains.


That is where I got the Alpine chains for the TJ. Just curious to hear what other folks suggest, especially on the clearance aspect for v-bar's

“Studs and dedicated winter tires are great, but still not good enough for solid ice”

Huh???
Studs are fantastic for solid ice. Ever see ice racing? Plus they can be used at speed and dont break.

Better than anything else. I lived in Denver with my TJ and ran studded during the winter months. Drove in blizzards, deep snow and solid ice.

 

[Jeffjk]

Thats an awesome group to be a part of. Great to know they fit with that lift. I have not settled on what lift yet But will probably end up with 35’s when the stock tires wear out.

What is your wheel offset? Though. And have you out chains up front or just on the rear?

yeah I hear ya with on road use. Last year When I still had my OBS 7.3 I had to go to Spokane up and over a few passes right after a huge storm dumped over a foot on the interstate. Plows didnt get to it until the afternoon, and under the snow was about 3 inches of solid ice from all the trucker traffic. Lots of passenger vehicles with winter tires slid off the road. People were still trying to go 80 ??‍

Whoops I forgot to answer your question about offset. I am running the Icon Rebound Pros (Innerlock bead retention) which have the following specs (a bit more poke out than the Rubicon wheels):

Offset: -6mm
Backspacing: 4.500"

 

[chorky]

“Studs and dedicated winter tires are great, but still not good enough for solid ice”

Huh???
Studs are fantastic for solid ice. Ever see ice racing? Plus they can be used at speed and dont break.

Better than anything else. I lived in Denver with my TJ and ran studded during the winter months. Drove in blizzards, deep snow and solid ice.

i dont mean to suggest they dont work. They do really good most of the time. But I have been on some ice that is so hard packed only v-bar chains worked.

Whoops I forgot to answer your question about offset. I am running the Icon Rebound Pros (Innerlock bead retention) which have the following specs (a bit more poke out than the Rubicon wheels):

Offset: -6mm
Backspacing: 4.500"

oh nice! I have wanted to hear reviews of those wheels they look really slick!

 

[Geoarch]

Cool. I didn’t know there was a chain law fir 4x4 vehicles. I guess I haven’t experienced stage 5.

It isn’t “stages”it’s “either” or, at least in New Mexico.

 

[BearFootSam]

I'm following. e-Trailer has # TC3829 as fitting stock Rubicon tires. Moving out to the PNW in the next month and I know I will need them to get into the NPs.

 

[BearFootSam]

Data point - stock standard Laclede chains fit 22' Rubicon with no clearance issues.

Not low-profile or S rated, despite owners manual they were just fine. I drove a few miles with them, zero issue other than noise. Several inches of cold rain over snow turned my road into a tread filling mess and these were the only way up the hill. With chains on the read only, I traveled in 2Hi

 

[RudeJeepin]

Personally I wouldn't run V bar chains on the road. They will beat the shit out of you and your rig.
I'd run a set of twisted square link chains with cams.
This is what I mean by twisted square links.

The square link will bite better than round link and the twist will help it from chewing up your tires like standard square links can.

It isn't very often that chains are required on a 4wd/Awd vehicle if you have true snow rated (3peaks) tires in WA. Something to think about, unless...

 

[Achenxx8]

Data point - stock standard Laclede chains fit 22' Rubicon with no clearance issues.

Not low-profile or S rated, despite owners manual they were just fine. I drove a few miles with them, zero issue other than noise. Several inches of cold rain over snow turned my road into a tread filling mess and these were the only way up the hill. With chains on the read only, I traveled in 2Hi

That’s awesome!
Do you mind sharing the model number and a link for this specific chain? Thanks

 

[BearFootSam]

Personally I wouldn't run V bar chains on the road. They will beat the shit out of you and your rig.
I'd run a set of twisted square link chains with cams.
This is what I mean by twisted square links.

The square link will bite better than round link and the twist will help it from chewing up your tires like standard square links can.

It isn't very often that chains are required on a 4wd/Awd vehicle if you have true snow rated (3peaks) tires in WA. Something to think about, unless...

The national parks (Olympic, Ranier) require all vehicles to carry them in the alpine areas during winter season. I bought them during a cross country trip through snow country and will keep them in the bed for the above.

 

[BearFootSam]

That’s awesome!
Do you mind sharing the model number and a link for this specific chain? Thanks

When the Frau gets home ill check.

 

[RudeJeepin]

The national parks (Olympic, Ranier) require all vehicles to carry them in the alpine areas during winter season. I bought them during a cross country trip through snow country and will keep them in the bed for the above.

Thanks, I didn't know that.
Never really thought about going there in the winter, but I'll keep that in mind.

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