Cooper Tires

Review by westlamichael "westlamichael" : Work well, a bit of a pain to put on, good for temporary use

I've been using the Z-chains since they were introduced, which seems like at least 15 years. Used them on two Audis (90 and A4), an Acura TSX and most recently a 2007 Toyota Prius. I find these useful for the purpose they are designed for: as a temporary traction device designed to be used for short periods and at low speeds to get you through a rough section and then to be removed. Driving with them for long stretches is not a good idea, nor is fast driving, driving on pavement, etc. They are pretty ideal for California mountains where the frequent requirement for chains has a lot to do with the cluelessness of the local drivers about operating in snow and the complete lack of regular safety inspections for vehicles (meaning that among other things, completely bald tires are quite common). These chains offer just what most local drivers need to feel reasonably confident and to avoid accidents. Carrying them will satisfy the CHP if they stop you to check. I grew up on an infrequently-plowed icy hilltop in Connecticut and have rarely found a real need for them at this end of the country, but have used them 1-3 times a year pretty consistently, either because the officer insisted or because in my opinion the roads were icy enough to justify an additional traction device. In those circumstances, they've done the trick but I would have preferred studded snow tires. When using any chains, basic rules need to be followed: speed under 30mph, and pretty much do everything in slow motion. Accellerate, brake, turn and do everything else slowly and gradually or you will risk chain breakage. If you go with this "slow motion" approach, these things significantly increase traction on slick snow and icy surfaces, moderately improve it on soft snow surfaces and should not make things that much worse on sections where you are on pavement. They will, however, make things a lot noisier. The primary benefits of these chains when compared to many other designs are twofold: the diagonal crossmembers tend not to be an issue for ABS systems and are somewhat quieter than other designs, and the installation is somewhat simpler than designs that use rubber tensioners. The downsides are that these generate less traction than heavier chains; the installation, while simpler, is more prone to failure and requires at least one retensioning (I have always made a point to stop and retension twice); the force required to properly tension them can be difficult to muster with your bare hands in the cold; and finally, the clearance they require is less than offered by many recent vehicles. This last issue can be a major problem for many of today's cars. They require at least 15mm (about 5/8") on all sides of the tire and that's assuming you've got them on perfectly and as tight as possible. Many of today's vehicles just don't offer that much space. I would be especially careful using these with any vehicles that are delivered with "sport suspension" or similar packages. See my note about the Super Z6 chain below and check your owners manual! Some vehicles simply don't have space for any chains, cables or other traction devices and need to be left home in the snow. I would not recommend these as a solution if you live and drive full-time in snow country. You're just going to beat up your hands during the frequent installations, beat up your tires during use, and possibly beat up the wheels and wheel wells as well. The right solution to that problem is dedicated winter tires, 4WD or a combination of the two. A final note: For my most recent vehicle I've switched to the Super-Z6 model, also by SCC. That model uses a rubber tensioner to hold the chains on, which adds an extra step to the installation procedure but in my experience makes it easier and avoids the need for retensioning. A key benefit of that model is that it requires only 6mm (1/4") of clearance around the tire to be used safely, which is more and more important on modern, tight-clearance vehicles.

Review by J. Downing "JDD" : Snow Chains

Putting the chains on the vehicle was easy - tightening them is a different story. It takes a lot of pulling, tugging, re-adjusting, etc. Once you get them on, the work well. If there was a cable tightner (like other products) youc ould adjust them easier. Small bag to put the chains in when not in use. Could use a bigger bag. Reasonable price.

Review by Dan Maynard : Easy to use and keeps great snow traction

Much easier to use than traditional chains my parents used. You don't have to get back in the car to roll over the chains - they come apart so you can just throw it behind the wheel and have them on in 2 minutes. Great product.

Review by Martin Anderson "Martin" : Everything you need to know about traction cables...

There are a confusing array of tire chains/traction control devices on the market, and even this particular company makes so many different models that it's hard to tell which ones are the best. Here's what you need to know about chains and traction control devices, and why I like the ones made by SCC. I also include some installation hints at the bottom of this review. There are two broad types of traction control devices: Tire chains and traction control cables. Tire chains are actual chain links. Traction control cables are long pieces of metal cables, covered in a plastic coating, and designed to form a Z-pattern over your tires. The plastic coating is then surrounded by hundreds of tiny, round, metal springs. Cables are generally regarded as better because they are easier to install, last longer, are less damaging to roads, and work better with vehicles equipped with ABS. Also, according to SCC, you can safely drive with cable devices up to 30 mph, even on roads with no snow, without damaging them. You should normally install traction control cables on your drive wheels, i.e. the wheels that actually push or pull your car forward. If the snow is really bad, though, you may have to install cables on all four wheels. Read your vehicle's owner's manual for more details on where to install your cables. In any case, it's a really, really good idea to have TWO sets of cables in your car at all times. That way, if something breaks (murphy's law), you won't be stuck. Within the traction control cable category, there are two general types of cables: Self-tensioning cables tighten themselves using a tensioner (which looks, feels, and operates like a rubber band) that you install when you put the cables on. Manual tensioning cables are tightened by you, and have to be re-tightened after you drive for a couple hundred feet or so. I've heard that emergency vehicles tend to use the manually adjustable models because they are allegedly safer at speeds above 30 MPH, but driving above 30 MPH for any non-emergency personnel is illegal with any kind of traction control device. There are several advantages to the manually adjustable models. They tend to have more slack, which can make installation easier. Also, the tensioners (i.e. rubber bands) on self-adjusting cables can and do break (it happened to me today) and if they break, you can't use the cables. So, if you get a cable that has a tensioner, get extra tensioners, or better yet, an extra set of cables, just in case. Here's a breakdown of SCC's cable products: Z-Chain- Manually adjustable Traction Control Cable. Easy to install, but must be retightened shortly after you start driving. Very easy to install because they come with lots of slack. Often used by police and fire personnel. Shur Grip Z/Super Z LT- Self adjusting cable. Tensioners can break so buy extras. Less slack, so can be harder to put on the car, but generally easier than Z-chains because you don't have to manually tighten and re-tighten them. Super Z6/Z8- Newest Self adjusting cable, designed for vehicles with very little sidewall clearance. They have all the advantages and disadvantages of the Shur Grip Z. In addition, however, the connectors are a little harder to work with on this model because of their low profile. On all of these models, the metal rings are made of a spring-like material, SCC says that you don't have to remove the chains as soon as you reach a paved road. Rather, as long as you drive under 30 MPH, SCC says that you can drive with the traction control cables on your car, even as you switch between plowed and non-plowed roads. Because each of the hundreds of little springs are separate pieces, even when one breaks, it just falls off, and the others work to fill-in the void. Installing the cables is relatively easy, and I'm definitely not a hands-on kind of guy. It took me about 15 minutes the very first time, and now that I've done it several times, I can get it done in under a minute per wheel. You should always do a test-installation of cables before you need them to make sure that you purchased the correct size and know how to install it. It's also very useful to have some waterproof gloves handy and a towel with you, as it is often wet and cold when you need to install chains. A good choice for gloves are the long wristed rubber gloves that you can buy at the grocery store for washing dishes, or some disposal latex gloves. After you use the cables for the first time, fold each cable separately and then use a trash bag tie to keep each one together. Otherwise, the next time you need them, they'll all be tangled together. Here are some hints on how to install these chains. 1. Read the instructions from the manufacturer and pay close attention to the safety instructions. The basics of the instructions are (1) stay safe, (2) position the cables correctly, (3) connect the upper rear connector, (4) connect the upper front connector and tighten it, (5) connect the lower front connector and tighten it, (6) drive for a bit, (7) retighten the front upper and lower connectors. The instructions are quite good, but they leave out a few helpful hints, which I will now share with you. 2. Put on some rubber dishwashing gloves and lay a towel down wherever you're going to work, or you will get very, very dirty. BEFORE YOU START, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE CORRECT SIDE UP! There are markings all over the cables which indicate the correct orientation. Look for them! 3. When you slide the cables under your tires, start from a point between your front and rear tires. Slide half of the chain under your car, and then reach around from the other side of the tire to pull the cable around. Although the instructions describe a swinging slide motion, I've never seen anyone who could do that without twisting the cables up. Just pull them and things will be much easier. 4. Once the cables are around the tire, DO NOT pull the bottom connectors that hold the cables together at the bottom of the tire towards one another. Keep them as far apart as possible. If you pull them in tight, you won't be able to pull the chain high enough in the back to connect the rear upper connector, which is what you are supposed to do first. 5. When you are connecting the rear upper connector, if you can't get the rear upper connectors up above the tire so that you can see them, push the part of the cables that surround the bottom of your tire backwards and under your car a few inches. This will create slack behind the cables and allow you to pull the cables up in the back. 6. Once you have the rear upper connector connected, hooking up the front upper connector may be difficult. Try pushing the rear upper connector back so that it is laying against the inside sidewall of your tire and then pull the front upper connectors towards you as hard as you can. Don't try to pull them towards each other. While sitting, just pull them straight out, towards you, and the rest of the chains should fall into place. Then they should be easy to connect. 7. Gently pull the parts of the chain that criss-cross your tires down towards the ground so that they aren't all bunched up at the top. Look at the chain and make sure that the parts you can see, and especially the blue cable, is evenly distributed around the tire. 8. Then pull the bottom front connectors towards you (out, but not up or down) to create slack. Then connect them. Again, don't try to pull them towards one another as that makes it almost impossible to create slack.

Review by H. Kim "OC guy" : Easy to install, works exactly as it should.

Bought a set before heading up to Tahoe on my 2-wheel drive Tahoe. Hoped that I didn't have to use it, but wanted to have a set just in case. Well, of course I'd need it. Needed to have these chains on for just a short drive near the destination (less than 2 miles) and easy installation part made it a breeze to put these on on my 20 inch rims. Putting on the set took less than 10 minutes. And once on, I got my traction back and made it to vacation home safe and sound. I do think that these are good for short drives, not a heavy duty use. But it serves it's purpose well, and putting on and off is simple. I'd definitely buy again for my other car.