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3 Posts
Beware: I almost missed a planned ski trip because I waited until the last minute to buy chains (usuallya chore as simple as spending 10 minutes in a Pep Boys).
Well, it seems that the 17" wheel and overall tire size conspire to make finding snow "cables" extraordinarily hard to find. I called a dozen places, including a tire shop that has helped me skin some pretty odd old classics, and no luck. Truck and RV centers = zero. My dealer's parts guy = zip. Some guys telling me that this size chain would have to be special ordered and cost $200!
At the last minute, a chance call to a small snowboarding shop, and they had one set ($40) - they were actually for a 17.5" tire - perhaps some older truck (?). Anyway they worked and the trip was saved!
So be forwarned!! (In California, the state police will not let vehicles without chains pass into the mountain roads under most snowy conditions, so you HAVE to have them).
Needless to say, I was apoplectic about potentially having to rent a damn Explorer to do my trip, just after spending about $45K out the door for the X!!!
PS: the MDX did just fine in the snow with the chains. On the dry roads with the chains, the little Acura felt like I had shaken 10 years off its life! On some pretty icy and snowy roads without chains, it also faired very well, with the exception of losing traction on a mild - and slow - downhill; I came within about a foot of running into the back of an Explorer who pulled away from a stop sign just in the nick of time!
silver/black/touring/navi/10.21.00 delivery
Well, it seems that the 17" wheel and overall tire size conspire to make finding snow "cables" extraordinarily hard to find. I called a dozen places, including a tire shop that has helped me skin some pretty odd old classics, and no luck. Truck and RV centers = zero. My dealer's parts guy = zip. Some guys telling me that this size chain would have to be special ordered and cost $200!
At the last minute, a chance call to a small snowboarding shop, and they had one set ($40) - they were actually for a 17.5" tire - perhaps some older truck (?). Anyway they worked and the trip was saved!
So be forwarned!! (In California, the state police will not let vehicles without chains pass into the mountain roads under most snowy conditions, so you HAVE to have them).
Needless to say, I was apoplectic about potentially having to rent a damn Explorer to do my trip, just after spending about $45K out the door for the X!!!
PS: the MDX did just fine in the snow with the chains. On the dry roads with the chains, the little Acura felt like I had shaken 10 years off its life! On some pretty icy and snowy roads without chains, it also faired very well, with the exception of losing traction on a mild - and slow - downhill; I came within about a foot of running into the back of an Explorer who pulled away from a stop sign just in the nick of time!
silver/black/touring/navi/10.21.00 delivery