Security Chain Company Super Z LT cable tire chains fitted on a light-truck tire

Tire Chain Sizing: How to Read Your Tire Size and Choose Chains

November 2, 2026

Short answer: tire chains are sized by tire size, not by vehicle. Read the size on your tire's sidewall (for example LT265/70R17), find that exact size in the chain's size chart, and check your owner's manual for chain clearance. If the manual calls for SAE Class S chains, or your wheel wells are tight, choose a chain that meets Class S. Fit the chains once at home before you need them, and keep under 30 mph (about 50 km/h) with chains on.

Where to find your tire size

The size is moulded into the tire's sidewall, and it is also on the door placard and in the owner's manual. Peerless, the maker of Security Chain Company chains, says to read the sidewall even so: the tires on the truck may not be the ones it came with. The manual's chain clearance advice is based on the original tire and wheel size, so a change of size can change what fits.

How to read a tire size

Take LT265/70R17:

LT means a light truck tire. P is a passenger tire, which Peerless says covers cars, minivans, SUVs and light-duty pickups.
265 is the width from sidewall to sidewall, in millimetres.
70 is the aspect ratio: the sidewall's height as a percentage of the width.
R means radial construction.
17 is the wheel (rim) diameter in inches.

Off-road tires can use a flotation size such as 35x12.50-17: about 35 in tall, 12.50 in wide, on a 17 in rim. Size charts list both kinds exactly as printed, so match every character. A chart can list 265/70R17 and LT265/70R17 on separate lines.

Clearance and Class S

Class S is the SAE standard for the minimum space a traction device needs around the drive tires. Peerless gives these working clearances, at the tread face and at the inside sidewall:

Quik Grip link chains (Peerless types P and RP): 50 mm at the tread, 23 mm at the sidewall.
Class S chains such as Super Z LT and Z-Chain: 37 mm and 15 mm.
Super Z6: 31 mm and 6.3 mm.

If your owner's manual limits chains, or asks for Class S, choose a chain that meets it. Peerless lists Super Z LT, Z-Chain and the passenger Quik Grip as meeting Class S, and Super Z6 as exceeding it. The Quik Grip LT and Quik Grip Wide LT link chains do not meet Class S.

Cable or link chain?

Cable chains (Super Z LT, Super Z6, Z-Chain) are lighter and need less room. Peerless says Super Z LT and Super Z6 come with rubber tensioners built in, so there is no need to stop and re-tighten, and that Z-Chain should be used without tensioners, which makes it a fit for alloy or protruding wheels.
Twist-link chains (Quik Grip) are the traditional ladder pattern. The LT and Wide LT versions need tensioners, sold separately, unless you buy a CAM version: CAM chains tighten with a CAM tool that comes in the bag. Peerless builds the Wide LT for wide-base light truck tires and moderate off-road use in snow and mud.

Security Chain Company chains by tire size

Each pair below lists its full size chart on the product page. The sizes shown are a few from each chart.

Passenger and crossover tires

Quik Grip passenger chains QG1138: 215/55R17, 215/60R16 and more.
Quik Grip passenger chains QG1142: 215/70R16 and more.

SUV and light truck tires, Class S cable chains

Super Z LT ZT735: 245/65R17, 235/75R16, 245/70R16 and more.
Super Z LT ZT741: 245/75R16, 265/70R16, 255/60R18 and more.
Super Z LT ZT747: 265/70R17, 265/65R18, 265/75R16 and more.
Super Z LT ZT751: 275/65R18, 275/55R20, 285/45R22 and more.
Super Z6 SZ447, for very tight wheel wells: 265/70R17, 265/65R18, 265/75R16 and more.
Z-Chain Z-583: 275/65R18, 275/60R20, 275/55R20 and more.

Light truck link chains

Quik Grip LT QG2229: 225/60R18, 235/65R17, 235/60R18 and more.
Quik Grip LT QG2221: 245/75R16, 235/75R16, 245/70R16 and more.
Quik Grip LT QG2228: 265/70R17, 265/65R18, 265/75R16 and more.
Quik Grip Wide LT QG3229: 275/65R18, 275/60R20, 275/55R20 and more.
Quik Grip Wide LT QG3235: 35x12.50-17, 35x12.50-18, 35x12.50-20 and more.

If your exact size is not in a chart, choose another chain whose chart lists it rather than the nearest size.

Fitting and driving with chains

Chains go on the drive tires. On 4x4 and all-wheel-drive vehicles, the owner's manual says which axle.
Do a pre-fit at home and practise putting them on before the first snow, Peerless advises.
After fitting, drive a short distance slowly. If you hear contact, such as ticking, stop and take the chains off.
Peerless says not to exceed 30 mph (about 50 km/h) with any of its traction products.
Chain rules differ by province and by road: watch the signs on mountain passes and check your province's rules.

Prices in Canadian dollars

Every price on MapleTorque is in Canadian dollars, and the chains are sold in pairs. For the rest of a winter kit, see our winter recovery kit guide and the winter recovery gear page.

Questions Canadians ask

What size tire chains do I need?

Tire chains fit by tire size, not by vehicle. Read the size on your tire's sidewall, such as 265/70R17, and choose a chain whose size chart lists it. For that size we carry the Super Z LT ZT747, the Super Z6 SZ447 and the Quik Grip LT QG2228, per pair. Check your owner's manual for chain clearance too.

How much do tire chains cost in Canada?

The price depends on the size: this guide runs from the Quik Grip passenger chain QG1138 to the Quik Grip Wide LT QG3235. The live price of each, in Canadian dollars, is on its product page. Each listing is a pair, for the two tires on one axle. No duty, brokerage or extra fees at your door.

What does Class S mean for tire chains?

Class S is the SAE standard for the minimum clearance a traction device needs around the drive tires. Peerless lists Super Z LT, Z-Chain and the passenger Quik Grip as meeting it and Super Z6 as exceeding it; Quik Grip LT and Wide LT link chains do not.

How fast can I drive with tire chains?

Peerless says not to exceed 30 mph, about 50 km/h, with any of its traction products.

Do I need tensioners?

Super Z LT and Super Z6 include rubber tensioners, and Z-Chain is used without them. Quik Grip LT and Wide LT chains need tensioners, sold separately, unless you buy a CAM version, which tightens with the CAM tool in the bag.