Most Popular Clamp Onto Tire for 2018 Subaru Outback Wagon

While I think this could be a fantastic set of chains, I believe the manufacturer could provide better instructions as to buying replacement parts. I tried installing these chains and one of the hex head bolts broke while tightening it up. I tried to find a replacement all over their website and also on etrailer but didn't find any. etrailer team was very kind to help me get in contact with the manufacturer to provide me with a replacement but they never responded back or appeared at all, and ended up just returning these because I could never use them but in the garage to test them one at a time using the same bolt for each set. I'm sure these could have been awesome in the snow plus they looked fantastic on my Kia Sorento 2022.

While I have not actually used them in the snow yet, my test installation in the garage went well.

We have a BMW X3 in the foothills of the Sierras and need to have chains on hand. Normal chains are not an option for the BMW X3. On the surface theses seem like a very slick product. In reality maybe for some. There are limited Choices for the X3, The K-Summit Size: K45 seem OK but I have issues and concerns. Once received you have to fit the chains to your tires. DO HIS IN THE GARAGE BEFORE YOU GO ANYWHERE. Doing this on the road in the snow would be a pain. If you like IKEA you’ll love the instructions. (Well maybe not that bad). Go on-line and look at some videos. I needed to remove 4 “regulation elements” on each chain to fit our tires. Tools are provided but I used a metric socket and a cordless drill to help with this and it took maybe 5 minutes. With hand tools the 8 total “elements’ would have taken 20 or more. Now basically shove the chain more or less in place with plastic “pads at 10:00, 2:00, 4:00 and 8:00 O’Clock positions on the tire. Next make sure you have the correct size lug nut adapter and the proper spacing from the rim. Supposedly just put the adaptor on a lug, with the indicating tip toward the rim center and tighten the bolt with the supplied wrench. I found issues with the 17mm lug adapter and the 17mm BMW lug. The BMW lug is not very tall and the adapter never felt very securely seated to me. (Yes I made sure the adapter is seated correctly in the “cup”; instructions mention this). This may be better on other vehicles. Lastly, pull the crank until you see the red line on the nylon strap. Dive forward 50 feet or so so the chains will move onto the tire. We got out of the car to check and it still required a couple of short toe kicks to fully get them securely on. In summary they seem to “work OK”. I didn’t find any better options available for the X3. Once set up they are fairly easy to install with the exception of the lug nut connection which I found insecure and fussy on the X3. The plastic components give me concern for durability. Will they become brittle and break in cold temperatures or over extended use? Time will tell. Very costly if there is a failure on the road warrantee not withstanding.

I have a 2019 Subaru Forester. I purchased these based on the recommendations and information provided by this site. The Call Center rep was extremely helpful in finalizing more order by making sure it should be compatible with my vehicle and discussing shipping options. As for the tire chains, they fit well once I figured out how to install them. They are very easy to install once you get them adjusted for your tire and find the right fit combination between the lug nut size and the spacers. The only main issue I have is with the tire size and the recommended sizing of the tires. The instruction manual recommended removing one of the pins to allow for more chain radius. However, I had to remove six to get the chains on properly. However, once that was complete, the chains are incredibly easy to put on. The winch works well pulling the chains snug to the tires and is easy to adjust. Releasing is a little harder, but still easy.

Had these K-Summit "chains" for a Toyota Corolla for 5+ years, and they worked so well that I immediately bought a new pair to fit my 2013 Honda Accord (different tire size), and they also work great. Used them the other day in 6" of unplowed snow, on the hill I live on. As long as you go slow (I usually drive < 25 MPH) they just keep moving you forward. Two quick notes: 1) I noticed going uphill that my wheels started skidding, then stopping, and repeated that annoying cycle, which made it harder than usual to continue moving forward. I quickly figured out that this was the way the anti-spin system worked on the car (which doesn't want you to spin your wheels). I disabled that and that odd behavior stopped. 2) The fitting guide, which tells you how many "links" or "regulation elements" (as the instructions calls them) to remove to fit the chain to the tire, is assuming you're placing them on all-season tires. When you use snow tires, as I do, you have to remove more links to get the chain to fit correctly. This is not a problem, but it's useful to know. The representative from Thule, the company from whom I bought my original set, admitted that they should mention this in the instruction guide.

Bought chains for a 2015 3 Series BMW with M Sport Package. You just can't buy chains for these at your local auto parts store. Got exactly what I want, the Thule chains that have nothing on the back side of the tire, the Thule K-Summit series and the price was substantially less than buying directly from Thule. Service was quick, got updated status from eTrailer periodically, and overall an excellent experience. Having a video from eTrailer showing how to install was a great idea.