Tires squeal when turning with a travel trailer in tow

[Dutsnekcirf]

I just bought a 2021 Powerboost and today I hooked up my travel trailer for the first time. I drove out to a large empty parking lot to setup the pro trailer backup assist feature. I added my trailer to the system, specified the length and width of the trailer, placed the stickers and then started the pro trailer setup. I performed the first step of driving forward and then when it told me to turn left or right, I made a sharp 90 degree turn to the right. The tires (not sure which ones though) started to squeal as if they were slipping. I thought maybe the break cable was too tight and was getting pulled. So I checked the break cable and it had plenty of slack. The tires squeal whether I turn left or right. I didn't notice this happening before I started the pro trailer backup assist setup. In other words, this didn't happen on my way out to the empty parking lot to begin the process. Is there some setting that I need to adjust? Is the truck trying to be too smart?

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[Dutsnekcirf]

I just had a neighbor come out and watch me turn around in our cul-de-sac and identify which tires are making the squealing sound. Embarrassingly, it didn't make the sound anymore. It seems that this was only happening while I was going through the pro-trailer backup assist setup. What the heck is up with that?

 

[Buyer2021]

Tandem-axle trailer?

If you make a very sharp turn with a tandem-axle trailer you will often hear the trailer tires 'complain' as all four tires cannot track true to the path of the sharp turn. Some of the tires are side-loaded and 'scrub' rather than roll-smoothly on the road surface. The scrubbing can manifest as an 'audible complaint / squeal'.

Most obvious when backing into a 'kink / jackknife', but can also happen rolling forward, and more obvious on trailers with longer spacing between the axles (longer trailer wheelbase). The phenomenon is very common and obvious on triple-axle trailers.

Depending on the road surface the 'tire compliant' may be more or less audible (on gravel, soft ground, or grass you'll just note the gouge of the scrubbing tires with little or no 'complaint' heard from the tires). Different pavement textures yield different degrees of audible 'complaint'.

That's all 'normal' (or at least inherent to the situation), though not particularly healthy for the tires, bearings, and axles (especially torsion-axles which can be bent out-of-alignment in extreme cases), and such maneuvers should be minimized (make long-radius turns whenever possible).

As the old vaudeville gag goes ....

Patient: Doctor, it hurts when I do This!​

Doctor: Don't do That!​

 

[Dutsnekcirf]

Tandem-axle trailer?

If you make a very sharp turn with a tandem-axle trailer you will often hear the trailer tires 'complain' as all four tires cannot track true to the path of the sharp turn. Some of the tires are side-loaded and 'scrub' rather than roll-smoothly on the road surface. The scrubbing can manifest as an 'audible complaint / squeal'.

Most obvious when backing into a 'kink / jackknife', but can also happen rolling forward, and more obvious on trailers with longer spacing between the axles (longer trailer wheelbase). The phenomenon is very common and obvious on triple-axle trailers.

Depending on the road surface the 'tire compliant' may be more or less audible (on gravel, soft ground, or grass you'll just note the gouge of the scrubbing tires with little or no 'complaint' heard from the tires). Different pavement textures yield different degrees of audible 'complaint'.

That's all 'normal' (or at least inherent to the situation), though not particularly healthy for the tires, bearings, and axles (especially torsion-axles which can be bent out-of-alignment in extreme cases), and such maneuvers should be minimized.

As the old vaudeville gag goes ....
Patient: Doctor, it hurts when I do This!
Doctor: Don't do That!

It is indeed a dual axel trailer. And I agree with everything you said about dual axel trailers in general

But it didn’t do this with my previous truck; which was just a basic 2005 f150. And it didn’t do this afterward when I was turning around in my cul-de-sac with my neighbor watching.

Could you explain why it didn’t make the sound at all after I came home and made even sharper turns as I was turn around in our cul-de-sac?

On my way home from the parking lot it was making the squealing sound on wider turns too. They weren’t all sharp turns. And then once I got home and turned the truck off, and then back on again to demonstrate to my neighbor the issue. It made no such sounds as I made a sharper turn than before as I was making a 180 around the cup-de-sac.

I can’t help but suspect it had something to do with the extra smarts of this truck during the setup process of the pro-trailer backup assist. Perhaps it was something to do with the sway control or breaking system.

 

[Buyer2021]

Could you explain why it didn’t make the sound at all after I came home and made even sharper turns as I was turn around in our cul-de-sac?

Nope I can't - only suspect difference in pavement surface being more forgiving of the scrub.

I can’t help but suspect it had something to do with the extra smarts of this truck during the setup process of the pro-trailer backup assist. Perhaps it was something to do with the sway control or breaking system.

There's nothing in the 'smarts' of the F150 that ever applies any trailer braking. Nothing related to any aspect of the Pro-Trailer System or Sway Control acts on the trailer, only the truck itself (see attached).

If you're really concerned about it, go back to the exact same parking lot location and do the same thing done before but with a 'spotter' and see if you can replicate the disturbing squeal there.

It's always possible that the 'squeal' isn't related to tire scrub at all - you may have a bearing, brake, or other issue developing with your trailer. Careful inspection of trailer wheel assemblies may be in order.

Good Luck!

 

[5.ramb0]

I don’t have a power boost but someone hit the e locker in my truck and it made the noises you described when I made turns. Took me a minute to figure out what was wrong.

 

[Dutsnekcirf]

E locker?

Do you mean emergency break?

 

[WhiteLightningnshitshadow]

Pretty common for noise as the tires move over painted lines when turning sharp. No problem.

 

[Buyer2021]

E locker?

Do you mean emergency break?

No. E-locker rear axle.

 

[5.ramb0]

What this guy said??

 

[JIMFOUNTAIN]

Yep. My $ are on the locked diff. A restart will set mode back to normal and turn off the diff lock.

 

[Dutsnekcirf]

I bet this is it. I’m going to go try it again. I do remember accidentally pressing that button when I meant to press the pro trailer button instead. It didn’t occur to me that I had changed anything when accidentally pressed that button.

 

[Dutsnekcirf]

Okay so here’s the next follow on question then. When/why would I ever want or need to press that button to lock the rear differential? What does it give me to do such a thing? Is it more of an off roading feature?

 

[5.ramb0]

Fingers crossed that’s all it is.

 

[Ricksc]

Anytime your in wet slippery conditions. Or tire starts to spin do to soft ground

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