Tyre skip and knock

[steveo1973]

Hi people,

I am new to the club and new to Lexus. I have just bought my 2015 Is300h with 50k and loving it. Its in Pearl white, Executive Addition and only one previous owner being an leased with Full Lexus Service history.

My question is when I drive off on full to 3/4 lock to the left I sometimes experience a knock coming from the passenger front. This doesn't happen on all road services and in general drives perfectly with no knocks or rattles. Its like its skipping a bit from grip. Does not do this to the right or in reverse. I still have 3 months warranty left but the garage I bought it from are quite a distance away. Is this a problem or the nature of the car. Thanks

[ianhu]

1 minute ago, steveo1973 said:

Hi people,

I am new to the club and new to Lexus. I have just bought my 2015 Is300h with 50k and loving it. Its in Pearl white, Executive Addition and only one previous owner being an leased with Full Lexus Service history.

My question is when I drive off on full to 3/4 lock to the left I sometimes experience a knock coming from the passenger front. This doesn't happen on all road services and in general drives perfectly with no knocks or rattles. Its like its skipping a bit from grip. Does not do this to the right or in reverse. I still have 3 months warranty left but the garage I bought it from are quite a distance away. Is this a problem or the nature of the car. Thanks

My fsport does exactly the same and has done for the last 3 years I've had it. I can't remember what side it does it but it's not the same on both. Usually that's a cv join issue but who knows. I hardly ever full lock steer it so it's rare. 

Ian. 

[steveo1973]

Thanks Ian  appreciate the reply. Too be honest I only notice it sometimes when exiting my drive as its a hard left but if I'm slow enough it doesn't do it!

[Thackeray]

11 minutes ago, ianhu said:

Usually that's a cv join issue but who knows.

Isn't this a problem that front-wheel drive cars can have? You can hear a clicking noise from the constant velocity joints as you steer. The new ES is front-wheel drive but the IS300h is rear wheel drive. There are a lot of threads about tyres skipping on full lock when the weather is cold. Perhaps that's what it is.

[ColinBarber]

1 hour ago, Thackeray said:

There are a lot of threads about tyres skipping on full lock when the weather is cold. Perhaps that's what it is.

Yes I would say it is this. Especially if it is only doing it on cold mornings. It can be difficult to determine but you want to make sure it is just the tyre skipping across the road surface rather than any mechanical play in the steering/suspension.

[steveo1973]

Thanks guys for all your replies. Thinks its best to get it checked just incase.

[Adge]

I had the same on my XF and now on my GS300.  Just in cold weather as I reverse off the drive.  Consensus on Jag forums was that the rubber in some makes of tyre, in cold weather, does not flex as much as when it’s warmer., I only have this reversing off the drive first thing in the morning in cold weather.  No other times.I gather it’s quite common.

[paulrnx]

The wheel geometry changes at full lock. This sound is just the tyre crabbing slightly across the road surface on full or almost full lock when the weather is cold and the tyre rubber goes very hard. It’s happened in every car I’ve had in the past 10 years with very low profile tyres when I reverse or drive off my driveway. Worst culprits have been an Audi A5 and three IS vehicles with 18” wheels. An Executive on 17” wheels didn’t do it so much. Three Jaguar XF vehicles on 20” wheels all did it too but not quite as much. Nothing to worry about I would say.

[rayaans]

Cure is winter tyres. Most rwd cars or cars with long wheelbase do this

[paulrnx]

Agreed. Mind you winter tyres will feel pretty awful next week when temperatures get back up to 11 degrees.

Watching the cricket. I’m not normally up at this time! 😀

[Kermitpwee]

Mine does the same f sport on 18 inch wheels 

[shine668555]

This is quite normal on these cars. Don't worry it ain't no mechanical fault, I did check the whole suspension when first experienced it. Cold weather, bigger flatter tires and tire brand can affect how much it does this. I had tire skip on full lock when I had 18" 8.5j wheel with oem bridgestone tires, changed to 17" tires and skipping almost went, now on winter tires and no tyre skip at all so there goes. 

[paulrnx]

If anyone is worried about this it’s always worth getting a four wheel alignment done. This will at least confirm that the alignment is as it should be. Also get someone to check that none of the suspension bushes are worn. If all ok and it still does it then you know it’s cold tyres crabbing across the road surface a little.

As said above, winter tyres will cure this. They have a different rubber compound which stays soft at low temperatures. The rubber on normal tyres goes very hard at temperatures below about 7 degrees offering very little grip until the tyres warm up.

[Bowserman]

Mine did this when I bought it. Cured by a new set of Michelin Cross Climates.