Has anyone used spider-spikes on their prius?

Several member have used and recommend them.

If you do a search using "spikes-spider" it will bring up the threads.

 

I have them all ready to snap on. I attached them once to check the fit. Have not needed to use them yet! But glad to have them if we get a bad ice storm, or I get stuck on a hill.

Lucked out today as we had bad ice west of here,but just enough rain and sleet here so I got to work ok without them on my Michelin Xice.

All I can say is I got the model that is like real chains, as there are two kinds that fit Prius. And I can tell you they are way easier to put on than actual chains which I have used on other cars!

 

I did the search suggested above and found three links, only one of which had useful information relating to the Spikes-Spider. The thread is here and the post is the one by Gurmail near the end of the thread.

Here's what he says:

"I have had Spikes spider for 6 years for my Chrysler Sebring( same reasons, dealer gave a chain disclosure) and I ahte to burst the bubble, but, Spikes is far more difficult to install-both at home at first and the second part on the road- than chains. Much more than their site would have you believe. One has to remove, yes take off, both front tires(tyres) one by one, look at dozens of combinations of screws- you have to choose the 3-4 connections that seem to work best out of many similar ones- then put these new screws with connections on the wheels. Then you try and often find they were the wrong ones and take off the tires again and so on, even worse if you find out on the road or just haven't had the time to put them on. Then when in snow, you have to try and put on two large plastic claw like thingys on each tire. Sometimes they go on ok but are always very difficult to remove as the screws get tightened. They also scratch and remove all markings from tire sidewalls as they cover them while moving. In addition these things are heavy and will take almost all the trunk space compared to chains which can be put in a corner. They can and often do break, that is pice by piece and the screws do rust, making it harder to remove and install them as time goes by. Last but not least, they cost around $ 400 while chains are often 20-30."

The web page makes it look great, but the above convinces me otherwise. I don't know if Gurmail is still active here, but once upon a time he was a regular poster and I trust him.

Tomdeimos: please tell us:

1. How hard was it to install the mounting hubs?

2. (After you've used them in the real world) What was your experience?

 

Far as mounting all the stuff he talks about I do in the fall when it is still warm and dry. But even then there was no reason to take a wheel off except that I happen to do this part when I mount my snow tires for the winter.

Why anyone would try to mount these parts in the snow is a mystery to me. The whole point of these things is to keep them ready to put on and take off quick on the road.

They stay ready for the chains to just snap on all winter. Putting the chains onto the hubs takes maybe 1 minute per wheel at most. And no need to get under the car and get soaked, to attach the rear hooks like with chains.

As for breaking I expect them to be like regular chains. They always started breaking on me within 30 miles or so last time I used regular ones, which is why I save these things for when I might need them to get home, or get up a hill I am stuck on.

 

For comparison, RUD makes a similar system as well as many cheaper "quick mounting" tire chain systems. It seems they are either more expensive or wrap behind the tire, but they still might be simple enough for some: RUD - Snow chains
Here is a RUD US dealer: RUD Tire Chain Dealer
I have no experience with either. Has anyone?
For what it is worth, Volvo seems to promote both the Spikes Spider Sport and the RUD Centrax:
Volvo snow chains

 

Here is another similar product I found from Thule:
Thule K-Summit Snow Chains

I'm wondering if these devices are too bumpy and noisy for city driving after seeing a few in town. I think it might be too much trouble for me to put them on every time I turn off a cleared arterial road. I think I'll try winter tires or SCC Z-chains first:
PriusChat.com: tire chains for prius

 

$320??!! with a prediction of up to a foot of snow here, it might come in handy, but that price is a bit too much

 

I met a 2003 Prius driver (not a PC poster) in the Sierra Nevada of Calif. who used spiders and said they were great. Hwever at that price I would probably rather buy the Nokian WR tires and try my best to avoid the mandatory chain situations.

 

I've used the spikes-spiders on both my Outback wagon and my Prius 2007 Touring.

When you go to get your tires rotated, you can just ask them to put on the hubs, and most mechanics are happy to do it for free or a $10 charge.

As for roadside installation, getting them on is generally quite easy, assuming you haven't driven in snow and gotten the hubs gummed up with slush. Taking them off is a bear. They do seem to twist on the hubs, rotate into a titgher position, torque on the add-on lug extenders a bit. They need to work on that.

As for performance, on the Outback, it turned my AWD into a 2WD, so it wasn't useful. On the Prius, they worked great but were not worth the hassle of taking off just 10 minutes later when I got down the mountain.

I have Hankook Optimo 727s on my car year round, and last year (in Oregon, regularly going over 5k altitude passes in packed snow and ice, slush, with lots of folks using chains), I only felt the need for spikes one time (going down a 6% grade in packed snow), and even then, I think it was overkill because the snow was gone by 1/2 way down the hill.

The Hankook Optimo 727s were rated better in snow and ice than many snow tires, and they were way better than my Nokian WR2s, which were a disappointment after the WR 1st generation. The Nokian WR first generation was incredible.

 

I use them on my non-hybrid 1996 Toyota Camry wagon with 250,000 miles on in New Hampshire. The only reason I am replying to this is to inform all of the "trick" to put them on. Get as much of the Spiker On the wheel as you can then drive 1/2 a wheel length forward. Lock it in with the locking Tab. Carry Silicone or WD-40 with you to spray the locking tab before you put it on, it makes it a lot easier in the cold. To take off just remove the locking caps repeat the procedure with the car in reverse. Works like a charm