Depends on what kind of chains you are talking about.
Not everyone may know about the kind you are talking about ,
Which go on just as you say, and are the ONLY kind of chains to use as far
as I'm concerned. 

They're better by far than traditional American-style 'straight across'
chains, that do take jacking up, or driving onto, and thump horribly on hard
surfaces. Ferget those ! 
Scott
www.turbovans.com 

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Miguel Pacheco
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 11:01 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: tire chains / cables on snows?

RE: rolling onto chains or jacking the wheel off the ground. The easy way
to install a tire chain is to drape it over the tire. Then you simply hook
the two ends on the inside and cinch it with the clamp on the outside. Of
course it helps if you have pre-fitted your chain/tire combo to eliminate
any surprises. Try it, it's a lot easier!
Miguel