Experience with alternative traction devices

Those little things are cute. But are not good. If you want proper traction vs old man winter, you buy proper chain, Duals, singles etc and learn the chain laws regarding how many to carry plus spares and where and how to mount them on a 18 wheeler.

Relying on little devices like you speak of is a poor subistute. It's crappy frankly. If they were all that everyone would have them on. Cities tend to put em on fire trucks and buses because they don't know any better and don't get more than a few inches of snow for it to matter much. Then they wonder why it fails utterly in 2 feet of snow. Nothing beats a proper set of chains and training to put em on correctly.

If you have them on and you still spin your wheels chain and all on ice... why are you even out there? Smarter to stay put and wait for the storm to pass and the roads to clear. Decades ago we knew bad weather was coming out way near DC when Atlanta Buses are sliding sidways downhill in their streets as they struggle futile against winter there.

 

I find it interesting how people invent things.

I would not care to wonder how much those tires will flex under load conditions at speed with those things on them. Heat would be another. The more I think or over think this thing the more I hurt myself.

One day someone is going to invent something that will do traction correctly and retire chains. But it will be a while. I had a driver challenge me one time talking about chain and problems how I would solve it. Considering that electricity is becoming more availible in large amounts such as might be for the Nickolas Tractor Hybrid, my thinking leads to emitters of laser firing down into the pavement to eliminate the ice ahead of the wheels themselves. The problem of liquid left behind refreezing again shot that idea down. There has to be a way to convert that snow and ice straight to a form of plasma or gas state that stays vapor in zero degree weather. But that's too much to hope for. It was worth a shot for a few minutes anyhow.

But until that problem is solved, chains is the best we can do and sometimes that is not good enough.

 

Full lockups. I SMH everytime I see a spun out truck with only an inter axle locker. 1 wheel spinning on each axle. Useless. I spent 2 hours digging mine out from its parking place 2 springs ago. Stuck in 3 inches of snow. Its getting an axle lock when it goes back together.

 

Even with Iron on all 4 corners dragging 64-72k on 8 axles doesn't work well. Have had to double chain a few times. No more winter mountain driving for me.

 

I'd like that Grip 1 better it the wings were titanium, the carbide studs replaceable and configurable, and the strap made from something like dyneema instead of 1 yr warranty nylon. But I haven't tried it.

Have trucks ever had wheel sanders like locomotives? The sand tank would eat into your tare a bit.

 

ready off the shelf....

http://www.elstonmfg.com/traction-sanders.html

 

Yup. My old man had one custom built. Gate on the bottom was controlled by an air valve in the cab. It could hold about 4 or 5 bags of salt in it.