Hopping on slow, sharp left turn

[K2H]

Hello. I have a 2022 GTPE. Recently when turning sharp left (such as coming out of an alley) the car "hops" I assume this is due to the wheels not spinning at the correct relational speed. It reminds me of my old Jeep when the HUBs were locked and turned too tight in Low.

I don't think there is a "differential" in an electric car with spin speed controlled by the motor. But I'm spouting off about things I don't really know. I do have an appointment with Ford, but takes a while to get in. Wondering if anyone else has had this issue?

My alignment is correct, tires inflated properly and no warning indicators.

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[RickMachE]

Are you driving your GTPE, in Minnesota, with the stock summer tires, in temps 45 degrees or lower?

 

[K2H]

I am. The (great) small shop that stores and switches out my tires had a covid outbreak and everything got pushed out. So, not getting them swapped until Dec 5th. That's also the first Ford appt. I could get, as well, so getting two opinions that day.

It's certainly a new occurrence, but pretty sure it was happening at higher temps this fall, but colder than summer.

I searched a few different terms in the forum before posting but did run across these:

• Front tires "fighting" https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/front-tires-fighting.14644/ without a solution
• Axle clunks: https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/axle-clunk.5668/ with many, many different ideas.

 

[HuntingPudel]

The transaxles do indeed have a differential action built into them. They are not locked. I have spun single tires in the past (before we knew of the HVBJB issue). I think Rick’s suspicion of cold tires might be spot on. The stock summer tires are not meant to be driven (or stored) below moderate temperatures. Many Summer tires have disclaimers that state they must be stored at 45F or higher.

 

[K2H]

Thanks for your input! I certainly planned to get the winter ones on sooner than is happening and hope that fixes it. I'll let everyone know when I get them on.

 

[macchiaz-o]

My vehicle brakes chirp when I make a right turn into certain shopping plazas unless I slow down more then I'd like to before entering the turn.

If I turn off traction control then there's no issue (no brake chirping). But on my non-GT it's rather inconvenient to disable TC.

For you, though, there's a dedicated button... Give it a try and see if that helps?

 

[RickMachE]

I am. The (great) small shop that stores and switches out my tires had a covid outbreak and everything got pushed out. So, not getting them swapped until Dec 5th. That's also the first Ford appt. I could get, as well, so getting two opinions that day.

It's certainly a new occurrence, but pretty sure it was happening at higher temps this fall, but colder than summer.

I searched a few different terms in the forum before posting but did run across these:

• Front tires "fighting" https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/front-tires-fighting.14644/ without a solution
• Axle clunks: https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/axle-clunk.5668/ with many, many different ideas.

Keep in mind that 45 and below these tires are very slick. In addition, they may crack, and they may lose chunks of rubber. In short, you could destroy them in addition to being slick.

They also need to be stored at 19 degrees or higher, not in your cold winter garage.

 

[K2H]

I’ll try the traction control and thanks for the idea. My money is on the tires with the posts here, but we’ll see. would be a bummer to turn that off each time I leave my house.

I had surgery on my ankle and not driving much right now so destroying the tires is not an immediate concern. I’d never heard the temperature storage concern before. My shop stores them in a climate controlled area but still interesting. I know many people in MN that store their summers in their unheated garage.

 

[machefan2022]

Keep in mind that 45 and below these tires are very slick. In addition, they may crack, and they may lose chunks of rubber. In short, you could destroy them in addition to being slick.

They also need to be stored at 19 degrees or higher, not in your cold winter garage.

This is a little bit of a misnomer. It is true that summer tires are harder and slicker below 45 degrees but you wouldn't see cracking or chunks at that temperature. at 45 degrees you will notice a traction difference until the tire warms up.

But most of your summer tires are easily drivable at or slightly below freezing as long as you are on dry roads and additional caution is taken until they warm up a bit. You can monitor this by watching your TPMS and you'll see them go up a PSI or 2.

For instance Michelin pilot sport cup 2's are rated for use and storage down to 20 degrees.

 

[RickMachE]

I’d never heard the temperature storage concern before. My shop stores them in a climate controlled area but still interesting. I know many people in MN that store their summers in their unheated garage.

From the manual, Tire Rack below it:


USING SUMMER TIRES
Summer tires provide superior
performance on wet and dry roads.
Summer tires do not have the Mud and
Snow (M+S or M/S) tire traction rating on
the tire side wall. Since summer tires do
not have the same traction performance
as All-season or Snow tires, we do not
recommend using summer tires when
temperatures drop to about 45°F (7°C) or
below, depending on tire wear and
environmental conditions, or in snow and
ice conditions. Like any tire, summer tire
performance is affected by tire wear and
environmental conditions. If you must drive
in those conditions, we recommend using
Mud and Snow (M+S, M/S), All-season or
Snow tires.
Always store your summer tires indoors at
temperatures above 19°F (-7°C). The
rubber compounds used in these tires lose
flexibility and may develop surface cracks
in the tread area at temperatures below
19°F (-7°C). If the tires have been
subjected to 19°F (-7°C) or less, warm
them in a heated space to at least 41°F
(5°C) for at least 24 hours before installing
them on a vehicle, or moving the vehicle
with the tires installed, or checking tire
inflation. Always inspect the tires after
storage periods and before use.


Just one source, and it says 40 degrees instead of 45. And says storage 20 degrees or higher, whereas the source I found said 19.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=220

 

[Mach-Lee]

I had surgery on my ankle and not driving much right now so destroying the tires is not an immediate concern. I’d never heard the temperature storage concern before. My shop stores them in a climate controlled area but still interesting. I know many people in MN that store their summers in their unheated garage.

Dude, it was 5ºF with snow on the ground the other night, you are going to destroy those summer tires real quick if you haven't already. Read what Rick posted above about temperatures. The rubber will get so brittle it will crack instead of bend. Do not drive the car anymore until you get different tires put on. The tires are going to be more like plastic than rubber and you could easily slide off the road. You will have almost zero snow traction.

 

[WWJPD]

I think it's the summer tires of the GTPE. It went to around 40°F here in CT this past week and I've noticed the same thing when turning hard left. I was waiting until the first week of Dec to put the winter tires on but it went a bit colder than normal the past week, so I may need to switch a few weeks early.

 

[K2H]

And the winner is: The summer tires were the culprit. No "hopping" problems with the winter tires on now.

And, as I said, the reason these didn't get put on until now was a problem with where the winter ones were stored and the shop and a fun covid outbreak. I typically don't wait this long and agree the summer tires on slick roads are scary.

Interestingly my shop, which has been around forever and highly regarded, didn't agree with the 19 degree F storage suggestion by Tire Rack. They did agree they should be warm before installing them. It is irrelevant for me (and them) as they are stored at room temperature all year, so they don't have a horse in the race. So many people store their summer tires in cold garages here in balmy MN I just can't believe it is a big/real problem.

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