Squealing sounds send different signals about your journey. For starters, they can suggest the nature of the terrain or road you follow. They can also mean your driver is alert, appropriately braking, turning and accelerating.
Why do tires squeal when turning? Well, it could indicate something is very wrong with your tires. It could be worn out brake pads, misalignment or suspension issues. Let’s take an in-depth look.
Why Does My Tire Make a Noise When I Turn?
The wheel and axle rotate and spin your tires, which turn repeatedly. The traction between them and the ground propels your vehicle into motion. Various mechanics, including tire treads, the wheel suspension and tire alignments, kick in to coordinate the traction on the road and steer the vehicle.
Squealing often occurs when traction changes abruptly. For example, a squealing sound during fast turns may suggest the need for more diligent driving, but a squealing sound during slow turns may suggest underinflated tires with unmitigated flexing.
It could also suggest that you’re cutting sharp angles in a parking lot. Tire treads squeal more drastically on skiddy surfaces than on dry asphalt.
Why Do My Tires Squeal When Parking?
Well, most parking garages are in enclosed spaces, and they have smoother floors than typical asphalt. These floors, especially newly painted areas, cause skidding—plus, the lack of space requires drivers to cut tight corners. The squealing noise is often echoed, and that’s why parking lots can get pretty squeaky. You’ll likely hear it in gas stations too, when the surface you’re driving on is painted concrete.
Why Do Tires Squeal During Slow Turning?
You should be worried if you are observing speed limits and your tires still squeal during slow turns. It probably means:
- Something is wrong with your tires.
- Something is wrong with your wheels.
- The roads are wet, frozen or in bad shape.
Tires will skid and squeal when you drive on wet or frozen tarmac and unevenly-textured surfaces such as gravel, bricks or cobblestones.
If you trust the road, then make sure your power steering fluid isn’t diminished. This is a no-brainer solution, and you should always check to make sure the liquid is well supplied. Check the power steering belt as well, as this can cause a squealing sound when loose or worn.
Ensure all steering and suspension components are working as they should, as the noise could be worn brake pads, worn bushings or bearings, or joints or seals that need lubricating. If you suspect this but can’t find the issue, it’s best to take your car in for a service and have the noise inspected.
If your wheel system is in good condition, then you’ll need to investigate the quality of your tires. The squealing sound could indicate they are underinflated, worn out or worn unevenly. If your tires are brand new, don’t worry—the squealing will stop once they wear down a little.
Understanding Tire Safety
In 2017, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported 738 fatalities associated with tire-related crashes. United States law recommends legal and safety standards for tires.
You’ll be in legal jeopardy if you’re caught driving on tires with low tread depth. Why would you even risk your life driving on 3/32-inch tread depths? Safety and convenience come first, so ensure you’re using tires with no less than 4–5/32-inch tread depths.
In any case, high-quality tires are made for longevity, and they should provide a pretty great service before wearing down to the tread depths of 3/32-inch. You only need to take excellent care of them and follow appropriate maintenance schedules.
This policy only covers regular tread wear concerns. It doesn’t cover irregular tread wear. Irregular tread wear suggests inconsistent driving styles and ineffective maintenance.
Fortunately, you can curb these inefficiencies and inconsistencies to ensure your tires are safe and save money.
1. Check Your Wheel Alignment
Wheel misalignment can be pretty dangerous, and all drivers should stay on top of regular wheel alignment. When any of the mechanics go wrong, the tires lose coordination with themselves and the steering wheel.
The following are signs of wheel misalignment:
- Irregular noises.
- Uneven tire tread wear.
- Faulty suspension.
- Worn out brake pads.
- Loss of pressure.
- Vibrations and palpitations.
2. Check the Wheel Bearings
Make sure that your wheel bearings aren’t worn out, and beware of faulty axle surfaces because they could create friction and cause abrasive harm to other elements.
3. Replace Any Worn-Out Brake Pads and Reinforce Wheel Lugs
The last thing you want is for the wheels to go loose and the brake pads to fail simultaneously.
4. Do Regular Pressure Checks
Well, you’ve checked out everything we recommended above. Do your tires still squeal when you turn? Well, the next thing on your list should be regular pressure checks.
Tires are entirely dependent on air pressure to maintain traction on the road. Tire treads regulate surface pressure, but internal tire pressure distributes it evenly. You need to maintain the balance, or you could lose control of your vehicle.
Tires often lose internal air pressure, mostly due to osmosis. Pressure drops faster if leakages like punctures exist. If the air pressure drops by more than 25 percent, it becomes dangerous to drive on such a tire because it’s prone to blowouts.
Most lightweight tires handle 30 PSI of pressure and should lose no more than 6 PSI at any time. Even if you inflate a tire after driving it at low pressure, you cannot reverse the damage that has already occurred to it. Low-pressure drives will most probably cause tires to bulge outward on dented spots.
Most of us now drive cars with tire pressure monitoring systems. If yours is faulty, you can always get a pressure gauge at your local dealership or online. These gauges indicate whenever your pressure is above or below the recommended level.
Why Do My Tires Squeal When Braking?
Braking is the most common reason for tires squealing on American roads. This type of squealing is the loudest and most dramatic. Ironically, it doesn’t indicate a bad state of your car’s roadworthiness.
Newer tires with thick treads may squeal louder when swerving or breaking, but the squealing sound indicates braking effectiveness. Therefore, it shouldn’t be very prolonged.
Newer tires are more effective than worn-out tires. Worn-out tires are unsafe due to the following reasons:
- Traction is diminished.
- They heat up and swell.
- They are likely to blowout.
- Hydroplaning turns into a nightmare.
Why Do My Tires Squeal When Accelerating?
Accelerating ramps up traction, and so does braking and swerving. The resulting squealing is caused by the tire treads slipping apart before obtaining optimal traction, and plenty of rubber peels off. That’s the reason why driving habits can cause irregular tread wear.
A great driver who’s concerned with vehicle maintenance is careful to avoid:
- Rapid acceleration.
- Hard braking.
- Swift turning.
The Best Ways to Secure Tire Safety
Irregular tread wear only leads to more irregular tread wear, and you should try to prevent it. The following are tips for maintaining your tires, preventing squealing and ensuring even tire wear:
- Balance your tires regularly: The balance is essential because it ensures even weight distribution.
- Rotate your tires: The rotation entails swapping front and back tires to ensure even tread wear. Tires are inspected and fitted for even weight distribution.
- Streamline wheel alignment: You already know all about wheel alignment. Never forget its importance. Just make sure to take care of alignment angles at the camber, caster and toe.
How Should I Do My Tire Repairs?
It’s vital to take care of your vehicle as long as you’re using it on the road, and this will set you up for longevity as you enjoy the perks of reliable transportation.
Rotate your tires after every 5,000–6,000 miles and preserve the compact build of other vehicle mechanics. Balance vehicle weight distribution to enjoy longevity from all of your tires, brake pads and suspension systems.
You need to meet legal requirements when repairing faulty tires. Therefore, your mechanic needs to know the local safety standards and company policy of your tire supplier.
Most high-performance tires feature asymmetrical tread patterns, and you must be careful to avoid tire-rim mismatching when changing such tires.
Always remember to:
- Have a spare tire wherever you drive.
- Keep the spare space-saver tire fully inflated at all times.
- Never speed when driving on your space-saver tire.
- Never drive on more than one space-saver
Parting Shot
It pays to drive carefully and preserve the good condition of your automobile. Regular, general vehicle maintenance routines can harness extra mileage out of all vehicle components: from the entire engine to a single bearing on the axles.
If you’ve been wondering for a long time why do tires squeal when turning, you might need to take your vehicle to the auto shop for a service. If you’re sure it’s not the roads causing the sound, it could be your tires, wheels, steering or suspension that need to be restored to safe, working order.