Your Subaru, Snow Tires and Chains Explained
January 11th, 2008 by Justin Stobb | 30 responses
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Your Subaru is the best choice you can make when it comes to “what to drive in the snow”. All-Wheel Drive is a superior method of traction and there is no better example of this than driving the Subie up the pass to go skiing or snow boarding. We get a lot of questions about tires and chains so I thought I would provide some tips.
The best scenario in my opinion is a set of stud less snow/ice tires followed up with a set of tire chains in the cargo area as a backup. The next best choice is just a good set of all season radial tires with the tire chain back up. I don’t like studded snow tires on the Subaru very much as the aggressive nature of the studded tire has the potential to damage the All-Wheel Drive system and why take that chance if there are other choices out there. Next the studded tires are never as good the second and third season while the stud less tire seems to hold up very well. Lastly the studded tire takes a toll on the roads.
A good set of chains may never have to come out of the box in your Subaru but sometimes you may be required to have them by the Department of transportation. And is a great, cheap piece of mind to have in the back of the car. If you have never put chains on before try them out before you head off on your ski trip. Or at least verify three times that they are the right size. And than once more for good measure
Always carry a tire pressure gauge in your Subaru. The first thing you want to consider is that deflating the tire a couple of pounds in each tire can help out with traction. The less air the tire has in it the greater the road resistance is thus increasing traction, so if you normally keep the tires inflated to 32 cold PSI (pounds per square inch) try deflating them to 28 PSI. Just remember to re inflate them after the trip is over or you may be wondering why your fuel economy is lower than normal.
We have a lot of snow on the slopes this year and a good time should be had by all.
Just remember to be safe when driving and keep your Subaru in tip top shape and it will take you too and more importantly back from the slopes this year.
Justin
The Author: Justin Stobb
About: All Wheel Drive Auto is a unique independent Subaru service & repair facility. We combine years of dealer experience with a local neighborhood shop atmosphere. We use Subaru parts & test Equipment and have the expert knowledge to fix it right the first time.
This entry was posted by Justin Stobb, on Friday, January 11th, 2008 at 12:20 am and is filed under All Wheel Drive Auto News, Blogroll, Subaru Maintenance. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response on the right, or trackback from your own site.
February 1st, 2008 at 1:45 am
This may sound strange, but do you need chains/cables for all 4 wheels? I never thought about it before with my subaru forrester, but heading to snow this weekend.
thanks
February 1st, 2008 at 3:08 am
Heather,
Really It all depends on how its going to be driven. Most likely you won’t need chains at all but if you do here is what to keep in mind. At slower speeds having chains only on the front should be ok but as the speeds increase it is really a better idea to have all 4 chained or none at all. I usually suggest a set for the front and keep the speeds down if you have to put them on.
February 1st, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Okay. great. Thanks so much.
September 28th, 2008 at 7:32 am
i just bought a 2009 Forester and was told to NEVER put chains on just two wheels - regardless whether the front two or the back two… if you absolutely need to chain up all four tires must have chains or it will damage the 4 wheel drive system…
September 28th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
To be clear, you SHOULD chain up all 4 tires. Or none at all, my preference is stud less snow tires and no chains.
But in a emergency, chaining up the front tires, keeping the speeds slow and not allowing the tires to slip will not damage the All Wheel Drive.
I am not suggesting to drive it at speeds over 15 mph or for any extended period of time.
If you have to stop and chain up with an All Wheel Drive Subaru, you had better be taking it slow.
The only way the All Wheel Drive System will become damaged is if there is wheel slippage allowed to occur, or one or more wheels are allowed to spin at a higher rate of speed than the others.
Lastly if you look at the amount of wheel well clearance you will see there really isn’t a lot of clearance in the front at all and chains are a means of last resort.
November 12th, 2008 at 6:04 am
I just checked my 2009 Forester owners manual and it says chains cannot be used on P215/65R16 and P225/55R17 tires (which it came with) because there isn’t enough clearance. Are they for real? Who designs an SUV that can’t use chains? I may never need them but I want them in case I get stuck or am required to have them. This is stupid! I’m going to give the dealer hell about it for not mentioning it. This is the NW for Pete’s sake and people go the mountains.
December 14th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
You just stated “The only way the All Wheel Drive System will become damaged is if there is wheel slippage allowed to occur”. So, studs are not going to damage it? You have contradicted yourself. Please explain.
December 16th, 2008 at 5:35 am
Hey Aaron,
This is exactly what I have written
“The only way the All Wheel Drive System will become damaged is if there is wheel slippage allowed to occur, or one or more wheels are allowed to spin at a higher rate of speed than the others.”
I am explaining what wheel slippage is, wheel slippage one spinning faster than the next will damage the AWD system.
Studded snow tires have the potential to damage the AWD system as well do to their aggressive nature. Which is a big reason stud less tires have become so popular
What I was pointing out to the owner of the 09 forester was even if they chained up two wheels instead of 4 the only way they would damage their AWD system was to let the unchained wheels slip.
It was specific advice based on my experience with Subaru’s and their question about them.
How have I contradicted myself? Every situation or question is a bit different so advice about a particular situation will differ a little as well. Stating my opinion about what I like to use as traction enhancements then answering someone’s question with an explanation about their particular unique situation is far from contradictory.
With studded snow tires and varying road conditions especially axle to axle you can create issues with the AWD system if a studded tire is spinning on ice and then catches abruptly on dry pavement much more so than a set of stud less tires or all season tires will create. You can try it for yourself if you would like, buy a set of each tires mount them on wheels, go find a good stretch of road particularly going uphill such as a mountain pass with snow and ice. Early in my career I worked for Bridgestone/Firestone and was able to demo the difference in each type of traction device.
Having made a lot of repairs to the AWD systems in a Subaru, when they break mechanically it is almost always from one tire spinning faster or slower than the others.
I do my best to fit in everyone’s questions in addition to running a busy shop, and when I do, it is to help that questioner out with their question and if another reader has a similar situation maybe their answer lies in a previously answered question as well.
If you read every question and answer in this website you may find I have answered other questions with a degree of difference and that is because every question has behind it a specific piece of information yearned and that is what I try to address for free, at night after my family has gone to bed, after 12 hours of work at the shop, so that people such as your self can call me out as contradictory without spending an extra minute reading the question and answer. Maybe the next time state you don’t understand and ask for my position and I will happily respond as I can, instead of implying you know more than I by telling me have I contradicted myself, it just comes off rude.
Justin
December 16th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Scott - I just noticed the same thing in the owners manual. However, my dealer told me at the time of the sale that I ~could~ put chains on my 2009 Forrester.
December 17th, 2008 at 3:14 am
I have an 05 sti and upgraded my tires to 245-40-17 and was wondering if I can still use snow chains/cables? Has anybody run into this dilema before? Will I run into a clearence issue?
Thanks.
December 17th, 2008 at 3:18 am
Also, my owners manual says to only use chains on the front wheels, but I would think that it being awd you should chain all 4 wheels, right?
December 17th, 2008 at 6:48 am
Thank you Justin, for sharing your expertise on winter tires! I’m getting my Mother a Subaru 2006 xt limited tomorrow. it needs tires and I want to get the best winter tires for safety. I was strongly biased towards studded tires, but your info on potential AWD damage will steer me away from them. She lives near Spokane, where snow and ice are common. How big a gap - as far as safely increase- is there between studless snow tires and getting all season tires with them siped?
Thank you again for sharing your knowledge. Regards, Steven
December 18th, 2008 at 5:18 am
Orlando,
Sorry it took a bit to reply, crazy busy at the shop and snow on the ground.
I wouldn’t chain up the STI,if you need more traction buy a set of stud less snow tires. I know thats an expensive way to go but it is the best advice I have. Chains may rub especially on the rear and cause all sorts of problems.
Justin
December 18th, 2008 at 5:27 am
Steven,
Sorry to take so long to respond. So in the early 90’s when Bridgestone came out with the Blizzak tire I was able to demo the tires on ice up against studded tires. Studless tires are great on ice and are really the best way to go with AWD. The studless tires will grip ice better than a siped all season due to the compound of the rubber, but as a result they wont last long driven on dry pavement, so its important to treat studless tires as a winter season only tire.
All season should be ok but if you want the safest set up go with Studless.
Justin
December 18th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Just found your website. I bought my first Subaru last spring–’05 outback xt limited. My husband doesn’t quite trust it’s ability to handle snow and ice with regular tires–what can I tell him to reassure him that we can get out and about if we are careful?
Thanks for all the good info.
Linda
December 18th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Hey Linda,
I am guessing you are in the great N.W.
Obviously you want to proceed with caution even though the Subaru will really get around well even with all season tires, but you can also deflate the tires a bit as well, say down to 28psi in each tire this can really increase traction, just remember to inflate the tires back to specs after the weather passes.
Justin
December 19th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
Hi Justin,
I’m so glad to have found this forum at a dealership, no less; I’ve been searching for this information everywhere! I have a 2005 Subaru Outback 2.5i and will be taking her on an 800+ mile roadtrip for the holidays this week. Would you recommend that we upgrade to winter tires (studless) or simply throw some chains in the trunk? We currently have all-season tires, but time is definitely a factor as we’re leaving Monday. If chains, where can we purchase a set that will fit the standard tires well?
December 19th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
Hey Erika,
Thanks for the feedback, I prefer studless snow tires on the newer Subaru’s due to the decresed tire profile. Only if you are going to be in severe weather conditions.
As far as chains go Tire stores usuually have a “return them if you don’t use them policy”
Justin
December 20th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
Hi Justin-
I have an ‘05 Saab 9.2x- which is really a Subaru Impreza-I think. Do I assume that it has the same all-wheel-drive system as other Subaru’s? I’ve been wondering about chains with all the ice we have now. I have one set, but if you put on two sets- what is the top speed you can drive? I don’t want to damage anything, but I need better traction on the ice. I also anticipate needing to drive over 15 mph if this ice keeps up. Thanks for any input.
December 21st, 2008 at 3:11 am
Hey Nina,
Yes the Saab model you own is a Saabaru. It has the exact same drive train as the Impreza.
They key to driving with one set of chains is to remember that you have enhanced the traction on two wheel s only and the road will be the same for all 4. This is why it is important to keep the speeds down so that no damage occurs.
Speeds above 15mph with one set of chains are only okay if there isn’t a lot of wheel slippage. I am not sure that chains will clear on the back of the Saab either. There are alternatives to chaining up you can try first.
For example, I own a 1998 Subaru Outback and live in a Suburb of Seattle we are getting hammered with snow right now. We ventured out today and really only had one spot of trouble on a very steep hill with a host of spun out vehicles. Rather than chain up the front wheels I elected to deflate the tires down to 27lbs and had no more trouble.
If deflating the tires doesn’t seem to help and you don’t want to spring for studless snow tires check your owners manual for chain instructions, if all 4 are allowed then go that route, but do remember that speeds above 40mph with chains on can also be hard on the car as a general rule you should also look at the recommended speeds that the chains themselves are rated for.
Justin
December 21st, 2008 at 4:16 am
[...] Your Subaru has a superior center of gravity and a well balanced power train. It is amazing how well it will get around in the snow and ice with just normal all season radial tires, but there may be some instances where additional measures may be needed. There is an older post here about my preferences on chains and snow tires. http://allwheeldriveauto.com/your-subaru-snow-tires-and-chains-explained/#comment-1979 [...]
December 21st, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Hi Justin
This is a great site. Lots of info.
So live in Portland, OR and we are having a lot of snow and ice right now. We have a 06′ subaru legacy gt. We go up to the mt alot and have had no problem with our subi. When we had our new tires put on we asked for the best ones for the snow they also mentioned that we can’t put chains or studs on. The said the spiders would work better. What do you think about those and do you need 2 sets for front and back.
What about the ice. Does all-wheel drive make a difference.
Thank you
Jenny
December 21st, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Hey Jenny,
I am not a big fan of the spiders and I also am not sure they will clear especially in the rear.
Studless snow tires are still the best way to go, followed by deflating your all season tires a bit to increase traction.
We have the same weather here to the north of you, a lot of Subies out and about with no problems. AWD is superior to 4WD in my opinion especially in a Subaru, the balanced powertrain and low center of gravity really creates a unique driving experience in the snow and ice.
Justin
December 21st, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Thank you for being a great resource for this topic. I did an exhaustive search for this exact topic and this was among the best references I could find.
I purchased my Subaru in July of this year after moving into the Great NW from Georgia, purely for the situation which is hitting the NW right now!
December 22nd, 2008 at 4:30 am
Hi Justin,
I own an ‘02 legacy gt and was also told that chains are a no-go. Have read your posts & appreciate the info, but was wondering if you can explain why chains can’t be used on some models?…is it just a matter of clearance or are there other issues?
Thank you!
Deanna
December 22nd, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Deanna,
Chains just dont clear very well on a lot of newer cars all that well especially on the back, and driving to fast with only one set of chains on can damage the AWD sysem.
We have gone fron 14 inch wheels and tires on the origanl Legacy to 17 inch on the newest models, as Subaru has made the wheel size larger in part to increase the brake size mind you, the foot print of the tire has also become larger which creates clearence issues.
Justin
December 23rd, 2008 at 3:41 am
Can someone suggest a snow chain that will work for the 2009 Forester 2.5X Limited with 225/55R17?
I was looking at the Super Z6 chains, but I’m not sure what the clearance issue are with my car. Is it the body, the struts, etc. I’m certainly willing to buy two pairs of chains to get all wheels involved the same, but my Subaru (Beaverton, OR) dealer said absolutely NO chains on the rear let alone the front.
Is it possible to notch down to a R16 and then use chains more easily?
Thanks
December 23rd, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Hello all, and yes this site is a great resource.
I’m on a steep, unplowed hill in Seattle that’s received about a foot of snow total, and I haven’t ventured out with my 2008 Impreza (AT) for almost a week. It seems very clear that I should not under any circumstances try to use chains. I don’t know that anyone can say anything new, but as a California native with very little experience driving in snow, I’d love to hear comments from any seasons Subaru drivers about how likely it is that I’d fare well getting in & out of a hilly neighborhood of untreated roads (Madrona/Leschi, for any of you who might know the city).
So that’s my question. Any feedback or advice would be much appreciated!
Thanks much, Marea
December 24th, 2008 at 3:14 am
Hey Marea,
That area is very difficult in snow and ice even with a Subaru. If you don’t have to go out I wouldn’t. The roads should start to get better soon. The area you are in is just so hilly its hard to pick a route that is safer than the next.
Justin
December 30th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
Awesome site! I just purchased my first Subaru and it’s the 2009 2.5i Limited Outback. I could have used this car about a week ago in Portland. With all this info on traction devices, I’m ready for the next snow storm or a trip to the mountains. Thanks Justin!!
Katy