Three ways to put chains on truck wheels

Most truck drivers have experienced the need to put chains on a truck's wheels at least once in their career. For a driver who drives in Scandinavia, this is a common thing, but for most of those who drive in Western Europe, chains are an inventory that even rarely catches your eye.

In this article, we decided to describe in detail the process of putting on chains, or rather the 3 most common ways to do it.


IMPORTANT! Be sure to follow the safety rules while working on the road. Put on a reflective vest and put up a warning triangle at a distance that ensures road safety, but: no closer than 20 m to the vehicle in built-up areas and 40 m outside of them (during icy conditions, distances should be greater). If you are on the road, be aware of the movement of cars next to you.


Before starting, you should:

  • Lay out the chains (locks with elastic bands or springs outward), check them for damage;
  • Clear a small section of the road in front of or behind the wheels from snow or ice so that you can run into chains (you can boil water in a kettle and melt the snow in front of the driving wheels);
  • Remove the rear wing cover, gaining more space and leaving the cover itself undamaged;
  • Raise the rear of the truck to the maximum height.


Method number 1 (we put the chains on the wheel from above)

  • We put the chain on top of the wheel, align it in the center and straighten it;

  • Repeating the steps from the previous paragraph with another wheel, we slowly run into the chains;

  • First, pulling the chain, we fasten the inner lock, then we pull the chain towards ourselves (on the outer side of the wheel), fasten the outer lock and tighten the chain diagonally with a lock with an elastic band and fix it on the hook;

  • IMPORTANT! After installation, after driving 100-150 meters, you should stop and check the tension of the chains again! This item is required, regardless of the installation method you choose.


Method number 2 (we run into chains)

  • We spread the chains exactly behind the wheels;

  • Slowly we run into the chains and try to stop in the middle;

  • First, pulling the chain, we fasten the inner lock, then we pull the chain towards ourselves (on the outer side of the wheel), fasten the outer lock and tighten the chain diagonally with a lock with an elastic band and fix it on the hook;

  • IMPORTANT! After installation, after driving 100-150 meters, you should stop and check the tension of the chains again!


Method number 3 (we put on chains with a jack)

This method is best used when it is not possible to run into chains (the truck is slipping and cannot move).

IMPORTANT! We recommend using this method only as a last resort due to the increased danger!


  • Having prepared the surface, we put the jack under the air cushion of the rear suspension;

  • Raise the rear of the truck to the maximum height;
  • The truck wheel will lift up a bit and you will have enough room to put a chain under it. Next, dress and fix the chain as described in one of the above methods. Once again, we draw your attention to safety precautions and urge you to use this method only in cases where you are confident in the stability of the jack!

  • IMPORTANT! After installation, after driving 100-150 meters, you should stop and check the tension of the chains again!

  • IMPORTANT! Remember that when driving with chains, you must not exceed the speed of 50 km / h, you must not start off and brake sharply. As soon as you leave the asphalt, the chains must be removed immediately (when you drive into the tunnel, the chains must also be removed). Don't forget to use the differential lock.


    The use of chains in European countries
    Country Truck chains
    Albania Use according to signs and weather conditions. The presence of chains on the driving axle mandatory
    Austria Use according to weather conditions. In the period from November 1 to April 15, the car must be mandatory equipped with at least two drive axle chains
    Belgium Use is permitted on snowy and icy roads
    Belarus Use is permitted on snowy and icy roads
    Bosnia and Herzegovina Mandatory presence of chains in the car from November 15 to April 15
    Bulgaria Mandatory presence of chains in the car from November to March 31. Use according to signs
    Croatia Chains required in some regions. When using SU tires, their use on drive axles (regardless of region) is necessary in bad weather conditions
    Montenegro Use according to signs and weather conditions. The presence of chains for the leading axis is mandatory
    Czech Republic Mandatory use of at least two wheels of the drive axle, depending on road signs. Only valid for vehicles with more than 2 axles
    Denmark Allowed from 1 November to 15 April
    Estonia Use is permitted on snowy and icy roads
    Finland Use is permitted on snowy and icy roads
    France Use depending on road signs
    Spain For cars up to 7.5 tons that do not have winter tires, use on mountain roads is allowed (15 / TV-87)
    Netherlands Prohibited on public roads
    Ireland Permitted on snowy and icy roads
    Kosovo The presence of chains for the leading axis mandatory. Use depending on road signs
    Liechtenstein Use is permitted in lowland areas. In mountainous areas, road signs will inform you about the need to use them
    Lithuania Permitted on snowy and icy roads
    Latvia Permitted on snowy and icy roads
    Luxembourg Permitted on snowy and icy roads
    Macedonia Chains mandatory from October 15 to March 15 if winter tires are not available
    Germany Use according to traffic signs
    Norway From November 1st until the first Sunday after Easter, the truck with trailer must be required equipped with 7 chains
    Poland Road signs inform about the mandatory use of snow chains. In other cases, driving on snowy or icy roads is allowed
    Portugal Permitted only where it is indicated by road signs
    Romania The presence of chains mandatory. Use in places marked with road signs
    Serbia The presence of chains for the leading axis mandatory. Use depending on road signs
    Slovakia The presence of chains is mandatory
    Slovenia The presence of chains required if there are no winter tires
    Switzerland Road signs inform about the mandatory use of snow chains. However, the authorities may additionally order their use
    Sweden It is recommended to have chains in the car
    Turkey Snow chains are allowed, but this does not relieve you of the obligation to have winter tires
    Ukraine Driving on snowy and icy roads is allowed
    Hungary Permitted only on snowy and icy roads. The speed limit when using chains is 50 km/h. In addition, without chains, foreign cars may not be allowed to enter the country
    Great Britain Permitted only on snowy and icy roads
    Italy The car must have anti-slip devices. Chains are one of the alternatives

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