KÖNIG | THULE K-SUMMIT K23 Snow chains, set of 2

J P Westfalk

Four Stars

20 May 2017

Size: XXL K67Verified Purchase

easy to install

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Good but practice fit them before you really need to use them in anger

Married and Loving it

21 February 2016

Size: K45Verified Purchase

Quality is typical of Thule. High quality materials, clear instructions and generally good design. They are even made in the EU rather than China which always pleases me.

I own at Tiguan R line with 18 inch rims. Typical of VW to design an AWD vehicle to which fitting full chains to wheels of this size is impossible. I was less than impressed but thankfully Thule presented a solution.

I've used these chains in the French Alps on very iced and snowy roads. On the whole they provide good traction and are easy to fit. However do not make the following mistakes that I made that caused me a few problems.

1. As per Thule recommendation, practice fitting the chains to your car to test the fit before you really need to use them.
This would have saved me a lot of hassle trying to fit the chains for the first time 1400 meters up a mountain road in the dark.
The kit comes with a number of wheel bolt adapters which you don't want to be faffing about with in a dangerous situation.
Also trying to do it in the dark just means you are more likely to fit the wrong adapter.

2. Don't over or under tighten the wheel bolt nut.
The ratchet assembly is held on by a clasp which tightens over a single wheel bolt. Over tightening damages the clasp. Under tightening means it just falls off. It's a bit of a dark art but after a few goes it becomes clear what is just enough. Again practice fitting helps.

3. Make sure that the clasp which fits inside the special bell housing is correctly aligned so that the captive nut welded to the clasp correctly aligns with the mounting hole punched into the bell housing. Thule specifically warn about this. Failure to get the alignment right will result in damage to the clasp and a failure of the clasp to tighten on the wheel bolt with unhappy results (lost chain, damaged car, stuck car etc)

The design of the K-Summit series is not perfect and makes an arguable compromise to suit convenience of fitting over ruggedness. The fitting (once practice fitting has been done to get the set up right) is easy. A pair can be put on in about 5 minutes. This includes running the car forwards so that the chains settle on the wheel.

3 stars is given for the following reasons.

(I) Despite the advertising the chains don't settle on the wheels fully when running the car forwards as per the Thule video. One has to get out and check they are on plus reposition them as needed (again one could argue this is good practice).

(ii) I don't like the soft plastic spacers which link the chains. These feel weak, represent a likely wear and failure point and don't help driving with confidence.

(ii) The ratchet system is good, simple to use but the clasp and bolt arrangement to secure the ratchet system and chain to the wheel is overly complicated. Why a bolt on plate which could be left on the wheel throughout winter to which the ratchet could be secured, couldn't have been used I don't know as this would give greater certainty.

Summary

Overall a good product, high quality and quick to fit. However prospective purchasers should also look at alternatives such as Spikes Spiders which may offer a better alternative. However I prefer full chains and would ( if my car allowed it ) forgo convenience of fitting over certainty of grip and that they stay on the wheel during cornering/turning/manoeuvring.

Hope that's useful.

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Great chains for low profile tyre's

kit

30 December 2014

Size: XXL K66

These chains are top quality and easy to fit once you fine tune the size to your tyre this only needs to be done once when they arrive but you may not need to to this I did, it was a simple process of matching the chain to my tyre ( trial and error) for my Ford S max (235/24 R18) by removing or adding the small bars .
Once done they are ready to go. They are the first snow chain of this type I have used and are very easy to fit and remove they provide fantastic grip on deep snow and ice . Because they are quick to fit it was easy on longer journeys to stop and put them on and off as the road conditions dictated with my regular chains I would often leave them on when I should have not . There is also no need to kneel down or reach around the tyre if fact the process is so quick and clean you could almost get away without gloves .
When ordering make sure you get the correct wheel nut adapter, it comes with a range but mine needed to be ordered extra I was not charged for the extra adapter . Be careful with ordering the correct size for you car always see the manufacturers guide.
I have had my chains now for 3 years and have used them on 5 ski trips ( my last drive 36 km with them on was in a blizzard and 40cm of snow on the road ) and they are as good now as when new and will sell them on when I sell the car . They are expensive but of very good quality and will last . Before I purchased them I looked around for a long time so I don't think you will find any better even if you don't need this not behind the tyre chain .

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we thought that this product was great, neat and easy to put and very useful ...

23 February 2017

Size: K44Verified Purchase

we thought that this product was great, neat and easy to put and very useful on the snow for our BMW series 5. BUT, we lost one chain on the way down from the ski resort! we checked very well if they fit and are closed properly, but this didn't prevent one chain from coming off 10 minutes after we start driving. After that it was a scary experience to drive on slippery snowy road.

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markh

Disappointed so far

9 January 2017

Size: XL K55Verified Purchase

£300 for a set of snow chains is a lot, my last set for an XC90 cost me about £80. New car (VW Tiguan) means new chains, and I'm told this type of chain is the only one to use because of low profile tyres and the lack of clearance behind the wheel. First problem: although showing as available with Prime next day delivery, there was a delay (ordered on 17th December arrived 27th December), not critical for me but did cut down on the time I had to test fit them at home. Second problem: No instructions, wasted more time finding and downloading instructions, which you do need because although these are wheel size specific there is a bit of tailoring to do to fit your exact tyre size. Third problem: instructions are pretty poor, and it would have helped if the interchangeable nuts had their size marked on them so you know what they are rather than finding out by trial and error. Haven't tried them in anger yet, I expect they will work just fine, but for the money the initial experience hasn't been good.

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Quality chains and easy to put on.

Most recent customer reviews

shesteasing

Quality chains and easy to put on. I had to contact customer service here in Colorado and they were very helpful.

Published 11 months ago

Would not recommend you waste your money

Would not recommend you waste your money. These chains fall, off far too easy. When they do not expect any help in replacing from Thule.Read more

Published 11 months ago

It fits the Volvo V60 R-type （235 40 18）.

It fits the Volvo V60 R-type （235 40 18）.
It was very very easy to set.
I bought this product from Japan.Read more

Published 11 months ago

The best seller and the best item!

Five Stars

Fitted perfectly on my 2009 VW Passat - didn't even ...

J. Harry

Fitted perfectly on my 2009 VW Passat - didn't even have to change the bolts. The tool for removing the required links (for larger tyres) is not up to the job (a disappointing...Read more

Tim Munden

Four Stars

Easy to fit as claimed

Great Product at a excellent price

Perfect fit Thule are the best snow chains on the market well worth the expense although
these were the cheapest we found - would definitely use again in fact this is the 2nd...Read more

best buy ever. (if you need to drive in the snow!)

I used these every day in the alps in February. I had to take them on and off twice a day. No problem at all. Takes about 45 seconds each side I kid you not.Read more