I've seen a lot of threads where people were commenting on tire scootch in sharp turns at slow speeds. I've felt them scootch a little, sometimes, but never thought twice about it. Until now.

We drove my wife's C7 on a 2800 mile trip to Illinois, Kentucky and back home the last 2 weeks. The weather was nice but cool. High in the upper 70's and lows in the low 50's.

We arrived at the hotel in Illinois, parked the car in a space outside our room and left it there until morning. The weather was brisk (low 50's Temp.). We started to breakfast the next morning and I backed the car out of the parking space. Chunk, chunk, chunk, ... scootch, scootch, scootch. What the heck is that. I thought we had a flat tire. I got out and looked the car over. Everything looked O.K. Got back in the car and pulled out of the lot, Chunk, chunk, chunk, ... scootch, scootch, scootch. There it is again.

We pulled out and drove a few miles at highway speeds and got the tire temperature up. Everything seemed O.K. again. Went to breakfast, pulled into and out of the parking space, no problem. Everything was O.K. for the rest of the day.

Next morning, same thing, Chunk, chunk, chunk, ... scootch, scootch, scootch.

I guess the difference in ambient temperature between Florida and Illinois made this problem more apparent. No wonder you guys from up north complain about it. I guess that's one reason Michelin calls them summer tires.

Oh, yea, the C7 is a great road car. It's very comfortable. The trunk (convertible) is a little small but we took enough clothes for 2 weeks without a problem. Gas mileage was good, 26 mpg for the highway part and 24 mpg overall.

 

Maybe Goodyear is just dissing your Michelin tires.

 

This is mainly in lock-to-lock maneuvers?

 

Mostly, yes.

It's in the manual, and has been around a long time. Nothing to worry about.

 

PI1056A: 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray New Model Features - (Oct 7, 2013)

Diagnosis
The Michelin® tires may exhibit a chatter noise during low speed tight turn conditions (i.e. parking lot, driveway, etc.) when the tires are cool. The condition can be experienced in all directions: right, left, forward, reverse. The condition typically reduces or diminishes when the tires warms up, but may become worse when the pavement is wet. For these unique and aggressively tuned high performance tires, this is considered a normal condition.

Inform the customer the noise is tire hop and is caused by the large amount of tire scrubbing across the pavement as the vehicle is turned.

 

and:

http://netwelding.com/Wheel_Chatter.pdf

 

It's called the Ackerman Effect.

 

I think the OP is aware of what is causing the phenomenon. I think he is just pointing out that differences in tire temperatures and ambient temperatures can relieve or exacerbate the phenomenon. I too have noticed this. Now that it is very warm outside in my part of the country, I don't experience the tire chatter at all. Back in the colder days of winter, it was phenomenal.

 

Yes, when the tires are warmed up, this won't happen as much.

 

English translation: The Michelin tires are junk for street use.

 

OK I get it !!! Do you think if you changed tires to non-run flat an all- season tire like I did on my C5 would it chatter or just less chatter ??? Anybody have all season tires yet ??? Wayne

 

You're crazy.

This is not the brand and not isolated to the C7.

My C6 Grand Sport was worse with the Goodyear Supercar Gen 2 tires and with the Michelin Pilot Super Sports I replaced then with than the C7. This is about geometry.

 

Stupid statement. The scrubbing is a function of the steering and wide tires, not tire brand. My C6 did it worse than my C7. Wife's Shelby does it worse than either of them. It's normal and won't hurt anything.

 

Thanks for your reply !!! Especially the part about your wife's car !!! Wayne

 

She's had the Shelby for two years. The tires scrub real bad when backing up slowly with the wheels turned all the way either direction. She didn't believe me that it was normal and not hurting anything so she had the GY Supercar tires replaced with Michelins, as she was convinced it was the tires' fault. Guess what? It still does it. I'm pretty sure she still doesn't believe me that it's normal and not hurting anything, it still does it, but she doesn't mention it any more.

 

Haha.. same kinda thing here, but with my wife in the passenger seat.

First time in my C6 this happened she looked at me like she does when she knows I'm going to be pissed off. In her defense I do get just slightly OCD about my cars.

I told her it was normal and she looked at me like I was crazy. She never really seemed to believe me and swore my Grand Sport had something wrong with it. In the C7 she noticed it again and said "well, maybe you're right and it is that "acker-thing" you mentioned.