Do Snow Chains Damage Cars?
2 Answers
Snow chains are categorized into four types based on material, each with varying degrees of impact on tires. 1. Steel snow chains: Cause significant damage to the vehicle body and produce loud noise. 2. Iron snow chains: Durable with excellent anti-slip performance. 3. Rubber or polyurethane snow chains: More suitable for family cars than iron chains, featuring low noise, easy installation, and good anti-slip effect. Additional details: 1. Iron chains (including steel variants): Widely used and most classic type. Pros: Very affordable and durable. Cons: Noisy, difficult to install/remove, heavy, and causes severe tire wear. 2. Polyurethane chains: Modern anti-slip devices made from PVC, PP, and PT chemical mixtures. Designed like a scarf with diamond patterns and steel studs - simply lay flat, drive over, and secure on drive wheels. Prone to breakage. 3. Rubber chains: Similar in shape to polyurethane chains but use high-quality rubber with strong tensile strength, reinforced with nylon fibers (like tire construction) and studded for traction. 4. Steel cable chains: The American SCC steel cable chains introduced in China 1-2 years ago. Features include jack-free installation within 3 minutes, triple lifespan of conventional chains, manganese alloy construction, and universal design for sedans and SUVs.
Snow chains can indeed cause some damage to vehicles, which I've personally experienced. Last year during a business trip in the snowy north, I drove 200+ kilometers with iron chains installed and found noticeable scratches on the tire sidewalls afterward. The main damage focuses on tires, chassis, and suspension: the metal components of snow chains can scrape tire walls, low-clearance vehicles are prone to scrape against snow-packed road surfaces, and prolonged bumpy rides may affect suspension bushings. Metal chains are particularly harsh - once I forgot to remove chains on a friend's car and drove about ten kilometers on asphalt, which literally chewed off a layer of tire tread. That said, proper installation matters - choose correctly sized chains, don't overtighten them, keep speed below 50 km/h, and remove them immediately when roads are clear. After all, on icy roads, the safety benefits of chains far outweigh this wear, provided you use them wisely.
