Tire shudder
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 345
Likes: 4
Tire shudder
Although i never experienced it with either of my c6's i understand that a certain amount of what i term tire shudder is normal when the wheel is cut hard while backing up. Is there any why to determine when this is excessive as passengers have remarked unfavorably on several occasions in that they felt parts were being stressed unnaturally?
Does the z51 option make this effect more extreme?
Does the z51 option make this effect more extreme?
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 3,913
Likes: 395
From: Cary NC
The issue is a combination of wide tires, steering geometry (search "Ackerman"), and cold tires.
Any sharp, low-speed turn going forward or backward -- as into a parking slot-- will creat shudder or skipping of the tires. It will be more pronounced at low temperatures. If you had a C6 GS or Z06 you would have noticed it. The Z51 is more noticeable because the tires are wider.
Search on "tire shudder" "Ackerman" low-speed tire chatter" and so forth. Use Google to search the forum, not the internal search function.
Any sharp, low-speed turn going forward or backward -- as into a parking slot-- will creat shudder or skipping of the tires. It will be more pronounced at low temperatures. If you had a C6 GS or Z06 you would have noticed it. The Z51 is more noticeable because the tires are wider.
Search on "tire shudder" "Ackerman" low-speed tire chatter" and so forth. Use Google to search the forum, not the internal search function.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 465
Likes: 29
From: Las Vegas NV
Tire Shudder
Although i never experienced it with either of my c6's i understand that a certain amount of what i term tire shudder is normal when the wheel is cut hard while backing up. Is there any why to determine when this is excessive as passengers have remarked unfavorably on several occasions in that they felt parts were being stressed unnaturally?
Does the z51 option make this effect more extreme?
Does the z51 option make this effect more extreme?
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 4,194
Likes: 305
From: Lake Havasu City Arizona
SoCal Events Coordinator
St. Jude Donor '12
Only the front tires will do this and it usually happens when its cold. The wider the tires are the more probability it will happen. You can eliminate the issue simply by not turning so hard or so sharp. I'm in Arizona so I don't experience the problem but I picked up the car in Missouri a few weeks ago and drove it home. Stopping for the night in Tucumcari at the Blue Swallow Motel it was 22 degrees in the morning and this issue happened while turning out on to the main road. Its not a big deal or problem, just surprising when it happens.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 35,010
Likes: 12,396
From: NE South Carolina
Although i never experienced it with either of my c6's i understand that a certain amount of what i term tire shudder is normal when the wheel is cut hard while backing up. Is there any why to determine when this is excessive as passengers have remarked unfavorably on several occasions in that they felt parts were being stressed unnaturally?
Does the z51 option make this effect more extreme?
Does the z51 option make this effect more extreme?
If your passenger is your friend they may just tell all your buddy's about the "piece of junk you bought." It's that bad when the tires are cold. That is the way my Z51 feels when backing out in the morning! I now use about 1/2 turn less and make a K turn when backing out of my garage. This will be my 2nd winter and the "chatter" as Chevy calls it, is so bad I don't let it occur, I just don't turn as tight until the tires warm up! Last winter I investigated the causes including Ackerman steering angles, tire slip angle and found the C7 has a tighter steering radius than the C6.
Produced a PDF with many pics of what Ackerman is all about and slip angle info for racing and street tires. The Z51 essentially has racing tires. You can download at http://netwelding.com/wheel_chatter.pdf
Last edited by JerryU; Nov 29, 2014 at 11:52 PM.