I have never seen Chains with the "V" Bars in the auto supply`s. Most are the lite duty chains. People that live in the SF Bay area, "Hey lets go up to Tahoe and check out the snow" etc.... well they need chains, don`t have them, get to chain control on HWY 80, get turned back and pick up a cheap pair of (over priced) chains that they use one time.
So they are good for that.
Funny watching them driving 50 mph with chains, think they are invincible.
I worked for Cal-Trans in Ca. for 37 years, and we had chains for the Plow Sander trucks, and even they didn`t have "V" Bars. But we did have bags of the replacement Cross Links.
Tires were the 10.00 x 20 and later trucks had the 11 x 22.5 tires.
The yard was built back in 1935, and in the pile of replacement chains, found a bag of new cross links for some tire size we didn`t have any more.
I made a set of "V" Bar chains for my 74 Toyota PU. Then never had to use them. Still have them some where out in the shop.
You haven`t lived till you have to chain up a Road Grader, those suckers are heavy, and even those had no "V" Bars.
I just keep my cables with the 86, easy to install for the most part. and seem to work.
Most people around here use Studded Tires.
Goat