König K-Summit chains: How to mount, how to dismount, maintenance, troubleshooting, common mistakes – Help Desk

Index

Introduction
Products
Contents
Initial informations and adjustments
Mounting
Dismounting
Maintenance
Troubleshooting
Common errors
Resetting set-up elements

1. Introduction

Chains in the External category are represented by the König K-Summit family and are known to be the most high-tech and exclusive chains on the market. They are the ideal and often the only solution for vehicles that are affected by limitations of the chainability in the inner part (they do not have the necessary clearance behind the wheel to accommodate chains with inner elements).

The purpose of this article is to provide you with more information and assistance regarding the use of König K-Summit chains.

2. Products

The products that can be referred to in this in-depth study are: König K-Summit, König K-Summit XL, König K-Summit XXL, König K-Summit Van and König K-Summit MAX.

3. Content

2 snow chains with:
- Pre-mounted adapters: 17mm (K-Summit, K-Summit XXL, K-Summit Van) / 19mm (K-Summit XL)
- Pre-mounted spacers: Grey (K-Summit, K-Summit XL, K-Summit Van) / Red (K-Summit XXL)
- Pre-mounted screws: medium (K-Summit, K-Summit XL, K-Summit Van) / short (K-Summit XXL)

Nylon bag with Velcro closure with:
- Blister pack containing:
  - Pair of 17 mm adapters (K-Summit XL, K-Summit Van)
  - Pair of 19 mm adapters (K-Summit, K-Summit XXL)
  - Pair of 21/22mm adapters (K-Summit, K-Summit XL, K-Summit XXL, K-Summit Van)
- Pair of spacers: red (K-Summit, K-Summit XL, K-Summit Van) / grey (K-Summit XXL)
- Pair of screws: short + long (K-Summit, K-Summit XL, K-Summit Van) / medium + long (K-Summit XXL)
- 17 mm K-Lock spanner
- 7mm socket spanner
- 3mm Allen key
- Repair mesh kit
- Disposable glove kit
- Plastic mat

4. Initial informations and adjustments

We recommend that you familiarise yourself with the product by taking it out of the packaging before actually using it.

K-Summit chains can be adjusted to suit vehicle and tyre specifications. In fact, it is possible, with the included kit, to configure the chain, taking into account:

the tyre size
the rim nut/bolt
the internal projection of the wheel nut in relation to the external profile of the rim.

Adjustment should only be carried out once before the first installation, or if you change tyre size or vehicle.

Let's see together what these adjustments are and how they should be made.

1. Adjustment for tyre size

Every König K-Summit snow chain is compatible with a wide range of tyre sizes as the chain is adjustable in length.

The chain is supplied in the smallest configuration and covers a range of tyres within a certain rolling circumference range; to fit tyres with a larger rolling circumference, the chain must be lengthened.

How to do it?

Chain lengthening is possible thanks to the adjustment elements on the chain.

The adjustment element is the pin assembly with the springs, marked by the yellow bush.

Using the spanners supplied (flower-shaped spanner with 7mm socket and 3mm Allen key), you will need to remove the number of adjustment elements indicated on the instructions.

When you loosen the adjusting element, you will notice that it will jerk loose. This is normal because the thread of the screw is covered by a threadlocker and the nut is a self-locking nut. This double security, which may seem excessive, is to ensure that the elements do not come loose while driving.

Let's take the example of the tyre size 225/45 R17 and the K-Summit K23 chain: This size is indicated in the instructions as being compatible in configuration -1. This means that in order to fit this size, 1 adjustment element must be removed from the standard configuration.

The adjusting element must be removed completely and this allows the chain to be extended.

We recommend that you keep the removed adjustment elements so that you can restore the chain to its original configuration at a later date. Many customers who have bought K-Summit have been able to reuse it on their next car simply by readjusting the chain to the new tyre size. If you should misplace them, don't worry. They are available as spare parts.

You can download the most up-to-date adjustment table at the following link: K-Summit instructions

The indications on the adjustment table are based on the mathematics of the ETRTO standard and are subject to tolerances.

Therefore, we ask you to consider that some tyres may have different actual sizing than the theoretical and may be larger or smaller than the standard.

If, during the fitting test, the chain is not correctly positioned on the tyre after 100m, it may be necessary to remove an additional adjustment element to the König adjustment chart.

2. Adaptation for wheel nut / bolt

König K-Summit chains are attached to one of the existing wheel nuts, with the exception of the anti-theft nuts.

Each car uses a set of hexagonal head bolts or nuts in sizes 17mm, 19mm, 21mm and 22mm.

For this reason, the König K-Summit snow chains are supplied with a complete set of adapters compatible with the sizes indicated above. The included adapters are 17mm, 19mm and 21/22mm and are recognisable from each other because the size is stamped on the back of the housing.

Each adapter consists of a clamp and a housing.

The collet (A) is physically inserted into the housing (B) and the coupling is ensured by the lower hexagonal bushing.

The function of the collet is to "bite" the hexagonal head: in fact, if the teeth of the collet mate with the 6 faces of the bolt/wheel nut and torque is applied to the bolt, the teeth of the collet will tighten on the faces of the bolt/wheel nut.

The adapters, supplied in pairs for each size, are part of the chain and do not remain installed on the vehicle when the chain is not in use.

How to check the correct adapter?

There are some basic guidelines. For example, German cars use 17mm bolts in the vast majority of cases, and 19mm bolts; Japanese and Korean cars normally use 21mm nuts; Volvo uses 19mm nuts exclusively; Tesla uses 21mm nuts exclusively.

Attention: Most cars and SUVs use wheel nut caps, which serve to protect them from corrosion. If your vehicle is equipped with wheel nut caps, please remove them using the tools supplied with your vehicle, and refit them after using the K-Summit.

In order to check the correct adapter, please present the adapter on the wheel nut, making sure that it fits evenly. If you prefer, you can try the clamp alone on the wheel nut for the adjustment phase, so that you have a better view of the coupling phase.

The adapter must be presented on the wheel nut/bolt, making sure that the teeth of the collet match the faces of the hexagonal nut. If the teeth of the collet are positioned on the edges of the wheel nut, the adapter will fail to engage during tightening and will tend to fall off the wheel nut immediately.

Once the collet is presented on the wheel nut, to check that it is the correct size, when turning the collet, the teeth should be able to move over the face of the nut but not over the edges.

Once you have found the correct adapter, please install it on the chain (if it is not the one already fitted as standard on the chain) and proceed with the tightening test to familiarise yourself with the operation. Use the K-Lock spanner to tighten the adapter on the wheel nut.

The spanner is pre-set to trigger when the correct torque is reached.

If you have any doubts about the size of your wheel nuts, please do not hesitate to contact us, we will be happy to support you.

3. Adaptation to the rim

The spacers in K-Summit chains are designed to allow the chain to be adapted to the rim. In fact, they are compatible with rims that have the hub fitting in an outer or inner position.

The more or less outer position of the wheel nut is dictated by the combination of rim width/channel and offset/ET.

Without boring you with technicalities that we are happy to go into in more detail if you feel the need, it is sufficient to know that your K-Summit chain is supplied with the spacer that is normally the most common spacer on vehicles with this size. If the pre-assembled spacer is too short, the fixing handle will touch the rim, otherwise there is a very good chance that the standard spacer will fit your wheel.

If you see that the handle touches the rim or comes very close (clearance <5mm), a longer fastening assembly should be used.

First, completely remove the adapter, spacer and screw. Take the screw that is successively longer than the standard one.

If the standard chain is fitted with the red spacer and short screw (K-Summit XXL and K-Summit Van), you must replace them with the medium screw in combination with the grey spacer.

If the standard chain is fitted with the grey spacer and medium screw (K-Summit and K-Summit XL), you must replace them with the long screw in combination with the grey spacer plus the red one.

Caution: When replacing the spacer and screw, be sure to reassemble the fastening assembly in the correct orientation. To make it easier for you, we have printed the outline of a hexagonal head on the side of the handle where the hexagonal head of the screw goes.

Test with the new attachment unit: if the handle has sufficient clearance to the rim (>5mm), your chain has achieved the correct adjustment.

You're done.

You have now configured your chain correctly. The only thing left to do is to carry out an assembly test to familiarise yourself with the product.

5. Mounting

Once the König K-Summit snow chain has been adjusted, you can carry out a fitting test.

Mounting conditions:

When carrying out the fitting test, ensure that the ground, or at least the tyre, is in a condition at least similar to that of use. We do not recommend carrying out the fitting test on a dry surface as the tyre compound and the plastic chain plates would create friction that would restrict the chain positioning and could lead to the mistaken belief that the chain is too small. For this reason, we recommend that you carry out the test with a wet tyre.

First take the chain and open the arms and open the flaps to present the chain in its final conformation.

Hold the chain and approach the wheel.

With K-Summit and K-Summit XL chains take two consecutive arms of the chain and place them on the wheel at 10:10 o'clock, placing the plastic plates first and arranging the chain tread evenly on the tyre;

With K-Summit XXL and K-Summit VAN chains, if you take two consecutive arms of the chain, simply place one of them at 12 o'clock, resting the plastic plates first and placing the chain tread evenly on the tyre.

These positions are the easiest to install depending on whether the K-Summit chain has 4 or 5 arms.

Once the chain is positioned on the wheel, push lightly on the ends of the arms to help the fit. The tread of the K-Summit chains is equipped with elastic elements, which allow the chain to extend elastically.

Now take the fixing assembly and prepare to fix the adapter.

If you are right-handed, we recommend that you choose a nut from the right-hand side, and if you are left-handed, one from the left-hand side: this choice will positively influence the tightening that you will have to do later.

The adapter must be presented on the wheel nut/bolt ensuring that the teeth of the collet match the faces of the hexagonal nut. If the teeth of the collet are positioned on the edges, the adapter will fail to engage during tightening and will tend to fall off the wheel nut immediately.

Once you have found the correct match, hold the clamping assembly on the wheel nut and start tightening with the K-Lock spanner, making sure to keep the arrow on the handle pointing towards the centre of the rim.

When you have reached the ideal tightening torque, the K-Lock spanner will signal you with a click.

Make sure that the handle is always pointing with the arrow towards the centre and that the chain tread is still correctly positioned on the tread.

Start tensioning the chain by means of the ratchet integrated in the central body of the K-Summit. By moving the lever repeatedly, the ratchet will send the belt under tension and bring the central body of the chain closer to the rim.

Keep an eye on the window on the ratchet and stop when the red line is in the middle of the window; close the ratchet lever in place as shown in the picture.

The chain is now attached to the wheel and ready to be tensioned. You can start to ride on a stretch of road (not open to the public) at low speed in a straight line.

The lower part of the chain will find its position after travelling a few dozen metres.

After the chain tread has found its position (the plates are resting on the shoulder and the chain tread is evenly laid out on the tyre), please check the chain tension by lifting the chain with your fingers and checking that it remains close to the tyre.

If the chain is not correctly positioned on the tyre after 100m, it may be necessary to remove an additional adjustment element than indicated on the König adjustment chart. Make the change and repeat the test.

It is important that K-Summit chains remain adhered to the tyre in order to maintain a low dynamic profile, so we recommend that you do not remove too many adjusting elements. This will only facilitate the positioning of the chain, which will remain loose once in place.

Don't forget: when making these kinds of evaluations make sure to test the chain on a tyre that is at least wet.

6. Dismounting

Now let's see together how to remove the K-Summit.

To remove the K-Summit once installed on the wheel, start by holding the ratchet lever, press the trigger all the way down and turn the lever 180°. The ratchet will be released and the tension on the belt will be released.

Now take the two upper arms of the chain and pull them towards you. Start from the plastic plates and check that the chain does not get caught in the radial drainage channels of the tyre.

Take the K-Lock spanner and unscrew the screw of the adapter assembly by turning the spanner anti-clockwise. Once the tightening torque decreases the clamp of the adapter releases the pressure from the nut faces and the adapter is free from the nut and can be removed.

As you pull the chain, it will tend to come out except for the portion that is under the tyre. Now move the vehicle and stop again to pick up the chain.

7. Maintenance

Once the chains have been used, please wash them with lukewarm water to remove dirt and any kind of debris or chemical agents left on the chain before finally putting them back in the packaging.

Dismount the adapter and fixing assembly and wash the components individually.

Washing the chain will also allow you to check the wear condition of the chain components and be sure that the chain will be ready for the next use.

Please allow the chains and dismounted components to dry completely, if necessary removing any residual water and moisture with a cloth.

Once dry, you can reassemble the components removed from the chains and place them back in the packaging, ready for the next use.

8. Troubleshooting

1. I can't figure out which adapter is correct

It sometimes happens that users tend to use an incorrect adapter because they cannot determine which adapter to use for their wheel nut or bolt.

Please bear in mind that the various makes of vehicle use different nut sizes, but above all different designs and constructions. They all have the hexagonal head and function in common, but geometrically they can be very different. Some examples:

Solid hexagonal head bolts
Bolts with stamped hexagonal head
Bolts with lowered hexagonal head and accentuated conicity
Bolts with a deeper terminal semi-sphere than the hexagonal section
Through nuts with protruding wheel studs

This is just to explain that the variability of wheel nuts on the market is very wide and does not only concern the size of the nut/bolt itself.

Some of these nut/bolt types make the installation of the K-Summit chain adapter more or less straightforward, although the adapters supplied are compatible with ALL types of hexagonal head nut.

If you are in doubt about which adapter to use and cannot determine this with certainty, please contact us and we will be happy to offer assistance.

In any case, we will show you the procedure for doing this yourself:

Start with the smallest available adapter (17mm) and try it on the wheel nut.

If you prefer, you can try the clamp alone on the wheel nut so that you have a better view of the coupling.

The adapter must be presented on the wheel nut/bolt ensuring that the teeth of the collet match the faces of the hexagonal nut.

If the teeth of the clamp are positioned on the edges of the wheel nut, the adapter will fail to engage during tightening and will tend to fall off the wheel nut immediately.

If you can present the collet correctly on the wheel nut, to check that it is the correct size, when turning the collet, the teeth should be able to move over the face of the nut, but not over the edges.

If, on the other hand, the opening of the pliers' teeth does not fit the faces of the hexagonal head, then it is too small and you should change to the next size (19mm) and repeat the same operation. If the 19mm collet is also too small, try the next size (21/22mm).

Using the wrong size adapter will not allow the chain to be installed in any way, and this is deliberate. In fact, we prefer that if you ever find yourself using an incorrect adaptor, you will immediately realise this and be unable to complete the installation.

2. The chain is attached to the wheel nut but does not climb onto the tyre.

The K-Summit chain does not climb onto the tyre after a few dozen metres.

There can be many causes, the main ones are listed below:

1. Chain tread not adjusted

If your chain requires adjustment for size (e.g. removal of 2 adjusting elements from each chain) and has not been adjusted as instructed, it will be unable to go up. It may be that with some tyres it is necessary to remove an additional adjustment element in addition to the standard one.

2. Test carried out under unsuitable conditions

If you carry out the fitting test on a dry tyre, the chain will find it harder to climb on the tyre, especially if it is new or has a winter profile.

3. Using an excessively long spacer

If you use a spacer that makes the chain's central body protrude a lot, the chain may not have sufficient potential energy to push the arms over the tread.

4. Insufficient belt tension

If you tension the belt insufficiently (do not tension until the red line appears), your K-Summit chain may not have sufficient potential energy to push your arms over the tread.

3. The chain comes off from the wheel

The fixing of the K-Summit chain is guaranteed by a number of factors which must be present simultaneously, starting with the coupling with the wheel nut and ending with the correct dimensioning of the chain tread.

The release of the chain from the wheel can be an event due to a number of factors that we will try to summarise.

1. Incorrect chain size / not compatible with the tyre

If you install a K-Summit in the wrong size, it will not fit the wheel properly under any circumstances (smaller or larger size) and will tend to be released;

2. Chain tread not adjusted to tyre size

If you install a K-Summit that is not adjusted for your tyre size, it will be narrow and will not be long enough to cover the rolling circumference of your tyre and will tend to be loose;

If you install a K-Summit with too many adjustment elements removed, it will not remain stable on the tyre but may be subject to abnormal lift;

3. Fastening assembly not correctly installed on the nut

If the attachment unit is not installed correctly, it will not provide a solid attachment point and the chain will lose its centring and tend to come loose;

4. Reversed mounted clamping unit

If during spacer replacement or during other adjustments, which you have made to the fastener, you inadvertently refit the inverted fastener assembly, the belt would have an abnormal working direction which would tend to pull the adapter away from the wheel nut.

To restore the correct configuration of the fixing assembly, simply unscrew the screw, spacer and adapter and refit them in the correct direction on the handle.

5. Chain with handle not pointing to the centre

If the handle does not point towards the centre of the rim, the chain cannot achieve balance under dynamic conditions and may give rise to resonance phenomena, which weaken the tightening torque of the adapter on the wheel nut/bolt.

The dynamic balancing of the K-Summit is ensured by the tip of the handle of the clamping unit, which must be fixed to the centre of the rim. Make sure that, when you have tightened the screw completely (you will be warned by the click of the K-Lock spanner), the handle is still pointed at the centre of the rim. If this is not the case, please loosen the screw again with the K-Lock and tighten it again, after re-pointing the handle tip towards the centre of the rim.

6. Insufficient tightening

If your K-Summit is not tightened properly, it is unlikely to stay on the wheel nut under dynamic conditions. This is because the pressure applied by the teeth of the clamp on the faces of the nut is not sufficient.

The K-Lock indicates when the ideal tightening torque has been reached with a click. If your K-Lock spanner has not clicked during tightening, it means that the tightening torque you have applied to the clamping unit is insufficient.

Please re-tighten until the key clicks into place.

7. Excessively sporty driving

Although the K-Summit is a rather high-tech product and gives a very good driving feeling thanks to the almost total absence of vibrations, don't forget that they are safety devices that must be used up to 50 km/h.

The K-Summit will significantly improve your performance on snow, but this should not lead you to drive in an overly sporty style. Observe the Highway Code and drive carefully for your own safety and the safety of others.

9. Common errors

In this session we point out some of the assembly errors we encounter most frequently from customers.

1. Failure to adjust the chain

K-Summit chains in many cases need adjustment to be compatible with the tyre size and the vehicle.

If you install the K-Summit without prior adjustment, you can encounter various problems, ranging from not being able to fit the chain to the chain coming off the wheel.

2. Incorrect wheel adaptor

It sometimes happens that users tend to use an incorrect adapter because they cannot determine which adapter to use. Using the wrong adapter does not allow the chain to be installed in any way, and this is what we wanted. In fact, we prefer that, if you ever find yourself using an incorrect adapter, you should notice it immediately and be unable to complete the installation.

This is why this error only occurs during the first fitting test. Once the adapter has been found, it will remain installed on the chain and will be ready for the next use.

3. Test carried out on a dry tyre

The fitting test, to check whether the adjustment is correct, should be carried out on the tyre, which must be in conditions similar to those of actual use. For this reason, we advise against carrying out the fitting test on a dry tyre, as this could lead you to incorrectly assess the chain fit. The dry tyre surface tends to create more friction, which could mean that the chain requires more travel to find its ideal position.

Therefore, we ask you to make any assessment regarding chain size after testing on at least a wet tyre.

4. Reassembled fastening unit reversed

When changing spacers during adjustment, please take care to reassemble the fastening assembly in the correct direction. To make it easier for you, we have printed the outline of a hexagonal head on the side of the handle where the hexagonal head of the screw goes.

In fact, if you reverse the direction of the fastening assembly

you may not be able to install the chain, as the position of the belt tends to compromise the correct working geometry of the handle and may lead to the adapter becoming detached from the wheel nut
the grey plastic swivel will be subject to stress in an undesirable direction, which may lead to breakage
the belt will work on the edge of the handle and be subject to premature wear

5. Chain with handle not pointing to the centre of the rim

When fitting the chain, please take care when attaching the wheel to keep the attachment handle with the arrow pointing towards the centre of the rim.

The centring of the chain is ensured by the arrow: if the arrow is pointed in a different direction during installation, the chain will find it more difficult to centre itself. If the arrow points in a significantly different direction, this could cause the chain to resonate dynamically, leading to vibrations that could result in the adapter becoming detached from the wheel nut.

6. Insufficient tightening

One of the most frequent errors (mainly in the past) is under-tightening.

The new K-Lock spanner has been specially developed to ensure optimum chain tightening. When the ideal tightening torque is reached, the pre-setting alerts the user that the operation has been carried out correctly.

Therefore, when using it, please allow the spanner to reach the stop before considering the tightening to be complete. At the same time, avoid tightening further once the lock has been achieved.

10. Resetting set-up elements

In the event that there is a need to re-install the adjustment elements to restore the chain as it was at the factory, the following scheme must be followed:

Reposition the yellow adjusting element, which, like the grey one, is mounted on link number 5 of the nine-ring piece, this piece is sandwiched between two bars

Reassemble all adjustment elements until the total number of elements required by the instruction manual is reached according to your tyre size in the chain size range reference table.

On the chains of the K-Summit line and (K11 to K45) there are 4 adjusting elements with yellow bushes, one for each chain strand positioned between two flaps.