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These low-profile, lightweight cable chains are great for driving in light snow. Perfect for those trips where you need chains "just in case." Designed to fit passenger vehicles with tight clearance around the wheels.
Features:
Specs:
Note: To determine whether you can use snow chains on your vehicle, or if chains might affect your ABS/ESP functionality, consult your owner's manual.
These chains are great for giving you a little extra traction in the snow. But if you live somewhere where you experience heavy snow often, you'll definitely want something more heavy duty than cables. Because these cable chains are lightweight and don't take up a lot of storage space, they are also perfect for keeping in your trunk if you occasionally travel through areas that require you to have chains on hand.
SAE Class S tire chains are designed for use on passenger vehicles with restricted wheel-well clearance. Most newer cars, vans, and small trucks - especially those with large aftermarket tires - will require Class S chains. If you're unsure about the class of your vehicle, consult your vehicle's owner's manual.
These chains will fit your tires provided there is both:
If you know your tire size, you may think you won't need to test fit your new cable chains. But there are a lot of variables that can affect whether chains will fit your specific tires, including your tire type, the amount of pressure in the tire, the amount of tread wear, and the tire manufacturer.
We recommend that you order chains as early in the season as possible to give yourself plenty of time to test fit the chains and reorder if needed. This way, you won't be stuck out in the cold later with snow cables that don't fit.
You can test fit these chains in your garage or driveway, but you'll want to wait until there's snow on the ground to actually drive with them. Likewise, if you're out in the snow and come across bare pavement, you'll want to pull over and remove the chains. Even these low-profile cables can cause damage to the bare pavement, your garage floor, or your vehicle if they break from the wear of riding on a harsh surface.
Installing cable chains is easy.
1. Lay out the chains on the ground to make sure there are no twists or kinks in the cables.
2. Where each cross cable attaches, you'll notice there is a smooth side and one with an edge. Make sure the smooth side faces in to sit against your tire's sidewall as you drape the cables over your tire.
3. On the front of the tire, feed the cable through the connection loop until it's tight, then feed the extra cable through the second loop to keep it from flapping as you drive. Repeat this on the backside of the tire.
Rubber adjusters (sold separately) are recommended to help ensure a tight fit. Connect these to the front side of the cable in a star pattern. Make sure the hooks face away from your tire so your wheels don't get scratched.
Quick Tips:
To choose the right snow chain, you must match your tire size. Those measurements can be found on the side of your tire.
185/60-15
These chains fit the following tire sizes:
Average Customer Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (1090 Customer Reviews)
These low-profile, lightweight cable chains are great for driving in light snow. Perfect for those trips where you need chains "just in case." Designed to fit passenger vehicles with tight clearance around the wheels.The chains arrived sooner than expected and were easy to install on my 2015 Subaru Forester. Because of the clearance between tire and wheelwell this chain was recommended. The video,which shows them being installed on a 2015 Subaru Foresters rear wheels,contradicts the owners manual which tells you to install them on the front wheels. The price was very reasonable. The multi arm adjusters I feel are a necessity and should be included with the chains at an additional cost. Finally, I have not tried them out yet but am confident they will give me additional traction in snow. erailer is a very reputable company and I highly recommend them.
Good news. The order arrived on the 6th day. To be sure they fit I did a test installation. I installed the Glacier PW1038 snow cable/chains on our 2016 Subaru Forester (225 -60R-17). The chains fit perfectly and on the 2nd notch. (See attached pix).
nice fit: away from the rim and other body parts. The PW105s also helped greatly to snug the package.
Cris T
just received my package and everything looks as described.
I Have not had a chance to install them yet.
Perfect! Easy to use and have held up fine. Would buy again. Priced right and great service.
Although I have not yet had to put on these cable chains, the ordering and delivery process were excellent. Knowing when your order is coming for planning purposes is essential, and etrailer came through. I've laid the cables out on the ground, and they are exactly what I expected. My wish is to never have to use them, but I've had to purchase cables for rental vehicles three times in my past, because of unpredictable weather. At least I have this concern covered for my Utah car.
Great quality
I'm very pleased with these chains. They are really easy to put on and take off. I use them to climb a steep, icy driveway in Northern Minnesota in a compact front wheel drive vehicle. They get me up the driveway every time.
I received my order quickly and will be teaching myself how to install these snow tire chains this evening when I get home. These are the same snow tire chains selling in our area but for a much better price. We are taking a trip up to the mountains this weekend and our area mountains have received hundreds of inches of snow. I wouldn't think of heading up without high quality chains for our car. Thanks so much for the fantastic turn around time I would definitely purchase items from this retailer in the future! Thank you etrailer!
Paula B.
1/26/2018
Well, I believe they are still sitting in my garage. We took a trip to the snow last year and the highway required chains. At the last minute we decided to take my husbands truck rather than my passenger vehicle, so we never did have to use them. Hopefully someday, someone will need them and we will be able to use them :- I appreciate the follow up. I remember everything being great with this purchase and I would purchase from you again in the future.
So far, everything has been great. The website was easy, well set up and full of options for my Sienna AWD. Very competitive pricing. I had to buy 4 and the rubber multi-arm adjusters are beefy! We are planning a road trip for spring breaker and will headed over several passes and just want piece of mind with the young family. This has done that and for under $xx.xx!
Thank you
Andrew
3/2/2021
A year out and what a crazy one!!! With COVID, spring break trip never happen. I have used the chains one up at the local XC skiing road closure. There was a noticeable change in traction control and I have 3 season rubber.
Good chains. They fit a 2007 Subaru Legacy B spec well.
I sincerely wish I had known about these sooner. I used these for the few bad snows last year and this year and they have gotten me home safely while other motorist were stranded due to icy or snow covered roadways. A true life saver!
Mindy
1/15/2019
Still going strong. Just used them to get home safely during a snow this past Sunday.
I purchased the PW1038 cable chains for a winter trip from our home in Texas to Yellowstone National Park. I was concerned that the road conditions we anticipated during our trip would dictate the use of traction devices or risk time lost waiting for improving road conditions.
As it turned out we did not need the devices. Therefore, I am unable to comment on how effective they were in providing any additional traction for our vehicle. However, since I never like to use something for the first time under less than ideal conditions, such as cold temperatures and blowing snow, I decided to not only fit test the devices but to also test my ability to install them in a minimal amount of time and therefore personal exposure to the elements.
I am happy to report that following a little struggle to fit the first one, I was able to quickly and efficiently install the second. After removing both, I reinstalled one to verify I had learned the process.
I am confident that had I encountered the need to use these traction devices I would have had no problem getting them on and off.
Per the Subaru technical manual, while tire chains are not recommended, if needed S style spring chains can be used on the front tires only (2017 Technical Manual, section 8-12). While I hope to never require them, I live in Washington State. When the roads are severe enough, chains can be mandatory. This is especially true for National Parks such as Hurricane Ridge where weather conditions can change rapidly.
After watching the etrailer video for installation of chains on a 2015 Forester, I purchased a set of PW1038 Glacier Cable Snow Tire Chains and PW105 Multi Arm Truck Tire Chain Adjusters. I have test fit the chains with adjusters on my front tire and they appear to be a good fit. I turned the tires hard right and hard left and checked my clearances and found no interference with the fit. Unfortunately, there is no snow for me to do a test run at this time.
Please note the etrailer video test fits the chains on the rear tires and the Glacier instructions specify installation on the rear tires for all wheel drive vehicles. This information is inconsistant with the 2017 Subaru Forester Technical Manual for front tire installation only.
I visited Yosemite National Park in early November and was cautioned that I should have tire chains in my vehicle because of Caltrans and National Park requirements. The etrailer folks got me an inexpensive set that met the requirements and could work as intended in an emergency situation. Wayne was particularly patient and helpful. My order was quickly received and came with a nice storage bag, too. Their service is great and the web site is also very helpful about installing and using chains.
Quality product. It fits. It got here right when they said it would. Perfect. I ordered the PW1038 low-profile S Chains for my 2014 Subaru Outback. They fit, using the 2nd from last locking link from the end. They do not rub the shock absorber. Great. etrailer gave an estimated delivery date, and they arrived exactly on that date. Tip: They ship using UPS, but then hand it off to USPS, meaning it arrived in my US Mail Box, not on the front porch. More secure. I doubt I will every have to use them in a snow-chain Level 3 condition (in which ALL vehicles, 4WD or not, have to chain up), but in CA, NV, and OR, you have to be able to show the police that you HAVE the chains in your vehicle, even though you are not using them on the tires. I recommend this solution for my fellow Subaru owners.
We got the item right on time to make it to our ski trip! They worked perfectly with our 2013 Subaru Outback. We had the chains on when there was only slushy on the ground, to the mountains where the snow was 3-feet deep and kept them on for the duration of the 3 days trip. They didn't budge at all! They stayed on the wheels and didn't break, while another mini van's snow chains from Walmart were falling apart on day 1! Highly recommend these!!
Bought these with the hope of never having to use them on our Forester but required to have for visits to National Parks during winter. They lived, unused, in the back of the car until major February snowstorm hit. We have a short but steep hill to traverse to get out to plowed roads. These chains did the trick. They were easy to put on and take off for the five minutes they were needed to get the car up or down the hill.
I have not had the need to use the tire chains yet. I have an all wheel drive Subaru and I carry the chains just in case the road conditions require chains. I like to compact carrying case. The chains fit perfectly where I stow the spare tire.
I appreciate that you/your company does follow ups to purchases after a year. I think that is great. That being said, since ordering the tire cables/chains, it has not snowed enough to use them! I have saved this email and promise to review them once we actually get to use them. Thanks again!!
I purchased chains for a trip to Squaw. I didn't end up needing to use them this time. Customer service at etrailer was great! I emailed them to see if the chains could be mailed in time for my trip and they wrote back quickly and shipped them out fast. They even wrote a follow up email to let me know that the item had shipped and with extra info on the chains in case I needed it. I;m really impressed with the service and would definitely use this company again if I needed something.
Cable Snow Tire chain PW1038
Was Supprised to receive my order so soon. Excellent Service,.
I tested putting the cable tire chain. I followed the instructions on installation and as expected I had to move the inside and outside liks several time to get the right tension. It was not a problem because I have done it many times before ( about 10 years ago). The true test is when I have to install it in the snow and drive with it on. I was concerned that this was not the right size because the tire size didn't show up on the carring bag tag. I double check on the web and verified PW1038 was the right size for my tire P215/50R17 90W. I think this is the right size.
MelO
Purchased Glacier cable chains for my new Subaru Crosstrek. Etrailer staff were knowledgeable, friendly and efficient. Delivery was fast. The chains are easy to put on. Just need some snow to try them out!
First, I'll note that I rated the product as "Excellent" based on the visual quality of the cable chains as well as the east of installation. I haven't driven on them yet so I will reserve my final opinion. I ordered express delivery and received the shipment yesterday as expected. I read the installation instructions last night and fitted the chains today. I put both on in 10 minutes and could probably have saved a bit of time because I was trying to get the hooks exactly the same (inside and out) but could not make it work. So, I settled for 2 in - 3 out on one tire and 3 in - 2 out on the other. I also bought tension rings but I did not install them today. So, with tension ring installation, say 15 minutes maximum to install chains on two front tires.
Dry fitted these as soon as they arrived and they are very easy to fit. I can't give a review on how they work in snow, because everyone drives differently and they are snow chains. The most important consideration for me, was how easy they were to install and these were cake.
The tensioners were, well, very tense and it took some muscle to get all 6 hooks onto the wire. I recommend a good pair of gloves or an extra pair of hands to get these on.
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Franklin
12/6/2022
I gave my original set of cable chains to my granddaughter when she moved to No. Utah. I have since purchased a second set to carry with me when I drive through possible winter weather. I have practiced putting them on, but have not yet had to put them on in snow. This time I also purchased the tensioners bungee like devices which take any slack. I bought the cables and tensioners as insurance against winter driving problems. Not having to use them is a win not a wasted purchase.