Car Parts Reviews and Prices

For more than a decade Z Chain was the winter traction product choice for police, fire, ambulance and other professional fleets during North America. Z Chain’s fast installation, violent traction performance and extreme durability simply out class all other alternatives. But the best just keep to get better. Vehicle evolution never stops and winter traction merchandise must keep up .Z Chain’s rigid inside “hoop” was replaced with a semi rigid steel cable, making it possible to roll them up and store them in a much smaller space. Z Chain has generally met S.A.E. Class “S” prerequisites for passenger vehicles with restricted clearance around the drive tires. Now the inner cross member connectors and side cable fastening system have been redesigned to operate in smaller spaces.

60 of 61 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of five stars Work well, some a ache to put on, good for temporary use, December 31, 2009
By westlamichael “westlamichael” (Santa Monica, CA United States) See all my reviews This review is from: Security Chain Company Z 571 Z Chain Extreme Performance Cable Tire Traction Chain Set of two (Automotive) I have been using the Z chains since they were presented, which looks like at least 15 years. Used them on two Audis (90 and A4), an Acura TSX and most newly a 2007 Toyota Prius.

I find these useful for the function they’re intended for: as a temporary traction device intended to be used for short periods and at low speeds to get you through a rough section , then to be removed. Driving with them for long stretches isn’t a smart idea, nor is fast driving, driving on pavement, etc.

They are pretty ideal for California mountains where the recurrent prerequisite for chains has many 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, totally bald tires are quite common). These chains offer just what most local drivers have 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 used them 1 3 times a year pretty steadily, either because the officer insisted or because I believe the roads were icy enough to justify an extra traction device. In those situation, they have done the trick but I could have favored studded snow tires.

When using any chains, basic rules have to be followed: speed under 30mph, and pretty much do everything in slow motion. Accellerate, brake, turn and do everything else gradually and slowly or you’ll risk chain breakage. If you go with this “slow motion” approach, these things considerably increase traction on slick snow and icy surfaces, moderately improve it on soft snow surfaces and shouldn’t make things that much worse on sections where you’re on pavement. They’ll, but, make things many noisier.

The main benefits of these chains when in comparison 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 produce less traction than heavier chains; the installation, while simpler, is more prone to failure and requires at least one retensioning (I have generally made a point to stop and retension twice); the force obliged to properly tension them may be hard to muster with your bare hands in the cold; and , the clearance they require is less than offered by many recent vehicles. This last issue may be a big problem for many of today’s cars. They require at least 15mm (about 5/8″) on all sides of the tire and that is presuming you have got them on perfectly and as tight as possible. Many of today’s vehicles just do not offer that much space. I could be particularly cautious using these with any vehicles that are delivered with “sport suspension” or alike packages. See my note about the Super Z6 chain below and check your holders manual! many vehicles simply do not have space for any chains, cables or another traction devices and have to be left home in the snow.

I could not recommend these as a solution if you live and drive full time in snow country. You are just going to defeat up your hands throughout the recurrent installations, beat up your tires throughout use, and possibly beat up the wheels and wheel wells also. The right solution to that problem is dedicated winter tires, 4WD or a mix of the two.

A last note: For my last car I have switched to the Super Z6 model, also by SCC. That model uses a rubber tensioner to hold the chains on, which adds another 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 carefully, which is more and more vital on modern, tight clearance vehicles.

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59 of 61 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of five stars Everything you have to know about traction cables., January 24, 2010
By Martin Anderson “Martin” (Santa Ana, CA United States) See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME) () This review is from: Security Chain Company Z 555 Z Chain Extreme Performance Cable Tire Traction Chain Set of two (Automotive) There are a confusing array of tire chains/traction control devices on the market, and this specific company makes so various models that it is hard to tell which ones are the best. Here is what you have to know about chains and traction control devices, and why I like the ones made by SCC. I also include many 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 real chain links. Traction control cables are long pieces of metal cables, covered in a plastic covering, and intended to form a Z pattern over your tires. The plastic covering is then enclosed by hundreds of tiny, round, metal springs. Cables are usually regarded as better because they’re easier to install, last longer, are less damaging to roads, and work better with vehicles equipped with ABS. As well, as indicated by SCC, you may be able to carefully drive with cable devices up to 30 mph, on roads with no snow, without damaging them.

You should usually install traction control cables on your drive wheels, i.E. The wheels that really 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 way, it is a really, really smart idea to have TWO sets of cables in your car at all times. That way, if something breaks (murphy’s law), you will not be stuck.

Within the traction control cable group, 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 must be re tightened after you drive for a couple hundred feet or so. I have heard that emergency vehicles tend to use the manually adjustable models because they’re allegedly safer at speeds above 30 MPH, but driving above 30 MPH for any non emergency staff is illegal with any kind of traction control device.

There are some number of benefits to the manually adjustable models. They tend to have more slack, which can make installation easier. As well, 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 not use the cables. If you get a cable that has a tensioner, get extra tensioners, or better still, another 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. Easy to install because they come with lots of slack. Frequently used by police and fire staff.

Shur Grip Z/Super Z LT Self adjusting cable. Tensioners can break so purchase extras. Less slack, so may be harder to put on the car, but usually easier than Z chains because you do not have to manually tighten and re tighten them.

Super Z6/Z8 Newest Self adjusting cable, intended for vehicles with little sidewall clearance. They have all the benefits and disadvantages of the Shur Grip Z. Also, but, 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 do not have to take off the chains once you reach a paved road. Rather, as long as you drive under 30 MPH, SCC says that you may drive with the traction control cables on your car, as you switch between plowed and non plowed roads. Because each of the hundreds of little springs are separate pieces, when one breaks, it just falls off, and the others work to fill in the void.

Installing the cables is comparatively easy, and I am certainly not a hands on kind of man. It took me about 15 minutes the 1st time, and now that I have done it some number of times, I can get it done in under a minute per wheel. You may want to generally do a test installation of cables before you need them to be sure that you bought the correct size and know how to install it. It is also useful to have many waterproof gloves useful and a towel with you, as it’s frequently wet and cold when you have to install chains. A good choice for gloves are the long wristed rubber gloves that you may purchase at the grocery store for washing dishes, or many disposal latex gloves. After you use the cables for the 1st time, fold each cable individually , then use a trash bag tie to keep every one together. Otherwise, the next time you need them, they will all be tangled together.

Here are many hints on how to install these chains.

1. Read the information from the maker and pay close attention to the safety information. The basics of the information are (1) stay safe, (2) position the cables properly, (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 information are quite good, but they leave out some useful hints, which I’ll now share with you.

2. Put on many rubber dishwashing gloves and lay a towel down wherever you are going to work, or you’ll get , dirty.

BEFORE YOU START, be sure YOU HAVE THE CORRECT SIDE UP! There are markings all over the cables which point to 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, , then reach around from the other side of the tire to pull the cable around. Though the information describe a swinging slide motion, I have never seen anybody 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, don’t pull the bottom connectors that hold the cables together at the bottom of the tire towards one another. Keep them as far separately as possible. If you pull them in tight, you will not be able to pull the chain high enough in the back to connect the rear upper connector, which is what you’re supposed to do 1st.

5. When you’re connecting the rear upper connector, if you can not get the rear upper connectors up above the tire so that you may see them, push the part of the cables that surround the bottom of your tire backwards and under your car some inches. This will create slack behind the cables and let you to pull the cables up in the back.

6. Once you have the rear upper connector connected, hooking up the front upper connector can be hard. Attempt pushing the rear upper connector back so that it’s laying against the inside sidewall of your tire , then pull the front upper connectors towards you as hard as you may be able to. Do not attempt 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 are not all bunched up at the top. Look at the chain and be sure that the parts you may be able to see, and particularly the blue cable, is evenly circulated 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, do not attempt to pull them towards one another as that makes it nearly impossible to create slack.

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Five of five people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of five stars Snow Chains, January 5, 2010
By J. Downing “JDD” (Houston) See all my reviews
(REAL NAME) () This review is from: Security Chain Company Z 583 Z Chain Extreme Performance Cable Tire Traction Chain Set of two (Automotive) Putting the chains on the car was easy tightening them is a different story. It takes many 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 change them easier. Small bag to put the chains in when not used. Could use a bigger bag. Reasonable price.

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