gens

I'm thinking of getting pairs of chains for my '05 ML500. My tires are 275/55 R17. Does anyone have recommendations on a particular brand?

I know that my tires are rated M+S, and will not need chains under normal snow conditions. I'm just preparing for very bad conditions since I'm going to do lot of snow driving.

Thanks,
-Gen

mihir_d

The ML doesn't need them...

Generally, chains are not recommended on AWD drive vehicles - they will confuse your ESP system...

kfriceman

If your ML needs chains to move in the snow the you are traveling in weather not recommended for anyone.

-Kevin

davidbho

dude, you're in the Bay...if you're going to tahoe, they will either allow 4wd's or 2wds with chains...anything after that, they close the roads.

don't bother...unless you have a 2wd ML500, which i doubt...i think there's only like 1 of them in the US

OLBRENNER

If your going to stay on the road you'll never need chains. If you're going to do any off road driving invest in a set of aggressive snow/off road tires. The only thing chains will give you are aggravation and very expensive bodywork if one breaks.

sosh

To the best of my knowledge there has never been a 2WD ML500 or 550 manufactured. It is only in the 2010 model year that a V6 ML can be ordered as a 2WD. All until then have been made as 4WD.

bfwjr1967

Everyone seems to have a strong opinion here and I really need to pipe in, so excuse me if I offend you! I have read replys that say an all-wheel drive does not need chains. Q: will an all wheel drive stop you from sliding off the road? NO IT WILL NOT! therefore if you are travelling on ice you will need chains! Forget about confusing the AWD system, it will figure it out if it is smart. There are also those that say that the roads will be open to 2wd with chains and 4wd, otherwise it will be closed. NOT TRUE, there are many places in California that require chains on all vehicles traveling into the mountains. Take for example Big Bear Lake and Arrowhead lake, anytime there is snow, chains are required in all vehicles.You may not have to put them on however you must show them to get by the CHP checkpoint. My point is 4x4 will keep you moving, but chains will keep you safe and others on the road safe. Good luck and safe travels!

mihir_d

Dude, I have been commuting between Reno and Sacramento for the last 5 years in my ML....believe me, it is never advisible to put chains on an AWD vehicle..

In an AWD system, a computer is constantly reading any wheel rotation difference between the 4 wheels, and correcting power and brake pressure on each individual wheel using a set of differentials and shafts, to keep all 4 wheels spinning at the same speed.

That is why they don't even recommend changing 2 tires on an AWD vehicle...and instead change all 4 each time..

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete....jsp?techid=18
"if the differentials or viscous couplings are forced to operate 100% of the time because of mismatched tires, they will experience excessive heat and unwarranted wear until they fail"

By putting chains, you are doing something similar to putting mismatched tires....deliberately confusing the computer. Yes, the computer is smart enough to figure out how to keep the car going with the chains/mismatched tires, however, in doing so, it will cause excessive wear and tear on your drive train...a few drives up and down a hill with chains could easily permanently damage the drive train.


Take my advice...never think about putting chains on an AWD vehicle...that is why if an AWD vehicle cannot climb, it is time to close to road for all traffic, and that is exactly what Caltrans does...

By the way, highway on I-80, Caltrans requires carrying chains for all vehicles including 4-wheel ones, but in 5 years, I have never been questioned once, about why I am not carrying chains with my ML..

Lastly, it may be perfectly okay to put chains on 4-wheel drive vehicle....in a 4-wheel drive vehicle, there is no computer controlling the wheel speeds...they are either free or not free to be different between the front and the rear, and the pairs may or may not be locked depending on what kind of 4-wheel system is in place...the differentials just let the wheels drive that way, without any system trying to auto-correct.

The sytems just sets itself up for matched or mismatched spins and stays that way indefinetly...unlike in AWD, where auto correction is applied almost every split second..

sosh

Chains can be used, however they should be on all 4 wheels. Clearance may be an issue as will the vibration in the steering. I for one have not used tire chains since about 1968. During the last 2 back to back storms we had of 29 and then 25 inches I got around just fine with no chains and the OEM all seasons Continental tires. Of course clearance was an issue on unplowed roads but with the fresh soft snow it was not a big problem. On my E class clearance would have been an issue but it stayed in the garage till all was plowed. Re stopping, this is an issue with all vehicles with and without chains. 4WD vehicles do not stop any better than a RWD vehicle or an FWD vehicle. Care must be taken in this regards. As the previous poster mentioned using chains on only the rear of an ML can cause substancial damage to the drive train.

u001elg

If you use tire chains they MUST be used on all four wheels. I have them for my 2006 ML350 and made it through some serious snowfall without the benefit of township snow removal.

Purchased the proper diamond pattern type 'S' chains from tirechain.com. They had them in stock and shipped the same day (had them via UPS ground service in three days). Price was about one hundred dollars less than the dealer.