Autosock Tire Sock Review

[PianoAl]

I picked up a pair of these for a trip from CA to Denver. $118. I don't have snow tires.

On the way home, I needed them. They were easy to put on and take off and seems to give good traction. The road surface was packed snow and ice. I drove 20 to 30 MPH (30 is the recommended max) for about 30 miles. They were much more convenient that chains.

Now I'll put them in the washing machine and they'll be ready for next time.

Anyone know why having fabric over the treads helps??

I have no affiliation with the company.

 

[eglove]

Fabric probably simulates the sipes in a winter tire - "absorbs" the snow in the sock to give you traction

 

[UncertainTimes]

I also bought a pair for a recent trip to Big Bear but ended up using traditional chains instead. Was saving them if I needed to throw them on in a pinch since they seem easier to put on. One thing to note though is that if the tires are stuck on snow and have no traction to begin with you can’t easily install these since you need to be able to move the car a bit to fully wrap it around the tire. If you start the install but spin the tire, it’ll just fling it off. Also if you’d drive them on bare asphalt it’ll chew them up and render them unusable.

 

[bcarp]

I see you have an AWD but only installed them on the rear wheels. Autosock website recommends installing on all 4 wheels in an AWD vehicle but that may be overkill (or just trying to increase sales). I can’t find any official Tesla recommendation *NOT* to install on all 4 wheels, so I’m confused as to what is best practice. Rear wheels only or all four wheels? Did you find front wheel spin or difficulty steering was ever an issue? (Also, what tyres do you have?)

 

[PianoAl]

I see you have an AWD but only installed them on the rear wheels. Autosock website recommends installing on all 4 wheels in an AWD vehicle but that may be overkill (or just trying to increase sales). I can’t find any official Tesla recommendation *NOT* to install on all 4 wheels, so I’m confused as to what is best practice. Rear wheels only or all four wheels? Did you find front wheel spin or difficulty steering was ever an issue? (Also, what tyres do you have?)

I just Googled which wheels to use for an AWD vehicle, and got a result that said rear.

235/45R-18 VREDESTEIN QUATRAC PRO XL

No front wheel spin or steering issues. The ice and snow wasn't terrible though (see photo).

 

[bcarp]

No front wheel spin or steering issues. The ice and snow wasn't terrible though

Thanks for the quick reply. Is that with all season tyres?

 

[Transformer]

From the Owner's Manual > Maintenance > Tire Care and Maintenance > Using Tire Chains:

• Tire chains should only be installed on the rear tires.
• If your Model 3 is equipped with aero covers, you must remove them before installing tire chains (see Removing and Installing Aero Covers).
• Do not use tire chains on the front tires.
• Ensure that the tire chains cannot touch suspension components or brake lines. If you hear the chains making unusual noises that would indicate contact with Model 3, stop and investigate immediately.

The AutoSock FAQ has a section on how it works, also about which tires:

For four-wheel drive vehicles, refer to the manufacturer’s recommendation in your vehicle owner’s manual concerning traction devices / snow chains. We usually recommend mounting AutoSock on all four tires for 4WD/AWD/4×4, but some manufacturers may recommend mounting traction devices on the rear or front tires only.

The manufacturer recommends chains on rear tires only. Presumably that applies to other traction devices.

 

[bcarp]

The manufacturer recommends chains on rear tires only. Presumably that applies to other traction devices.

Thanks for those links. I guess I was thinking that socks aren't quite as traction-y as chains, so the recommendation for chains on the rear only may not apply to socks. Maybe to do with clearance or allowing some differential spin between the front & rear wheels. Not sure, but it sounds like the safer thing is socks on the rear only. (And summer tyres on the front… this is Australia & all-season tyres are… nowhere really.)

 

[PianoAl]

Thanks for the quick reply. Is that with all season tyres?

Yes, I think so.

 

[chobra]

As mentioned in the manual, don't put chains or the autosock up front because it will snag on the circled part shown below.