Front tires squeek in turns

[SlowPro48]

Ahhh yes... the beautiful colors of peacocks and oil spills... continuous interference in action... evidence that God put this world together in a weird way..

Knivx, I thought TOD went to RWD at parking lot speeds - so wouldn't that eliminate AWD as a factor? Dunno...

If you notice, when you are turning normally there is resistance in the steering wheel - the VX wants to go straight but you overcome this and force it to turn. If you let go of the steering wheel it will straighten out on its own. However, when turning very, very sharply - just before you hit the steering stop - there is a point at which turning the steering wheel becomes effortless - in fact the steering wheel sometimes seems like it wants to turn sharper all by itself. At this point if you are on a smooth asphalt surface (such as a parking lot that has been seal-coated) the squealing will begin.

My theory is that the squealing of our front tires on shiny asphalt in tight turns is not due to the AWD but rather a compromise in the Ackerman angle.

This is based on two observations: 1. if you coast with the transmission in neutral, the tires will squeal; 2. it's always the front tires squealing. If there were binding between the front and rear wouldn't a rear tire be subject to similar force - maybe more so since we have limited slip diff in back and open in front? Granted, the rears don't have to contend with the lateral forces the fronts do in a slow speed sharp turn - but it seems if there were true binding between front and rear caused by the AWD and we wouldn't get at least a little chirp from the rear every now and then?

BUT - with transmission in neutral, front and back might still be connected if TOD does not revert completely to RWD as I thought, right? Not driven, but still connected. We must eliminate that possibility if we are to rule out AWD as a cause of the Ned Beatty factor.

SO - here's the proposed experiment: I will go to a parking lot that has been sealcoated and has a slight grade to it and I'll coast with the transmission and transfer case both in neutral - so there will be no driven wheels and no connection between front and back wheels - and I will turn the VX to full lock or thereabouts and listen for the VX to squeal like a Ned. Report back when it's done.

Yeah - I need to get a life don't I?

[Knivx]

We need someone with free wheel hubs up front to go check it out for us. Or maybe a jdm guy, they have 2wd option? I assumed tod caused it since i'd never noticed it in another of my vehicles? And yes the tod does kick off at slow speeds but since the wheels are turning at different speeds it might think its losing traction and therefore kick in the tod? I think my tod indicator lights kick on when it happens but i never really paid attention so i could be wrong. I still am putting my money on it being the tod.

[Knivx]

Another thought: Ive only noticed it under power so thats another reason for me to believe its the tod. I'll have to play around with it.

[Sprey]

I drive mine most of the time in 2wd And yes! in carparks i seem to squeak a bit lol, depends on how sharp im turning and speed tho.

[don moore]

i have a blast in parking garages ....hehe .. i love the sound of the screeeeeech around each corner.....i think i add some power to make it do it more..lol

[SlowPro48]

OK I finally got around to doing this experiment and with both the transmission and the transfer case in neutral (i.e., no wheels driven, no connection side to side in the front and no connection front to back) the front tires still squealed.

SO - with AWD out of the picture, I'm left with the conclusion that it's just an Ackerman angle thing - and I'll gladly put up with a little tire squealing in exchange for the tight turning radius!

[Solitude]

I think mine does it only when I take of making a turn.. its like the fronts get powered during the turn.. I think it has to do with front tires being smaller then the rears because of wear issues.. and the rears are newer