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Jeep Wranglers are one of the most capable off-roading vehicles on the planet. They have been intentionally made to able to venture out into the wild. They aren’t made for comfortable highways or city drives—they are made to withstand the rough terrain that lies beyond the tarmac.

If you are wondering if you need snow chains while off-roading during the winter, the answer to this question is both “yes” and also “no.” If you have proper winter tires, you won’t be needing snow chains at all. However, if you do not have winter tires, you will then need snow chains.

If you do not have winter tires and you are traveling in some deeply snow-covered areas, you should definitely put on snow chains to have extra some grip. Unlike winter tires, putting on snow chains does not require a professional since they’re quite easy to get properly put onto your vehicle’s tires by comparison.

While traveling in snowy regions, be sure to take extra precautions. Some of these are as follows:

Do not speed. Drive as if you have a tray of eggs on your hood.
Drive in the lower gears. Use the 4×4 lock when the wheels start spinning.
Do not turn off traction control—the only exception is if your Jeep gets stuck and you have to rock it back and forth.
Always use winter tires since the rubber compound remains soft and grippy even in bone-freezing cold.
Use an antifreeze coolant and low viscosity engine oil.
Always keep a shovel in the back.

Snow Chains

Snow chains are put on the wheels of your vehicle that are most responsible for delivering power to the ground to provide extra grip. To know what types of snow chains are going to fit your Jeep Wrangler, you’ll need to know the size of your Wrangler wheels.

If you have a Jeep Wrangler, chances are that you have also put those massive wheels on it too. With larger wheels, you also have to go for the larger size snow chains. You can check which size of snow chains will fit your specific wheels here on Peerless.com.

You can simply provide the numbers listed on your tires and the site will show you a variety of snow chain options that you can put on your wheels to get the proper fit. You can then search for those chain sizes on Amazon and find a variety of good options.

However, you won’t be needing snow chains if you have a good set of snow tires. You also should be aware that you can’t put snow tires on just your front or rear tires—you have to put winter tires on all four of your wheels.

With Jeeps, the owner’s manual recommends putting the ESC on “Partial Off” mode while traveling on deep snow and having your snow chains on.

Winter Tires

Winter tires have a special compound that prevents the rubber from getting hard when exposed to all of that cold outside. When the rubber remains soft, it means that you are not compromising grip. On the other hand, all-season tires get hardened due to cold, and this is when the traction is lost.

There are tons of different winter tire options available to choose from as well. You can check the exact tire that will fit with your wheels at TireRack.com. The website also has a fitment tool through which you can find the appropriate winter tire set that you are looking for with ease.

Standard Jeep Wrangler Wheel Sizes and Their Respective Snow Chain Sizes

While searching for the right size snow chains, you have to give the numeric value of the tire dimensions.

16-inch Wheels: Jeep Wrangler Sport

Most of the Sport and Unlimited Sport models have 16-inch wheels as a standard option. The exact dimensions are P225/75R16. For these, you can use Z-571 or SZ429 snow chains. There are, however, many options that you can explore on Peerless.com

17-inch Wheels: Jeep Wrangler Rubicon

Most of the Rubicon and Unlimited Rubicon models have 17-inch wheels as a standard option. The exact dimensions are LT255/75R17. For the 17-inch wheels, you can use Z-579 or 0232605 Auto-Trac chains.

18-inch Wheels: Jeep Wrangler Sahara

The Sahara and Unlimited Sahara models typically come with 18-inch wheels. The exact dimensions are P255/70R18. For these wheels, you can use Z-579 or the 0232810 Wal-Mart Auto-Trac chain options.

FAQs

Which snow chain size is required for 35s?

315/70-17 would be the correct size dimensions of your 35s. You can put the 0323130 Wal-Mart truck/SUV chains on your Jeep Wrangler if it meets the size requirements for these. As an alternative, you can also put on SZ486 chains.

Are snow chains illegal?

Snow chains are only illegal in a few states. In regions with heavy snow though, those states often advise using snow chains for improved safety during travel. Make sure that you check for any differing state laws when traveling.

Are Jeep Wranglers good in snow?

Yes, Jeep Wranglers are good in snow. Any vehicle that performs well off-road is also going to perform well on snow; but to make sure that you have the best possible grip, have a set of good snow tires. If you have rather bad all-season tires, all of that off-road capability will just go to waste.

Does a Jeep Wrangler have snow tires?

No, all Jeep Wranglers come fitted with all-season tires from the factory. You have to buy any winter tires separately and have them fitted by a professional.

Does a Jeep Wrangler Need Snow Chains?