snow chains, rear and front?!?

Ran my searches, Rudd seems to be the name, some posters say you only need 'em on the rear, works nicely w/open difs this way. Of course I'm happy w/the savings...

But... Retailers on the web say you almost MUST have them on all fours - one went so far to say that front tires w/o chains are all but front tires w/o brakes. Comments appreciated.

Also, best place to buy them?

Thanks, again, will be making year-round trips from LI, NY to Northern NH, need all the help I can get.

Mike

Thanks, RCP, appreciate your source...

Mike

On a 4x4 I always run them on the fronts...fronts are resposible for steering, most of braking, and can do acceleration too. It is better to have them on all four....but thats a hassle. On a 2 wheel drive vehicle always run them on the drive wheels.

I worked at a ski resort for many years and never needed them (always had 4x4), but the highway patrol insists you have them in some cases.

Just an idea that works for me. I picked up a set of 225's on stock steel rims for next to nothing. Let a little air out, mounted my chains and aired them back up. I have a short three ton floor jack and can swap the the tires and rims, a whole lot faster and easier than putting on chains at minus whatever.
I'm usually up and about really early in the morning, before the roads are cleared. And often have to drive frozen stretches of dirt road, in the mountains. Chains are my friend.
If the front chains ever hit your LCA in a tight turn, your in for shock. One reason I use tiny tires.
Another tip, I weld an extra axle shaft in the middle of my floor jack and mounted a set of four inch (air filled tires). When you jack it up the tires flatten and it sits on the four corner steel wheels. Sure makes getting it under the XJ in the snow a whole bunch easier. I must have had the chains on and chains off a few thousand times in the last twenty years.
For few years, I cheated and ran studs, which worked really well. But finally got busted and had to pay a pretty stiff fine. They always made me a little nervous anyway, periodically I´d notice a stud was gone and always wondered where it went, hoping it wasn't stuck in somebodies forehead.