A unit for rapid deployment and retraction of chain traction systems for vehicles includes a pneumatic cylinder having a cylindrical chamber enclosing a piston that is pneumatically-movable bidirectionally. A control rod coupled at one end to the piston passes through an end of the chamber and is coupled to a rack linearly movable within a sealed, grease-containing case. The rack is formed from a series of equally-spaced roller pins secured between parallel walls of a rack frame. The roller pins of the rack engage a sprocket affixed to a rotatable shaft to which is rigidly coupled an actuator arm of the rapidly-deployable vehicle ice and snow chain traction system. As the rack is moved back and forth, the actuator arm swings through an arc that—depending on the displacement of the control rod and the length of the rack, can be greater than 180 degrees.

A steering control method and system for a vehicle may determine whether the snow chain has been mounted by comparing the number of times of vibrations of a certain peak or more detected by respective wheel speed sensors with respect to a current vehicle speed with a predetermined value, and selectively controls the operations of an AFS and a RWS according to the position of the wheel on which the snow chain has been mounted, when it is determined that the snow chain has been mounted.

A steering control method and system for a vehicle may determine whether the snow chain has been mounted by comparing the number of times of vibrations of a certain peak or more detected by respective wheel speed sensors with respect to a current vehicle speed with a predetermined value, and selectively controls the operations of an AFS and a RWS according to the position of the wheel on which the snow chain has been mounted, when it is determined that the snow chain has been mounted.

A tire chain assembly may include a peripheral chain assembly, a chain positioning assembly, and a retention ring. The peripheral chain assembly may extend around tire treads of a tire having an outer sidewall that extends in a radial direction to be operably coupled to a wheel rim. The chain positioning assembly may extend from the peripheral chain assembly over the outer sidewall toward an outer peripheral edge of the wheel rim. The retention ring may attach the chain positioning assembly to the outer peripheral edge of the wheel rim.