Snow chains on GV80 AWD models — OK to use them on both axles, or only on the rear axle???

[xavier]

Anyone have experience using tire chains on your AWD GV80? Here in WA State, FWD and RWD vehicles are legally required to use them, when the police put up signs during snowy/icy conditions. But drivers of AWD vehicles normally aren’t required to use chains, except in very rare cases.

So I figured I’d be safe and buy two sets of König tire chains, for all four 265/40 tires on my 22” wheels. But then I read in the owner’s manual (which is 4,000 pages long!) that Genesis only advises using them on the rear axle — see attached screenshots.

Anyone have experience using tire chains on one or both axles? Would suck if the AWD system may be damaged by using chains on both axles...

 

[alamo2000]

I have had AWD vehicles for years and have never chained up when in Tahoe. If road conditions are so bad that AWD cars (with good tires...more important than AWD) need chains, then I'm not driving. If you need to put chains on the rears, you won't damage the AWD system. Driving with chains at low speed won't do any damage.

 

[PFWiz]

Just a suggestion, but have you considered a real set of snow tires? In bad weather all seasons don't even come close to a good set of snow tires. I run Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 run flats on our G80 Sport HTrack. The tires make the car (in Snow mode) a tank in the snow. My wife told me she is no longer afraid to go out no matter how bad the weather is. (they won't save you from all the other idiots on the road though.)
We put ours on after Thanksgiving and will remove them mid to late March. That way you don't have to worry about putting on chains in the bad weather or having the chains snap and damage your car. On top of that you don't have take off the chains if you come to a clear area and want to drive faster.

 

[xavier]

Just a suggestion, but have you considered a real set of snow tires? In bad weather all seasons don't even come close to a good set of snow tires. I run Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 run flats on our G80 Sport HTrack. The tires make the car (in Snow mode) a tank in the snow. My wife told me she is no longer afraid to go out no matter how bad the weather is. (they won't save you from all the other idiots on the road though.)
We put ours on after Thanksgiving and will remove them mid to late March. That way you don't have to worry about putting on chains in the bad weather or having the chains snap and damage your car. On top of that you don't have take off the chains if you come to a clear area and want to drive faster.

Yeah, I was looking into buying smaller (20”) wheels mounted with 265/50 snow tires. But storing them in my garage would be a major challenge.

Hmmm...do your Pirelli snow tires handle reasonably well in dry weather? We only really encounter snow in the mountains, when skiing on wknds during the winter months. (And most of the time, chains aren’t even required when we go.)

So overall I’d estimate >90% of the time we drive our car (even for road trips or short trips to the store) during the winter months, we don’t need tire chains. And I’d hate to lose performance on dry roads by switching over to snow tires...unless the Pirellis were really grippy, even on dry roads.

 

[xavier]

I have had AWD vehicles for years and have never chained up when in Tahoe. If road conditions are so bad that AWD cars (with good tires...more important than AWD) need chains, then I'm not driving. If you need to put chains on the rears, you won't damage the AWD system. Driving with chains at low speed won't do any damage.

Fair point, I agree. But very often the conditions in the Cascades change so rapidly that they need to shut down the highway given the snowfall. They also often need to do avalanche control work there, to make the highway safe to drive.

That makes for awesome skiing conditions in the mountains, but it’s super unpredictable so sometimes you can’t avoid it even if you plan in advance and check both the weather conditions and the state’s transportation website (which we do religiously).