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Model S (2012-2020) Snow Chains

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Stuart

Roadster#326, ModelS#1409
Supporting Member
May 23, 2009
85
5
San Jose, CA
I purchased Snow Chains for my Model S (2012-2020) directly from Tesla’s web site, for $420 plus tax. They arrived promptly and appear sturdy and well made, but I am having a hard time installing them. The instructions seem to be very clear in emphasizing the importance of securely attaching the snow chain socket snugly over one of the wheel nuts to hold the snow chains in place. The Tesla Support page for Snow Chain Installation has a video showing images emphasizing how the socket has to fit tightly over one of the wheel nuts with no gap.

The wheel nut, highlighted:

1.jpg


The snow chain socket, with the hollow cavity highlighted in green:

2.jpg


The snow chain socket, snugly fitted over the wheel nut, with no gap:

3.jpg


The paper label attached to the snow chains also reinforces the message that the snow chain socket must be snugly fitted over the wheel nut with no gap:

Label.jpg


Unfortunately, the wheel nuts on my Model S don’t look like that. They have plastic caps on them, and when the caps are removed you can see the wheel nuts with the wheel studs showing through the middle, which prevents the snow chain socket from fitting snugly over the nut.

4.jpg


I took the snow chains into a Tesla Service Center to ask if anyone could show me how to install them, and they treated me like I was a bit of an idiot for not being able to follow simple instructions. I asked them to show me, and the guy just loosely clipped the socket onto one of the nuts. I bumped it with my hand and it fell off. The guy sarcastically told me that it wouldn’t be a problem as long as I didn’t bump the snow chains with my hand while I was driving. It seems to me that it really is important for the snow chains to be securely attached. The snow chains need to be attached to the wheels securely enough to prevent a two-ton vehicle from sliding off the road sideways when I turn a corner.

Are the Tesla Service Center technicians correct that it is fine to drive on these Tesla snow chains without the chains securely attached to the wheels?
 
I purchased Snow Chains for my Model S (2012-2020) directly from Tesla’s web site, for $420 plus tax. They arrived promptly and appear sturdy and well made, but I am having a hard time installing them. The instructions seem to be very clear in emphasizing the importance of securely attaching the snow chain socket snugly over one of the wheel nuts to hold the snow chains in place. The Tesla Support page for Snow Chain Installation has a video showing images emphasizing how the socket has to fit tightly over one of the wheel nuts with no gap.

The wheel nut, highlighted:

View attachment 771919

The snow chain socket, with the hollow cavity highlighted in green:

View attachment 771920

The snow chain socket, snugly fitted over the wheel nut, with no gap:

View attachment 771921

The paper label attached to the snow chains also reinforces the message that the snow chain socket must be snugly fitted over the wheel nut with no gap:

View attachment 771922

Unfortunately, the wheel nuts on my Model S don’t look like that. They have plastic caps on them, and when the caps are removed you can see the wheel nuts with the wheel studs showing through the middle, which prevents the snow chain socket from fitting snugly over the nut.

View attachment 771923

I took the snow chains into a Tesla Service Center to ask if anyone could show me how to install them, and they treated me like I was a bit of an idiot for not being able to follow simple instructions. I asked them to show me, and the guy just loosely clipped the socket onto one of the nuts. I bumped it with my hand and it fell off. The guy sarcastically told me that it wouldn’t be a problem as long as I didn’t bump the snow chains with my hand while I was driving. It seems to me that it really is important for the snow chains to be securely attached. The snow chains need to be attached to the wheels securely enough to prevent a two-ton vehicle from sliding off the road sideways when I turn a corner.

Are the Tesla Service Center technicians correct that it is fine to drive on these Tesla snow chains without the chains securely attached to the wheels?
I take it our S is not AWD?
 
By your description, those are not the original lugs, they are the newer style that come on the cars now but it shouldn't matter. The gap they are referring to avoid is not at the top of lug but between the bottom of the chain socket and the wheel. That being said, you should not be able to just knock them off. It sounds like he never tightened the clamping knob.
 
By your description, those are not the original lugs, they are the newer style that come on the cars now but it shouldn't matter. The gap they are referring to avoid is not at the top of lug but between the bottom of the chain socket and the wheel. That being said, you should not be able to just knock them off. It sounds like he never tightened the clamping knob.
The length of the bolt protruding from the middle of the wheel nut is longer than the cavity inside the socket on the König K-Summit K45 chains. To try to illustrate what I’m talking about in round numbers, if you put a half-inch cup over a one-inch stick, there’s no way to make the bottom of the half-inch cup snug with the bottom of the one-inch stick. Inevitably half an inch of the stick is going to remain uncovered. The gap between the bottom of the socket and the wheel is larger than the wheel nut itself. The flexible ‘fingers’ inside the socket are not long enough to reach the nut they are supposed to clamp on to. You can tighten the clamping knob as much as you like, but the fingers have nothing to clamp on to except empty air. All tightening the clamping knob does is bend the metal fingers inside the socket, but however much you tighten it, there’s nothing for the fingers to clamp on to.

I’m sure Tesla sold a lot of Model S cars between 2012 and 2020, and I’m sure some of those customers also bought Tesla snow chains for their cars. I’d love to hear from some of those people what success they had installing those Tesla snow chains on their cars.
 
The length of the bolt protruding from the middle of the wheel nut is longer than the cavity inside the socket on the König K-Summit K45 chains. To try to illustrate what I’m talking about in round numbers, if you put a half-inch cup over a one-inch stick, there’s no way to make the bottom of the half-inch cup snug with the bottom of the one-inch stick. Inevitably half an inch of the stick is going to remain uncovered. The gap between the bottom of the socket and the wheel is larger than the wheel nut itself. The flexible ‘fingers’ inside the socket are not long enough to reach the nut they are supposed to clamp on to. You can tighten the clamping knob as much as you like, but the fingers have nothing to clamp on to except empty air. All tightening the clamping knob does is bend the metal fingers inside the socket, but however much you tighten it, there’s nothing for the fingers to clamp on to.

I’m sure Tesla sold a lot of Model S cars between 2012 and 2020, and I’m sure some of those customers also bought Tesla snow chains for their cars. I’d love to hear from some of those people what success they had installing those Tesla snow chains on their cars.
I have a 2014 and i have the chains sold by Tesla. They were the earlier brand but they operate like the Konig. What's odd to me is that the wheel studs on mine are not long enoght that they prodrude through the lug nuts to interfere with seating of the chains socket.
 
I have a 2014 and i have the chains sold by Tesla. They were the earlier brand but they operate like the Konig. What's odd to me is that the wheel studs on mine are not long enough that they protrude through the lug nuts to interfere with seating of the chains socket.

Thanks for that information.

Here is my amateur artist’s attempt to depict the problem I have with the König K-Summit K45 chains (the ones currently being sold by Tesla). The bolt protruding from the middle of the wheel nut prevents the socket from reaching the nut, so it can’t clamp on to it.

2b.jpg
 
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I believe Tesla have switched to more advanced HW during the production and this is giving you the issue you try to overcome. Tesla decided to use some decorative cover over the original nuts and this is actually a pain in the arse if someone have used wrong size of power tool to tighten them on (photos attached). You can see on the photos that if the cover has been damaged you basically need to grind it off.
Anyway, your solution would be to find if you can get 4 used nuts online or if Tesla is selling them individually as the difference with or w/o the cover is 2mm. This might be sufficient to set the socket over the nut.
9CA61414-979E-4889-8CC6-E329A76C5BCC.jpeg

3BA84B16-A3BC-4455-B3C8-2A17B883ADB2.jpeg
 
We have a 2013 S and the original Tesla chains showed up later as a referral bonus. We had to replace the rear lug nuts with a narrower width set to give the chain something to latch onto. It sounds like you need to do something similar. It was explained to me that the original lug nuts were a different size or they had perhaps stretched wider with time. Sadly, we haven't used them since the test run so I cannot vouch for performance. HTH
 
We have a 2013 S and the original Tesla chains showed up later as a referral bonus. We had to replace the rear lug nuts with a narrower width set to give the chain something to latch onto. It sounds like you need to do something similar. It was explained to me that the original lug nuts were a different size or they had perhaps stretched wider with time.
It appears that at some point Tesla changed the wheel nuts (and must have replaced mine with the new style during some routine service) but even today Tesla is still selling the König K-Summit K45 chains that require the old-style wheel nuts. If Tesla is still selling these snow chains, Tesla should be including a set of the appropriate wheel nuts so that the chains can be installed. It is possible that no one at Tesla even knows that the special expensive snow chains Tesla sells don’t work with their cars.

It is generally good advice with any snow chains to practice installing them at home on a dry day with clear light, before setting out on a long trip where they may be needed, but I suspect many people don’t do this. I’m concerned that there may be people out there who buy (or have already bought) snow chains from Tesla, and leave them in the car, unused, trusting that they will work when needed. I’d hate someone to be in the position of being on a long drive, being stopped at a police chain control checkpoint where chains are required, and then struggling in the dark by the side of the road on a cold snowy night and discovering that they can’t attach the chains. Or, worse, thinking they’ve installed the chains correctly, and then having an accident because the chains slid off the wheels.

If you have these Tesla snow chains, practice installing them before you set off on a trip, so that you have time to obtain new wheel nuts if needed. I’m very glad I took the time to do that at home, instead of discovering the problem at night in a blizzard by the side of the road at a chain control checkpoint.
 
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It appears that at some point Tesla changed the wheel nuts (and must have replaced mine with the new style during some routine service) but even today Tesla is still selling the König K-Summit K45 chains that require the old-style wheel nuts. If Tesla is still selling these snow chains, Tesla should be including a set of the appropriate wheel nuts so that the chains can be installed. It is possible that no one at Tesla even knows that the special expensive snow chains Tesla sells don’t work with their cars.

It is generally good advice with any snow chains to practice installing them at home on a dry day with clear light, before setting out on a long trip where they may be needed, but I suspect many people don’t do this. I’m concerned that there may be people out there who buy (or have already bought) snow chains from Tesla, and leave them in the car, unused, trusting that they will work when needed. I’d hate someone to be in the position of being on a long drive, being stopped at a police chain control checkpoint where chains are required, and then struggling in the dark by the side of the road on a cold snowy night and discovering that they can’t attach the chains. Or, worse, thinking they’ve installed the chains correctly, and then having an accident because the chains slid off the wheels.

If you have these Tesla snow chains, practice installing them before you set off on a trip, so that you have time to obtain new wheel nuts if needed. I’m very glad I took the time to do that at home, instead of discovering the problem at night in a blizzard by the side of the road at a chain control checkpoint.
I have a 2017 Model S and realizing that's why I lost one set of chains ($470 pair) and had them come off twice the first time I tried using them. Anybody have a line on appropriate lug nuts?
 
I brought my 2012 S to the SC in San Francisco and showed them what was going on with the chains. They had a few lug nuts in stock that they called “original style” and they installed one on each of my wheels. I haven’t had a chance to test them out with the chains yet, but they appear to be compatible from what I can tell. Unfortunately, I don’t have a part number for you.

I‘ve attached a photo of what my wheel looks like now. The left most lug nut is the new one. There is no cap on that. The chain mechanism fits perfectly over that nut.
 

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I came to this discussion after finding out, the very hard way, that my lug nuts are bigger than what my Tesla snow chains can fit over. As the OP, I have a 2013 Model S. Real-wheel drive, and entirely incapable of handling snow without chains.

I find this outrageous! These are ridiculously expensive chains, purchased directly from the manufacturer who had a perfectly accurate understanding of what lug nuts they have installed in my car, since they are the only party that has ever serviced my car. I understand that sometimes hardware must be upgraded, but that's precisely why recalls exist: sending purchasers of these chains the right fitting would have been the only acceptable solution.

This behavior is bordering on criminal negligence. I'm stunned.
 
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Thought I’d report back that the new studs that Tesla put on my 2013 Model S work perfectly with the chains. I’ve been able to drive around for long distances without them falling off. See my previous post for what the replacement studs look like.
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Navigating the snowy terrain with snow chains can be a puzzle, and it seems like you've encountered a tricky piece.

Firstly, kudos on investing in the Tesla Snow Chains – they're a solid choice. Now, let's tackle the installation challenge.

Cracking the Code: Snow chain installation can feel like decoding a secret message, especially with the emphasis on snugly fitting the chain socket over the wheel nut. Tesla's instructions can be a puzzle in themselves.

Pro Tips for Installation Woes: Here's a hack that might help – sometimes a little warmth can make materials more pliable. If it's a bit chilly during the installation, consider warming up the chains a tad to make them more cooperative.

Unlock the Tesery Advantage: Now, speaking of snow chains, have you considered Tesery's Tesla Snow Chains? They are not just reliable but also designed for a hassle-free installation. You might find them to be the missing puzzle piece.

Tesery's Installation Magic: One thing I've noticed with Tesery's Tesla snow chains is their user-friendly design. The installation process is more intuitive, saving you from the head-scratching moments.

Remember, it's all about making your winter driving experience smoother. Give Tesery's snow chains a shot – sometimes, a fresh perspective (or a new set of chains) can make all the difference.
 
@Stuart - thank you for the solid description here. Can you write up something about how to safely install the chains? I'm still unclear if I need to swap the nuts or install them differently. I'm going skiing again in a few weeks, so I'm unsure at this point on what to do, e.g. buying new König snow chains or another brand with overhand on the other side of the wheel.

My König K-Summit XL snow chains slipped off within 4 miles. There are many other owners reporting similar issues with the same König chains, listed in all the posts below. I'd encourage everyone to send a polite and respectful message to the König CEO: Andrea Barbonaglia:

Email: Andrea Barbonaglia <[email protected]>
LinkedIn: Andrea Barbonaglia - KONIG S.P.A. | LinkedIn

König needs to be aware of how widespread this issue is. From the instructions, it appears they may have awareness of the issue.... but even if the instructions purport to address the issue, the problem remains if a lot of smart and careful Tesla owners are still having the chains slip off. My impression is that the chains are well engineered except for this flaw. Here's the list of posts I've seen on this issue so far:

@dschol
@trumantrader
@Beaker
@phecda
@waymaster
@KOL2000
@maniatis

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