Snow chains / Spykes Spider Issue

[Eddo1968]

Been looking to adapt my old Spykes Spiders to the Allroad and read in the manual that for technical reasons only 225/55/17s can use Snow chains.

Mine are 245/45/18. Has anybody come across this issue and if so is my only option to get winter tyres??

[cpd1]

Eddo1968,

I recently saw an ad when I was in France for these (http://www.konig.it/SchedaProd.aspx?ID=920) They are also sold under Thule brand (http://www.thule.com/en-GB/GB/Products/SnowChains/SnowChains/K-Summit.aspx). You will need the model 44 for 245/45 R18. . I saw them on line in the UK for £275 if I recall correctly. They do look cool and certainly seem much easier to fit than old style snow chains.
They sell them for the A4 Allroad. Haven't tried them myself, until recently having snowchains in the UK was rather pointless but might have to review that following the recent weather.
You could also look at the Autosocks (http://www.autosock.co.uk/), much cheaper, but they get decent reviews.

[Eddo1968]

Thanks! The Thules certainly look good and i suppose the principle is similar to the Spikes Spyders. I'm not too sure about investing another few hundred €s on them though.

I did just buy come auto socks which I tried out this weekend. They sent me the wrong model for my tyres but I still just about managed to get them on.

I'll probably look to buy some 17" winter tyres on steel wheels and stick the spykes on them, although I'm still researching which combination to get and where to buy them from.

[jakerade]

I have something very similar for 18" wheels on my s-line called Maggi TRAK and they fit fine

http://www.roofbox.co.uk/snow-chains/

scroll down the page to Maggi TRAK

I think i paid £175 for mine

[Eddo1968]

Thanks jakerade. In your manual did it say that you can only fit chains to 17" tyres and you fitted them anyway? In mine it says that you can't fit chains to any tyres apart from the 17"s and i'm not sure why!

[jakerade]

umm - cant say i have ever read the manual..

I had them for my old B7 which had 18" wheels and the same height tyres but have test fitted them to the b8 but not driven with them on

The problem with the larger wheels is the clearance between the tyre and the suspension strut so you cannot fit chains the "go over" the tyre. The Maggi TRAX fit on the top of the tyre thus avoiding the problem.

[ScottyUK]

umm - cant say i have ever read the manual...

Just for you ;)

"
Snow chains will improve the vehicle's handling on snow-covered roads.

Snow chains can be used on the front wheels only.
Check that the snow chains are correctly seated after driving for a few yards; follow the instructions given by the manufacturer.
Keep your speed below 50 km/h.

Snow chains will improve braking ability as well as traction in winter conditions.
For technical reasons snow chains may only be used on tyres with certain wheel rim/tyre combinations.
Rim size Rim offset Tyre size
7Jx16 39 mm 205/60
7Jx16 46 mm 225/55
7Jx17 46 mm 225/50

Only use snow chains with fine-pitch links. The links must not protrude more than 13.5 mm from the tyres (including tensioner).
Remove the chains when roads are free of snow. Otherwise they will impair handling, damage the tyres and wear out very quickly.
Four-wheel drive: Where snow chains are compulsory on certain roads, this normally also applies to cars with four-wheel drive. Snow chains may only be fitted to the front wheels (also on vehicles with four-wheel drive).
"