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DIY tire chans

#1

metz12

metz12

So, has anybody ever made their own tire chains before? i need some bad for my craftsman but they are to dang expensive! my dad can get chain form work which would be cool, but just curious how i would make them. thanks in advance.


#2

reynoldston

reynoldston

metz12 said:
So, has anybody ever made their own tire chains before? i need some bad for my craftsman but they are to dang expensive! my dad can get chain form work which would be cool, but just curious how i would make them. thanks in advance.
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Yes I made my own. I was given a old set of car tire chains that I made my from. If you have to buy very much to make them I would say it wouldn't be worth making them.


#3

metz12

metz12

reynoldston said:
Yes I made my own. I was given a old set of car tire chains that I made my from. If you have to buy very much to make them I would say it wouldn't be worth making them.
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well those links to attach different pieces of chain together go for like 2 or 3 bucks a piece. and there would be a lot of those on each tire


#4

M

mowerman05

I have a old set but not sure what size they are. can you measure around the tire and the width and let me know. I will check the length and width of the chains I have as well, maybe we can make something work.


#5

reynoldston

reynoldston

mowerman05 said:
I have a old set but not sure what size they are. can you measure around the tire and the width and let me know. I will check the length and width of the chains I have as well, maybe we can make something work.
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I had to cut mine down to fit. All the extra parts left over I put in a box. New every once in a wile when they need repairs I have extra parts.


#6

D

de dee

metz12 said:
So, has anybody ever made their own tire chains before? i need some bad for my craftsman but they are to dang expensive! my dad can get chain form work which would be cool, but just curious how i would make them. thanks in advance.
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for the tire chain parts look up (tire chain .com and you will see what you need,.


#7

BWH

BWH

metz12 said:
So, has anybody ever made their own tire chains before? i need some bad for my craftsman but they are to dang expensive! my dad can get chain form work which would be cool, but just curious how i would make them. thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

I made a set for my old Bolens 1455 which runs fairly wide terra tires, I cut them down from an old set of semi-truck chains from the 1950's we found on an abandon farm. The interesting thing about truck chains from the 1950's that I discovered is the extremely high carbon steel content, these were so hard that when I cut the bars to the proper length with a pair of bolt cutters (28") cutting one side the other side of the link would just snap with both half's sent flying each direction (you actually had to be careful where they were flying).

I have used these chains for more years than I would like to admit, they have worn 75% or so but I'm sure I would have gone through numerous sets of the soft chain of standard sets. If you watch you will still see sets of older pickup truck chains on estate auctions that normally sell reasonable (especially in the summer months).


#8

metz12

metz12

BWH said:
I made a set for my old Bolens 1455 which runs fairly wide terra tires, I cut them down from an old set of semi-truck chains from the 1950's we found on an abandon farm. The interesting thing about truck chains from the 1950's that I discovered is the extremely high carbon steel content, these were so hard that when I cut the bars to the proper length with a pair of bolt cutters (28") cutting one side the other side of the link would just snap with both half's sent flying each direction (you actually had to be careful where they were flying).

I have used these chains for more years than I would like to admit, they have worn 75% or so but I'm sure I would have gone through numerous sets of the soft chain of standard sets. If you watch you will still see sets of older pickup truck chains on estate auctions that normally sell reasonable (especially in the summer months).
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how'd you attach them together?


#9

reynoldston

reynoldston

metz12 said:
how'd you attach them together?
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Just why couldn't you use cap screws, nuts, and flat washers


#10

exotion

exotion

What ever happened to just drilling a bunch wood screws into the tire lol we had a set at my last job we would tame the tire off the wheel and drill about 50 screws through it so the .pointy side was hitting concrete like studs and then we remounted them with slime


#11

BWH

BWH

metz12 said:
how'd you attach them together?
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I borrowed a tire chain spreader/crimper tool it opens up the crimped ends connecting the crossbars to the side chain links then you remove the desired number of links for your particular tire width and re-crimp connecting the crossbar to the side chain. I did have to cut the side chain fastener connecting link and weld the last link back together after making the side chain the proper length for the diameter of the tire. If you don't have a welder you could use a repair link to reconnect the chain fastener back together with the side chain after proper length has been determined.

Sounds like a lot of work but with the tool its only about a two hour project maybe a bit longer you first time.


#12

metz12

metz12

exotion said:
What ever happened to just drilling a bunch wood screws into the tire lol we had a set at my last job we would tame the tire off the wheel and drill about 50 screws through it so the .pointy side was hitting concrete like studs and then we remounted them with slime
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well then i would need to get 2 sets of tires. i would like to do that but i need to get a junk set of tires. even if the bead or there is a hole in them then i can just drill holes in them and use expanding foam in them.


#13

exotion

exotion

metz12 said:
well then i would need to get 2 sets of tires. i would like to do that but i need to get a junk set of tires. even if the bead or there is a hole in them then i can just drill holes in them and use expanding foam in them.
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Ya we never actually needed to use them like I said letting the air out and going slower usually worked for me


#14

D

de dee

metz12 said:
So, has anybody ever made their own tire chains before? i need some bad for my craftsman but they are to dang expensive! my dad can get chain form work which would be cool, but just curious how i would make them. thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

I was looking in tire chain supply if your dad can get links and tightening hookups good idea,. but if you have to buy parts it can cost two times the price of ready made chains,. and that would be just for the links,.


#15

reynoldston

reynoldston

Your dad must work for a nice place of employment for them to just give him free chain. Seeing you can get all this free chain if it was me I would just go to TSC and buy bolts and nuts and bolt it together. Just why would you want to use all the special chain links? You should be able cut the chain with a hack saw or cut off wheel. You should be able to make up a set of chains at a reasonable cost if the chain is free.


#16

reynoldston

reynoldston

Being brought up on a farm there was always a lot of old worn out log chains laying around. I made a set up for a Allice Chalmers model C with these old log chains and used bolts and nut. We moved snow with this tractor and as I recall the tire chains did need repairs now and then but more from using junk chain. This was on a full size tractor with large rear tires also.


#17

metz12

metz12

he works in maintenance at a local dye mill (kenyon industries in charlestown/richmond ri) they make 90% of the cloth for jansport backpacks and also is one of the bigger companies for making the digital camouflage that cannot be picked up by the heat sensors and whatnot. anyways, he doesnt necessarily have brand new chain in the shop, he might be able to find some lying around or in the scrap bin. if something is thrown in the scrap bin and you need it for some kind of project its free for the taking.


#18

reynoldston

reynoldston

If its free chain and you should be able to make something up if the chain isn't too large. Just for a garden tractor tire you would want smaller size chain. Seeing this is scrap chain just what can he get you and with a little thought you should be able to make something up. Just maybe he can find you some useable bolts and nuts in this scrap also? It still sure sound like a nice place to work that they will let him take this scrap home because scrap prices are high right now.


#19

davbell22602

davbell22602

reynoldston said:
scrap prices are high right now.
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Since when are scrap prices at there highest in the winter months? Usually they hit there highest around here in March, April, or even first part of May.


#20

Carscw

Carscw

We are at $13.50 per 100

I just had a container dropped off. Hope to put 30.000 pound in it this week.


#21

reynoldston

reynoldston

davbell22602 said:
Since when are scrap prices at there highest in the winter months? Usually they hit there highest around here in March, April, or even first part of May.
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Seeing I am not in the scrap metal business or never have been you would know a lot more then me on that. All I know was last summer I took my yearly load to the recycle center and brought home 280 dollars in my wallet. I am just saying it is very nice of the OP's place of employment to let the employees take scrap metal because anyplace I ever worked it was a no can do type of thing. I am also thinking wouldn't be nice to full your truck up with scrap metal every night on the way home to sell to the salvage yard. As I under stand scrap metal prices change all the time like the stock market. I am also a very poor person to say or argue about scrap metal prices.


#22

metz12

metz12

reynoldston said:
Seeing I am not in the scrap metal business or never have been you would know a lot more then me on that. All I know was last summer I took my yearly load to the recycle center and brought home 280 dollars in my wallet. I am just saying it is very nice of the OP's place of employment to let the employees take scrap metal because anyplace I ever worked it was a no can do type of thing. I am also thinking wouldn't be nice to full your truck up with scrap metal every night on the way home to sell to the salvage yard. As I under stand scrap metal prices change all the time like the stock market. I am also a very poor person to say or argue about scrap metal prices.
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i do make a good amount of money scrapping but i just go with the flow, bring it up there and they give me whatever at their price.


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