In a message dated 12/5/03 6:24:55 PM, phlogiston@ISPWEST.COM writes:

<<  how likely is it that the chains will break >>

As a lad I was taught how to install tire chains so that my old man wouldn't
have to worry about accidentally soiling his dove gray fedora.  It's taken
many years for me to purge most of those sweet memories of youth, yet, the one
which remains is the one of that rhythmic lump-lump, lump-lump, . . . sound of a
broken chain hitting the wheel housing.  If you use chains at any speed
greater then about 5 MPH on anything except packed or deep snow , you'll hear the
same sound.

George