,I'm making some snow chains. 4 per wheel [ attached are pictures of the mock up Mark1 ]
I would really appreciate your thoughts/input as to how you think they will fair in the hostile environment of ice/snow and also being at the mercy of Roger Bennett's unsympathetic right hand.
On the mock up the chains are from a bicycle,but I'm tempted to increase the size to motorcycle chain as the side plates on bicycle chain is thin and will I'm sure bend and flatten when in contact with the black top.
I could do one of three things.
1. Leave it as per photo.
2. Run 4 chains 2 side by side so they can lean on each other.
3. I could turn the chain on it's side [ old bicycle/motorcycle chain will give me the short bend needed ] to help protect the side plates, much better for the inevitable or unforeseen occasional short road trip....
Also in this configuration it could help stop us Brit's from getting a bad name as we would inevitably dig up your lovely silky smooth European highway.
Joking aside would that make the chain less efficient on ice? less grip?
Also I'm planning to increasing the webbing straps up to 25mm wide with a stronger metal buckle.
Ich schrub:
Hello John,
I hate to tell you, but I think your snow chains will not work. I am in a good position for judgement, because I tried that in the late 90ies of the last century on my MZ. Three things happened on that 20 hp vehicle (and one would have been enough):
1) the chains moved sideways in a curve, so the chain was on the sidewall of the tire. Maybe you could do do something against that by fixing it to a spoke. I did not, so I drove on the strap and ruined it, shortly before the chain got loose and got jammed between wheel and swing arm ...
2) if not on pure snow, the ride is very rough (tok tok tok tok tok tok ... get the idea?) and on Asphalt i would not go faster than walking speed to prevent damages to the chain - it is not hardened as a snow chain is
3) If the tire slips on loose ground (gravel etc) say goodbye to that strap - it will be shredded.
These were my experiences on the much less powerful MZ ... If possible, modifiy a car snow chain and put a bigger spacer in or use a smaller tire for allowing more space - thats what I would recommend. Or have a snow chain made by the Staudacher family, they make motorcycle snow chains which have smaller side chains then the car ones.
http://motorang.com/staudacher/index_english.htm
Wie sind Eure Erfahrungen mit dieser ja an sich nicht neuen Kettenart ?
Hier übrigens eine kleine Steighilfensammlung:
http://s10.photobucket.com/albums/a143/ ... eighilfen/
Gryße!
Andreas, der motorang
