Tire Chain Recommendation for 2014 Suburban LT with Wrangler DuraTrac 285/70-17 Off-Road Tires  

Question:

Expert Reply:

Thank you for coming to us here at etrailer for help in selecting tire chains to fit the Wrangler DuraTrac aftermarket off-road tires on your 2014 Suburban LT. I wish you a safe and memorable Texas-to-Alaska trip, and yes, I am a little bit jealous.

When it comes to using tire chains on any vehicle the auto maker gets to have the final word. Many passenger-type vehicles are limited to using special low-profile S-Class chains that do not require a lot of wheel well clearance. Even though your Suburban is a substantial vehicle, since you have aftermarket tires on it you'll want to carefully review your owner's manual and/or speak to your local dealership regarding use of tire chains on the DuraTracs. Since your aftermarket tires are wider than the two stock tire sizes the Suburban comes with (265/70-17 and 275/55-20) you'll want to review this with your dealership to make sure that chains will not come into contact with brake or suspension components. You might also have a look at the linked articles concerning tire chains.

If your dealership tells you that you can use non-S-Class chains then I suggest the Titan Chain Alloy Snow Chains # TC3229SCAM. These are designed for wide base tires like yours and feature square manganese nickel alloy construction and ladder-pattern cross chains for good bite on ice. With these chains I suggest you use rubber tensioners # TCMA2. You will want to test-fit the chains and evaluate the resulting clearance before driving with them on.

Please note the particular Pewag Snox Pro chains # PWSXV600 that you referenced do not fit your 285/70-17 size Wrangler tires.

For 285/70/17 size tires we do offer a range of tire chains that can be seen using the provided link. Since your trip involves both on- and off-road driving I have limited the results shown to tire chains that can be used in both circumstances. Please note that none of these chains are S-Class compatible, meaning that if your owner's manual or dealership indicate that the vehicle is limited to S-Class chains then you'll need to use the second link, which will show you S-Class chains. Please note that these S-Class chains are rated only for on-road use.

Unless prohibited by your owner's manual or dealership, using chains on all four tires will give you not only improved forward traction but also improved braking and steering performance. Equivalent traction on all four tires is the way to go as long as this is allowed by the auto maker.

These chains are rated for speeds up to 30-mph, but all tire chains will require reduced driving speeds. If conditions are bad enough to need chains then they are also bad enough to merit reduced driving speeds. No tire chains allow normal-speed driving.

expert reply by: Adam R

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