Autosocks vs Rud Centrax.
Better Tire Traction
I live at the bottom of a very steep cul-de-sac in Colorado where it can get quite snowy and icy in the winter time. In fact, I consider my street the benchmark for testing whether or not any car is equipped to handle the winter streets. For two years, I've been able to negotiate my street - just barely, in my rear wheel drive BMW. This last week, my 1997 RWD, 540i with Traction Control finally met it's match. The single digit temperatures combined with the icy snow-packed accumulation of the last two December snow storms were too much. I was unable to get my car up the street and nothing I tried worked, including backing into my driveway, revving up the motor and attempt at speeding up the hill full charge. Due to the continued cold temps, along with the fact my street never gets sanded, I was forced to car pool for a couple of days while I did some research on tire traction. My conclusion basically came down to four options:
Options for Dealing with Winter Roads:
- Buy an All Wheel Drive car
- Buy Studded Snow Tires for your car
- Buy Rud Centrax Tire Chains for your car
- Buy Autosocks for your car
I didn't even know about the 4th option (Autosocks), until I ruled out the first two:
Ruled Out
Option One: I'm not ready to pay thousands of dollars on a new car or acquire a new lease payment.
Option Two: My odd sized tires (225-40-R18), ruled out buying affordable snow tires or studded tires. A pair of Glisaved or Blizzak Studded Snow Tires would set me back about $600, and even at that outrageous price would have to be ordered from the factory and could take days or weeks to get them installed. Besides who really wants to spend $600 on a pair of tires to be used exclusively for snowy weather? Denver weather is very diversified. It's not entirely unusual to go four straight weeks or more without snow. Besides being unable to get me up the hill, my Bimmer's Sports tires were just fine. So, what I really needed was just an insurance policy; a way to guarantee that I could get my 540i up my own street or out of other tight, icy spots when necessary. I decided to look into tire chains.
Option 3: Rud Centrax Tire Chains
I am convinced that Rud Centrax is the way to go if you're looking for tire chains. The drawback of typical tire chains is that it is a difficult, time consuming, grimy, dirty job to take them on and off. Some research indicated to me that Rud Centraxmakes the process of using tire chains a far less tedious project. Your tires do require some preparation so the chains can be properly mounted for the first time. The process after that looks relatively pain free as demonstrated by the video:
I was convinced that Rud Centrax tire chains would get my car up that icy street. However, a set of these chains would set me back $350: over half the price of an excellent pair of studded Blizzak or Glisaved Snow Tires. There had to be a simple, less expensive way to get my car up the hill. I found it.
Option 4: Autosocks
autosocks-tire-traction
- Simply, slip the top half of the sleeves over the top part of both tires.
- Back up the car just enough so the installed part of the sleeve is now resting underneath the bottom of the tire
- Repeat step 1
It took me about 10 minutes to install the autosocks on my first try.
Do Autosocks Really work?
They sure did for me. After installing them, I took the 540i Bimmer up my benchmark street without hassle or incident. I am still amazed as to why autosocks actually works. The advertisement for them claims that they are made from a specially formulated textile. Apparently, the fibers of this textile become hairier when they are used, allowing them to grip the wet, ice and snow. The important thing for me, is that they did exactly what they were supposed to. The other thing I like about them is the portable size. The bag and gloves they came with, can be re-used and easily stored in my trunk for future use. Important: Autosocks are designed only to keep the car moving on icy roads. They have a 30 MPH limit and therefore are not to be used for normal driving conditions. They are a short term solution. Because they are so easy to install and uninstall, this is not much of a problem for me. Autosocks have solved my problem and given me the insurance that my un-sanded, steep and icy street will never leave me stranded again. I can also imagine how handy autosocks would be for anyone who does lots of winter or mountain driving for skiing and other recreational purposes. Even with a 4-wheel drive, I wouldn't be without a pair of these in the trunk of my SUV, Truck or Car. For a price of $100 vs. $350 for Rud Centrax Chains, Autosocks is the clear winner.
Have you used Autosocks? Please Rate it
Also, you may leave a review in the comments section on bottom of page.
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 Firestone Winterforce snow tire 155/80-13  US $46.95
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 4 New 175/65-14 MICHELIN X-ICE Xi2 Winter Snow Tires US $316.00 |
 Firestone Winterforce snow tire 185/75-14 US $51.00
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 Firestone Winterforce snow tire 195/75-14 US $53.00
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 Firestone Winterforce snow tire 205/70-14 US $56.95
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 4 New 185/60-14 MICHELIN X-ICE Xi2 Winter Snow Tires US $348.00 |
 Firestone Winterforce snow tire 215/70-14 US $60.00
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 Firestone Winterforce snow tire 175/65-14 US $55.95
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 Firestone Winterforce snow tire 185/65-14 US $64.00
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Tagged with: autosocks • blizzak • rud centrax • snow tires • tire chains
Filed under: Autos
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interesting article. i just don’t see the autosock lasting very long versus tire chains. I’ve never seen anything like for other vehicles such as truck and off-road equipment. For more info on standard tire chains, take a look at some blog posts at http://www.kenjonestiresblog.com
Thanks for the comments, Brian.
I don’t believe Autosocks will take the place of Tire Chains. You’re right in saying they are not as durable. However, they are far more convenient. Autosocks are a quick short term solution for getting you out of a jam such as the steep icy hill on my neighborhood street. I will keep the Autosocks in my trunk at all times. It is nice having the peace of mind and comfort to know that if I’m stuck in a patch of ice or needing to navigate an icy, winding mountain road, I can install these on my tires in a matter of seconds. Autosocks are not made to be a permanent winter driving solution. They are recommended for maximum speeds of only 30MPH. When using Autosocks as they are intended to be used, I am betting they will last for several years. If you have a rear-wheel drive car or simply a car with poor winter driving traction, I cannot recommend Autosocks enough.
Rob
I have an Audi with Summer performance tires that are horrible on snow and ice. I live in the NW where it snows on occasion, but is mostly wet during the Winter. First, I don’t have clearance for chains, second, even if I did, I hate them. Yes they give you traction, but they shake a car (and my fillings) to pieces. As for wear, chains break when you drive them on dry (or wet) pavement, so you need to take them off when not on snow. Autosocks are going to wear more quickly on dry pavement, but my experience is that they wear very well as long as you take them off when you aren’t on the snow. It is natural to want to compare snow tires vs. chains vs. Autosocks, but they each have their purposes and trade-offs. If I lived somewhere where there was a lot of snow and ice during the winter, I’d buy a set of snow tires. If I had a truck and needed traction beyond the snow tires, I’d consider getting chains. But in my scenario, the Autosocks are the solution. So yes, Autosocks do take the place of chains, not for everyone, but for many.
This is awesome information, DD. I’m already dreading the bad traction my Bimmer is going to get on icy roads this winter unless I do something about the tires. The autosocks are great just for getting me unstuck and out of slippery spots, but they cannot be used for transportation alternatives to good snow tires.