Snow socks on ice -- impressive performance

[hevak]

It’s weird because everywhere online says if you only have 1 set for AWD then put them in front. However Rivian says put them on the rear

for this storm as it was a solid sheet of ice I put them on the front so when I would turn the wheel the truck would also turn. With solid ice I thought it might not like changing directions if I didn’t have traction on the steers. I never went over 25mph so stability wasn’t an issue.

Yeah, I get why you would think you could put them on the fronts because the fronts steer the vehicle, but the reason most manufacturers might tell you to chain up the rears first is because of yaw stability. If your front tires lose traction, then you understeer but usually continue in the direction of your momentum. If your rear tires lose traction, it won’t matter if your fronts have it or not as your car can yaw and eventually you won’t be able to steer either way. If you do yaw, that’s usually how you end up in a spin. Of course, I don't think you can go wrong chaining up all four wheels.

Fun fact, preventing yaw is actually one thing all modern electronic stability control systems aim to do. They target braking to specific wheels to keep the vehicle straight.

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[tragicmonkey049]

Front v. Rear for chains - one more thing to consider: Clearance is very tight inside the front wheel, especially with 20's, because of the suspension/steering components. I wouldn't take a chance with even the slimmest chains there. Plenty of room on the rear wheels though.