Tire chains to fit 11.00 R16 tires

[John Mc]

I'm debating getting tire chains for the rear tires on my truck. I have Michelin 11.00 R16 XZL tires. None of the tire chain places I've found list chains for that size. Has anyone had any luck finding some? (I'm hesitant to run my truck in the salted roads around here, but it might come in hand wioth some of the storm damage we've been dealing with in recent years.)

I'm thinking of square link, ladder style chains (better traction than the round link chains on ice, but not as aggressive - or hard on pavement - as studded chains).

I'm wondering if chains made for 38-12.5-16.5 tires (slightly smaller diameter, but wider width than 11.00 R16) would be close enough to work, or might be easily modified for a good fit.

Also wondering if anyone is running chains on 11.00 R16 tires on an M37 and how the clearance is.

[Cal_Gary]

VPW should be able to help-I got chains from them for my NDTs.
Gary

[John Mc]

In case anyone else is looking:

None of the chain suppliers I've found lists 11.00-16 tires. (I have not contacted VPW, but they don't seem to have tire chains of any size on their web site.)

I contacted BlueJay Industrial (Where I bought my ATV chains), TireChain.com (where I bought a couple of sets of tractor chains), and TireChainsOnline and sent them each the tire size designation and the dimensions (diameter, width, and sidewall height) asking for a recommendation.

BlueJay was the quickest to respond. Since I did not want to go with studded chains, they suggested their SQC343 square link, ladder style chain. This has 7mm (9/32") links. (For reference, this size also fits a 38x13.50-20 tire.)

TireChainsOnline recommended their part number 3135CA, a 7mm square link, ladder style chain.(I had specifically asked about square links. They also make one with twisted round links - a more traditional ladder style chain.) This is also listed as fitting a 38x13.5-20 tire. [EDIT - just got a bit more info from TireChainsOnline: The chains they recommend are 18.42” wide including the cross chain hooks and 94.1” long. They should hang on down approximately 4.21” onto the sidewall.]

TireChain.com was not much help. I probably should have expected this, since I sent them several emails on the subject over the past few years, all of which went unanswered. This time around, they responded, but just said "We do not have the 11.00 R16 size". Since their web site says they make custom sizes, I asked about that possibility or chains to fit a similar sized tire that I could modify. Their response to that was just "We can not accommodate custom chains at this time. I do apologize." No comment about similar chain sizes.

NOTE: I have not actually tried any of these on my tires at this point. Still debating whether I want to do this. Just looking at the tread on the Michelin XZL tires, they don't really look as though they be very "grippy" in snow. I've only driven in snowy conditions a few times with them. At that point, I was crawling along, since I couldn't see much through the window (no defroster, and wipers that aren't all that effective.)

[Cal_Gary]

Sounds like Tirechain is in process of going out of business.
Gary

[John Mc]

Sounds like Tirechain is in process of going out of business.
Gary

Have you heard something about that, or is that just an impression based on what I wrote above?

They've been around for a long time, but my experience has always been that they ship promptly for items they regularly stock, and products received are as advertised, but I've never found them to be particularly responsive to requests for information or help in finding the right product. After buying my first two sets of tractor chains from Tirechain, I finally bought what I really should have gotten all along from a Vermont distributor of industrial and logging supplies (a "Euro-style" studded chain). The first two sets were well made chains, just not what I needed for my application - something I unfortunately had to learn by trial and error.

If I do end up ordering, I'll probably go with TireChainsOnline: they've been the most responsive, and have a good price.

[Cal_Gary]

I responded based on your post. Customer service in general seems to be in the toilet since Covid and hasn't recovered, in my opinion.
Gary

[John Mc]

Yes, customer service has suffered. I went back through my old emails from TireChain. I had not really noticed when the change happened, but they were responsive prior to Covid. Email sent after Covid in late 2020, 2021, and 2023 were ignored. My emails of Dec 2024 were the first they even answered post-Covid.

I was pleasantly surprised at the quick response from Bluejay, and especially the multiple quick, detailed responses from TireChainsOnline.

[Cal_Gary]

Good luck with your search, John!
Gary

[EDM43]

You may consider trying an AG supply store...11.00-16 is a fairly common front tire size on some smaller tractors. You'd probably end up with what amounts to what we call up north, a steering chain...usualy round or square twisted links, on a two-link cross chain spacing. Studded v- bars are available, but a really too gnarly for street use, and hell on body work,if they make contact.