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Lx470 Tire Chains And Cables


gtom61

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Hi. I've never taken our 2001 LX470 into the snow, but this year we plan on doing that. I checked earlier postings and didn't see an answer that helped me.

I read in the back of the Owners Handbook that if i put tire chains on, they should go on the rear wheels. Never mentions anything about the fronts. I did read one of the postings suggesting that putting them on all four would be ideal, but if i only had one set, i'm sensing that Lexus is recommending them to go onto the back.

Would appreciate comments and also, anyone using cables instead of chains? Thoughts on that as well would be welcome. Thanks for the help.

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Hi.  I've never taken our 2001 LX470 into the snow, but this year we plan on doing that.  I checked earlier postings and didn't see an answer that helped me.

I read in the back of the Owners Handbook that if i put tire chains on, they should go on the rear wheels.  Never mentions anything about the fronts.  I did read one of the postings suggesting that putting them on all four would be ideal, but if i only had one set, i'm sensing that Lexus is recommending them to go onto the back.

Would appreciate comments and also, anyone using cables instead of chains?  Thoughts on that as well would be welcome.  Thanks for the help.

Well, I would follow the Owners manual. The Owner's manual for the LX-450, specifically says NOT to put chains on the front. This is probably different than the conventional wisdom you've heard. Keep in mind, these are not conventional vehicles though. I'm not up to snuff on the LX-470 and it's traction control system, but LX-450 has AWD and a center differential with a viscuous fluid coupling. When the fluid heats up due to wheel spin, the center diff engages, locking the front and rear drive shafts and delivering equal amounts of power the front and rear axles. What happens is... you're driving along (probably over cofident because of how great the vehicle drives in the snow) and you go into an uphill turn too fast. The pulling wheels start to spin some, heat up the fluid, and the center diff engages and locks the front and rear driveshaft. Now, you're in a turn.. so the rear wheels are traveling on a smaller radius than the front, but the center diff is locked so the front and rear axles are turning at the same speed. Basically the rears are turning a fast higher rate than the vehicle is traveling... back end looses traction and hello mr. ditch. That's why you want you traction in the back on these vehicles.

Rookie

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Thanks... and yes, now that I reread the owners handbook, it does say to "not" to put chains on the front. I had someone email me directly yesterday with the same explanation you provided. So thanks for taking the time... I'd hate to screw-up my wife's lexus... Ger

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  • 1 month later...

You probably dont need chains at all. I live in a place that gets 150 inches of snow a year and I have never had any problem in any snow condition. One of my favorite things to do is to go for rides after the lake dumps three feet of snow on us. Blowing through large unplowed parking lots at 40 mph through 3 feet of fresh powder is fun.

Seiously though, I have had no problem at all in any condition. I can even get over plow piles that are hard packed and several feet high. And this is all with my original Michelen LTXs on the car. I now have Bridgestone Deuler A/Ts on the car, which I would highly recommend for any application.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I've had an LC for 12 years and drive to Donner Pass every winter. I've always carried cables just in case, but I've never used them.

Keep one set in the car, and if you ever need them put them on the back. You'll probably never need them.

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If you plan to doing a lot of snow driving, you could get some Bridgestone blizzak snow tires and forget about chains altogether. My in-laws in Hokkaido run these on all vehicles, say that chains suck since you have little lateral traction/steering (and they drive like 60mph on curvy roads).

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I drive up to Snowshoe West Virginia on very curvy mountain roads often and have done so late at night when the snow was coming down so hard it was difficult to see. I am talking back woods driving where cell phones are useless due to no coverage of service type conditions for 50 miles. I have owned other full time 4WD vehiles (Jeep Cherokee & Dodge Durango) but neither of them even came close to the LX in the snow or under offroad conditions. The only thing I have added to my vehicle are PIAA Pro 90 Fog lights that help out a lot with visual range while driving under heavy snow / very foggy conditions. If the roads are ICY you may need the cables/chains and if you have them it is always a good idea to take them but with snow ... just take your time use extra care when slowing down, speeding up & going around turns. :cheers:

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  • 15 years later...

I have been told to forget what the manual suggests. Every Toyota mechanic  I've talked to Including Les Schwab tire centers in the Pacific  Northwest who sold me my chains suggests if you only have one set of chains....put them on the front of all wheel drive and four wheel drive  vehicles like my 2005 Lexus GX 470. Besides the vehicle has intelligent traction control. It will figure out where to put the power regardless. As far as comments on snow driving prowess? Climates in different parts of the country produce varying degrees of winter conditions.  We don't get nice powdery snow like other parts of the country. **I was raised in New England and drove through blizzards of powdery snow on street tires on my 67 Chevy Corvair! And my 69 Pontiac Catalina wagon with posi rear! VW's the list goes on and on. Back in New England my GX with new  Michelin Defender LTX M&S  tires would have no problem getting me through winter without any need for traction devices. In the Pacific Northwest winter conditions are completely different. We get snow *then immediate thaw then ice* or just plain *black ice!*  The person at Les Schwab tire centers who sold me my chains has a 4th gen 4 runner and he has occasionally had to chain up as well, if one set...the front end gets them. Most of your traction and braking *and all of your steering* comes from the front of your vehicle. Even in the GX the front does most of the work it's not true full time 4 wheel drive. Needless to say "steering,traction and braking  go hand in hand 😏 Chains on the front makes more sense IMHO. 

Edited by GX 4 ME
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