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How bad did snow chains damage my struts?

20K views 34 replies 17 participants last post by  ddnorcal 
#1 ·
Hi all,

I had to use snow chains last weekend on my FWD 2016 Escape on a particularly slippery 2 miles of mountain road. To my horror, I could hear a "clank" on every tire rotation, knew something was hitting the strut, but was unable to take them off immediately due to the conditions. There weren't any issues on the 300 miles home or since. I'm hoping this is just cosmetic, but need some expert advice!

I have included pictures of the damage, what I believe was hitting, and the chains installed for reference (maybe someone can spot any user error!).

Thank you!

P.S. I'm on 235/55-17 tires and the chains were recommended by the vendor as low profile.

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#6 ·
Curious. I live in Houston so I do not have this problem. What good does it do to have the chains on the "non drive" wheels. I thought the purpose of chains and such was to get drive traction.
 
#3 ·
You only rubbed against the outer sheath, not the working parts of the strut itself. Not pretty for you, but as long as there isn't any perforation of the sheath, you should be ok.
 
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#12 ·
There are parts of the country (even California) that will not let you pass a certain point during weather without chains. Regardless of the tires...
 
#8 ·
Call me dense but I am a retired engineer. He has a FWD Escape. How will there be any traction coming from the rear wheels? They just trail the car.
 
#17 ·
Now I see where the confusion is. The OP said FWD FE. @waverunner10 said he had an AWD FE.
You're right, that's what confused me too. When they responded to his post about "what good does it do...", I thought they were saying what good does it do to have that on AWD since they quoted him. Now that I think about it, he quoted him but meant what good does it do for the OP since he has FWD.
 
#20 · (Edited)
You're right, that's what confused me too. When they responded to his post about "what good does it do...", I thought they were saying what good does it do to have that on AWD since they quoted him. Now that I think about it, he quoted him but meant what good does it do for the OP since he has FWD.
And the OP never mentioned at all he only used two chains. He could have had 4 for all we know. We have to thank @waverunner10 and @ralph7up for this confusion. :)
 
#10 ·
No problem. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have missed some already posted critical information. I was just trying to understand why the Ford Dealer would say put the chains on the rear.
 
#13 ·
seems like you might have put them on 'inside out'. the bracket/joint on the outside has a flat bar and is perhaps lower in profile?
the inner joint does not seem to have the same flat bar and is likely much thicker.

like others have said - if your strut isnt leaking you're fine. did the tire sustain any sidewall damage?
 
#27 ·
seems like you might have put them on 'inside out'. the bracket/joint on the outside has a flat bar and is perhaps lower in profile?
the inner joint does not seem to have the same flat bar and is likely much thicker.

like others have said - if your strut isnt leaking you're fine. did the tire sustain any sidewall damage?
That was my thought also from looking at the pics.
 
#19 ·
i second that it looks like chains are too big. it would be better to get that inner cable to ride a little higher toward the tread and not in that pinch valley between strut and sidewall. (of course that would put the outer circumferential cable near the wheel surface. double check the fitment listed on the box.

honestly, i wouldn't use those chains again. you'd either mess up the struts more, or your wheel.

PS. on Subarus, the recommend chains on the front of AWD.
 
#22 ·
Who ever said conventional technology wasn't challenging<G>. Tires and chains can out confuse Sync!!!!
 
#24 ·
Chains actually decrease the footprint of the tire to the road and reduce steering and braking efficiency (why many AWD vehicles recommend the chains on the rear wheels over the front). They are good for aiding the driven wheels to get a bite into the road to minimize wheel spin. The best defense in wintery weather is Snow tires on all 4 wheels, and chains on the drive wheels only when absolutely necessary.

I know, my sig says Atlanta, but I spent most of my life in New England and am an avid slalom skier, so I know how to get to the slopes. :)
 
#25 ·
If you ever watched ice road truckers, they only chain up when it is necessary. If not needed then best not t use them.

I got tire socks and used them once on a 2000 Maxima when I got stuck going up my hill. So they are good to have and easy to carry and use for emergencies.

The other is studded tires but I know here in NJ you are not allowed to use them.
 
#26 ·
Thanks all for the info!

There are too many directions to address quickly, but I guess the takeaway is that there is no leaking or anything like that and the chains don't fit properly.

I'm currently talking with the vendor to see what can be done and I saw elsewhere in the forum that Super Z6's might be a better low profile option which I'll look into.

Since it looks like metal is showing, is there any danger of rusting? A friend of mine suggested I should at least throw on a layer of spray.

Thanks again!
 
#30 ·
You should only be using cable chains!! not old school chains!
My tires are 235/45/19 they require "low profile" cable chains!!
They are a lot more expensive! double the price!
Do not use old school tire chains!!
Make sure your tire/wheel size requires low profile cable chains!!!!!!!!
with my AWD I was told to put them the rear.
 
#35 ·
So what brand were these chains/cables so I can avoid?

Hi, new member here. Going up to Tahoe soon, (hate going up there in the winter, this is for a family reunion at Thanksgiving time) but wanted to get some chains/cables just in case. Have read other reports Ford says they are not meant for FW drive 2014 Escape with 18" OEM Conti tires. which is what I have.

OP, can you please tell me the the brand/model you purchased so I can avoid those? In a different thread here, the OP in that thread says the brand "Security Chain Super Z6" cable model does get by the strut ok on 18" 235/50. They appear to be very low profile.

Otherwise, might just rent a 4 wheel drive but that doesn't always fix the situation if the weather is very bad. In Cali on Hwy. 80 toward Nevada, some bad conditions require chains on 4 WD vehicles, even if equipped with 4 snow tires, I believe.

Thx DD



Hi all,

I had to use snow chains last weekend on my FWD 2016 Escape on a particularly slippery 2 miles of mountain road. To my horror, I could hear a "clank" on every tire rotation, knew something was hitting the strut, but was unable to take them off immediately due to the conditions. There weren't any issues on the 300 miles home or since. I'm hoping this is just cosmetic, but need some expert advice!

I have included pictures of the damage, what I believe was hitting, and the chains installed for reference (maybe someone can spot any user error!).

Thank you!

P.S. I'm on 235/55-17 tires and the chains were recommended by the vendor as low profile.

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