Just wondering if I was the only one that felt this whenever I turn either tight in a parking lot that has a lot of loose asphalt/gravel/rocks. Whenever I go to turn my wheels all the way to the left or all the way to the right in forward and reverse, I've noticed that it feels like the front tires skid forward rather than turning smooth and sometimes on new asphalt I'll do it and I can actually hear the tire skid because it's being pushed straight. I wasn't sure if it was due to the length and the really bad turning radius of the C7 or if there might be something else going on. When I put my car up on the lift there is no loose ball joints tie rod ends pubs assemblies anything, everything is tight and perfect. My 2016 3LT has 38,000 mi on it. I purchased it 3 years ago with 26,000 miles on it. Single owner before me and he took really good care of the car. But there's no damage suspension or anything. I was just wondering if anybody else had noticed that same thing. Going around corners and stuff at speed like on the freeway and things this car absolutely hugs tight turns and on the freeway interchanges I can hit 85 mph so around a tight bend and the car just hugs the road.

I'm replacing all four tires on the car right now and I've seen that the front tires are almost smooth over like they're slicks almost. We're two years ago they were brand new. And I put about 12,000 mi on those tires. They were the pilot sport 4s zp . The rear has the OEM superpilot Sport zp. That will replace with a datecode of 2021.

So I'm wondering if the car at slow turns with a front end pushing forward rather than turning along with it due to the pretty bad turning radius, requiring about three and a half to four lanes of traffic to do a u-turn, cause the massive wear on the front tires or if I'm the only one experiencing this and I might have something else going on. Which I am a pretty experienced mechanic so I know what to look for and I'm not seeing anything underneath here. But I am going to take it to an alignment when the new tires are finally delivered. Thank you on track for sending my tires and tire rack the completely opposite direction in the States where I live. Making an overnight delivery go to a week and a half, but on track delivery as a whole other rant, lol.

 

It's the Ackerman effect, not your tires or your car.. it's quite normal

 

I believe you're sensing the "Ackerman Effect", Goggle it and see if it's description fits what you're experiencing. It's part of the steering geometry and no cause for concern.

 

What you are feeling is totally normal and has more to do with the width of the front tires and the lack of tread grooves on Super Sport or A/S 4s tires. It is not damaging your suspension or the reason your tires are wearing. That would be alignment. After your new tires are mounted, have a quality 4-wheel alignment done. Ask for a "tire-friendly" alignment with the camber set as close as possible to negative 1.0 degrees.

ps - Michelin All Season 4 ZP tires eliminate the tire skipping because they have more, smaller tread blocks. But living where you do, you probably don't need to worry about all season tires for cooler temperatures.

 

Also make sure that the alignment store that you go to has the equipment and knowledge to set the rear caster. That setting is done manually and cannot be measured by an alignment machine. Usually, that means a dealer or a Corvette suspension specialist.

 

i forgot to add that Michelin Super Sports and A/S4s tires are more "Summer Only" performance tires and have a shorter lifespan than A/S 4 ZP. Summer only performance tires usually average 15-16000 miles whereas the A/S 4 will go 30,000 miles.

 

My OEM front tires lasted 20k miles and hoping for more from my A/S 4 ZPs.

 

Yep,,,, we all have this issue. When I back out of my garage, it reminds me I am driving my vet.

 

I do not experience the Ackerman Effect in my 2016 Stingray Z51. It has all season Continentals non run flats. No idea if that makes any difference at all. I seldom turn real sharp. I live in a rural area i do not park in tight places. I drove to a restaurant at a shopping center yesterday and as usual, I pulled into a remote space. No one parked near me.

https://www.mcgrathautoblog.com/auto...ette-stingray/

 

Corvettes by design do not adhere to what is called Ackermann travel.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ackerm...ering_geometry

Basically ideally you design the steering so that the wheels stay within "Ackermann" and do not skip or drag. Corvette at perhaps 80% lock doesn't adhere to this so what you are hearing is the one tire being dragged (and then skipping) by the other. Its usually the outer tire which is being dragged. This is exacerbated by larger contact patches and stickier tires (which is why on all seasons they might just drag and not skip).

Most cars are not pure Ackermann, but they typically have minimal tire scrub at full lock and are in Ackermann at less than full lock. The Corvette has an excessive amount of scrub and even does it before you reach full lock.

 

I just replaced my original tires with Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4's and they pretty much eliminated the issue you are experiencing (Ackerman effect).

 

Wow, I learned something new today! Great info from everyone above! "Ackerman Effect" has happened to me a couple times, I didn't give it much thought.

Marty KC

 

When backing out of my driveway or backing out of any parking, I've felt what feels like a front tire hits a rock and skids off the rock, on all my c5's and this 2018. I guess it's basically the same thing.

 

This design is common all the way back to at least the C5. Might be on the C4. I don't think the earlier cars had the issue.

 

From the 2014 Owners Manual:

 

What you are experiencing is the Ackerman effect. I replaced my OEM tires with Michelin AS 4 ZP tires last year. That greatly reduced the Ackerman effect.

 

The harder tires just slide instead of grabbing and releasing.

 

Thank you! My 2016 one owner, I've had it for 3 years now, never came with an owner's manual. Glad to know it's not an issue with my car or anything though.

 

Wow! Did not expect that many responses for this! Thank you all for the explanations. That is exactly what I'm feeling in the car is the ackman effect. And I just left getting new rubber put on, and I got all new Michelin pilot Sport 4s zp. Before it had to Pilot super Sport ZP on the rear and two pilot sport all season 4S ZP on the front. But the tread was pretty much gone I had almost slicks. And now the car drives like a dream. Ball tires really do ruin your ride. And I didn't even realize that they were getting bald lol. I will have to check the next time I park in a parking lot to see if it got rid of that sliding. Feels like a drag/funny car where that front wheels only spin a little bit and whenever you do turn it it just keeps going straight in the front wheel skid lol

And I saw that manual posting about the skidding effect. I have a one owner 3LT well actually on the second owner so two owner 3LT lol. And of course the previous person did not leave the owner's manual in the car.

 

You can search and buy an correct owners manual on line, if you like.