Hi all. New to the site and soon to be proud owner of a new 2008 FX4 Supercab.

I'm looking into buying tire chains for the new truck and I can't seem to find any info on whether or not there are clearance limitations or manufacturer's restrictions/recommendations on the 04-08 F150's - can anyone provide any info? I'm sure the owner's manual addresses this but until I have one to read ... ??? I ordered the truck with the Goodyear LT275/65R18's.

I basically only need chains once or twice each year but when i do, I really need them. I hunt on the Western slope here in Colorado and the mud can be 8-12" deep and as slick as grease. Tire chains are the only to get in and out without tearing up the truck/trailer.

Any thoughts/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

Uh...

Now I don't know Colorado mud from nothin', but I do know mud... And tire chains are just a BAD idea all the way around. Have you ever seen what happens when a chain breaks loose and gets slung up the side of a pickup?

Go to the tire dealer, and buy a set of real, honest to God mud tires. Lose those Goodyear stockers, and if you are going to stick with Goodyear then go with some Wrangler MTs. Or better yet, upgrade to a BFGoodrich Mud Terrain TA KM.

Honestly, if you are dealing with 8-12 inches deep of mud, with a truck that has maybe 9" of ground clearance, no matter how good a tread design, or chains you put on that truck, you are going to get that truck buried up to its frame in mud plenty quick!

So, make sure you go with another truck or two, and make sure you bring along SOME kind of self recovery winch. I don't really the name brand, but there are some hand powered ones that are not too expensive, that will get you out of the trouble you will get yourself into...

Not meaning to sound harsh, just trying to share some hard earned experience... Like I said, I don't know Colorado mud, but Texas mud is really something else!

If you do decide to go with Chains, go with the best ones you can afford, and follow the owners manual to the letter...

 

Thanks for the quick reply, dbhost.

I've seen just about everything good and bad about tire chains - been using them for 20+ years. I've never lost a chain. Broken a link once or twice, but never lost one or had it damage anything. The key is to size them right, use adjusters and don't spin the wheels aggressively (the whole purpose behind the chains in the firstplace).

That aside, I was wondering about any clearance limitations - especially with the outboard shocks in the rear. Anyone have any first-hand experience?

 

I've wondered about this myself aswell. Not for my Harley before anyone freaks out, but I wouldn't mind having a set of tire chains for my 1979 F250. I've never seen any tire chains being used on 1/2 ton pick ups before. For work we go in some pretty ugly places, I know last spring I was in atleast 12" of the nastiest mud you could imagine, and all we did was run a set of 305 wide BFG Mud Terrains on our trucks. I highly recommend this tire, its great in mud. It will more then likely save you from having to chain up. I know a fair bit about tire chains seeing as I run them on tractor trailers for six months of the year straight, and they are usually useless compared to a good mud tire(when in Mud), I'd really suggest going with a set of Mud Tires and seeing how that works out. Get a real good set like BFG or Toyo, you shouldn't have any problems.

 

I guess I have just had bad luck, or didn't know what I was doing with tire chains way back when. But every time I have seen chains being used, it's always ended up in disaster...

Honestly though, in mud, a true mud tire would give you much better traction anyway...

 

Thank you for your responses.

Wow, I am surprised that tire chains seem to be such a "forbidden mystery". They are quite commonly used here in the backcountry - especially during big game season when folks need access to abandoned logging roads an the like. This past season (2 weeks ago) I don't think I saw more than half-dozen trucks that didn't have tire chains.

I'm sure that a good mud tire would work great. The reason that no one uses them is that we only need the benefit of added traction for the few days that we are in the backcountry. We are all towing utility or cargo trailers with gear, ATV's, etc... and that good mud tire would be a defecit for us on the 400+ miles of paved highway that we traverse in getting to and from home towing those trailers. All-terrain M/S tires are worthless in the greasy clay mud that we have to contend with as the tread clogs - even on a fairly aggressive tire.

Anyway, I'm not really trying to debate the issue of tire chains vs. mud tires - just hoping for some information on clearance or other issues that would affect the use of tire chains on a 2008 F150. As I said, I'm waiting on my new truck and don't have an owner's manual to consult.

Any others with info?

Thanks.

 

If I could find it online, I would point you to an online owners manual... I am fairly sure they are available...

And yeah, if mud tires are not workable for you most of the time, they are not worth the added cost. I find that I can typically get through anything I want to with my BFG ATs. BUT... not all the time... Like you mentioned, the heavy clay muds tend to clog up even the most aggresive ATs quickly and turn them into giant glazed donuts...

I have found more times than I care to count that I should have gotten a dedicated mud tire. I find that a good Mud tire like a Mud Grappler, or BFG MTs ride as smooth and quiet as an all terrain, BUT pretty much anything Interco makes are LOUD!!!

If you guys ever think about taking pics or video of using chains, I would love to see it...

If you don't get a good reply by tonight, I will grab my owners manual when I get home and take a gander for you...

 

Hey, that would be great dbhost. Thanks.

I will see if I can find some pics from previous experiences to post.

 

I'm pretty sure when I RTFM two years ago, it said to NOT use chains on the truck, just cables. I think this is due to clearance issues with the ABS and/or anti-skid sensor lines. I know, cables would be worthless in mud. We used t put chains on all four wheels of our '72 Bronco with the 351...that thing would go anywhere!

 

Hmmmm... that's what I was afraid of. Can anyone else confirm this?

 

I havn't used chains in mud before. Never really heard much about it here. Most of the chain use is for the thick ice and rare deep snow. I used them for a long time on my old 2wd S10 and then with my 98 F-150 2wd and could get anywhere I'd like even while everyone else was stranded by 3 inches of black ice.

I thought I read somewhere that chains were not to be used on our trucks. If they can I'd like to know. Would get some pretty quick.

 

I looked into chains for my 04. I had a set of conventional chains and they will not clear with the stock 17" 255s. The manual does mention chains, but I do not have it with me. I believe the only ones recommended were type S chains which are the cable type.

 

There are always these babies!!!




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