Lake Mountain declares days where heavy snowfalls are expected as days when two-wheel drive vehicles must carry or fit chains. AWD and 4 wheel drive vehicles are exempt. Chains when fitted are an essential piece of safety equipment for you and your family.
Mystic Mountain Ski Hire has you covered with snow chain hire for Lake Mountain. We only hire diamond pattern chains, never ladder pattern. We are one of the few ski hires in Victoria that stocks chains for low-profile tyres.
We insist on giving every hirer a demonstration of how to fit the chains.
Diamond pattern vs ladder pattern.
Ladder pattern chains only have chains running across the face of the tyre and therefore only give traction in a forward and backward direction. They also have large gaps where no part of the chain is in contact with the snow.
Diamond pattern chains cross diagonally and vertically over the tyre tread. This gives increased coverage of the tyre and provides more traction and stopping power.
On one particular day in 2018, cars fitted with ladder chains came to grief on the Lake Mountain road. No cars with diamond pattern chains had problems. Why risk your family's safety with inferior chains? There is a reason why ladder chains are banned for use at Mt Hotham.
Diamond pattern chains are also easier to fit than ladder chains, and our chains are no more expensive to hire than the ladder chains at other hire outlets.
Low profile tyres
Most chains are not suitable for low profile tyres:
- a) There is insufficient clearance between the tyre and brake lines or the car's suspension to accommodate a chain
- b) Chains can damage your rims
Our low profile chains are a thinner chain - just 9mm. And metal parts of the chain mechanism are encased in a soft plastic, thereby protecting your rims.
If your car has low profile tyres, check your car manual before hiring these chains. Many car manufacturers state that snow chains must not be fitted. If despite this, you hire low profile chains from us, you do so entirely at your own risk - we take no responsibility for any damage caused to your car by the use of these chains. A good rule of thumb, is that if you can run your fingers around the top back wall of the tyre without hitting an obstacle, it will probably be OK to use low-profile chains.
Another thing - while we are able to fit most rims up to 19", we cannot fit most 20" rims.
Contact or visit us today
When you’re on your way to Lake Mountain, make the smart choice and let Mystic Mountain Ski Hire assist you with car snow chain hire in the Marysville area.