chains required driving conditions

[Mike Veglia]

In a message dated 12/19/2002 Patrick Opsahl writes:

<< I have a 1998 A6 Quattro and am ready to hit the ski slopes.  When the
road
conditions require chains, do I mount them on the front or the rear? >>

If you have good winter tires, you don't mount "chains" at all. If road
conditions are so bad you can't make it through with a quattro on snow
tires, you should not be on the road (from this non-snow Californian's
perspective that is). Here in CA, when it is so bad chains are required on a
quattro, you really don't want to be driving at all. Most of the time chain
restrictions are up, they wave quattros with "M&S" tires (M&S often meaning
next to nothing by the way) through.

If you have all season (M&S rated) rubber, just be careful. You should still
be okay. If you really feel you must mount chains, refer to your owner's
manual because even cable chains may not fit with the tire/wheel size you're
running (our POS '94 ovlov 850 turbo was that way for example...it required
downsized wheels/tires just to fit cable chains at all, and wasn't AWD
either). Conventional chains almost certainly won't fit regardless. Buy a
set of cable chains that do fit, just in case you need to show you have them
(National Parks for example).

Oh, and I think ya mount 'em up on the front. I wouldn't know from
experience having never had to actually mount a set on a quattro before ;-)

Mike Veglia
Motor Sport Visions Photography
http://www.motorsportvisions.com