V6 Amarok Handling on Wet Roads

[V6 Rok]

Hi All,

I've had my Sportline for a few months now and have noticed an unnerving trait on wet roads and I'm not sure if it's the OEM tyres or an Amarok specific trait.

My ute has the stock 18 inch wheels fitted with Continental Cross Contact tyres. I notice that when turning at low speed on wet roads there is a lot of understeer on roads I'm very familiar with at normal conservative speeds I'd travel in any car. It's most noticeable turning at at tee intersection or a round about where you don't come to a complete stop before turning in. Straightline grip on wet roads under fairly heavy acceleration is actually pretty impressive so not sure what's going on. Currently using VW recommended tyre pressures and no load in the tray.


Any other Amarok owners noticed anything similar ?

Cheers

[Ozsko]

Has this got an LSD or similar locker in it? It sounds like the behaviour I would expect from an LSD that is wound up to tight in the plate settings, though these days I think they have electronic control. If it has got one I would be taking it to a dealer and talking to them and the next wet day take a tech from the dealer for a ride and showing him if they don't want to look at it or can't find anything wrong.

[V6 Rok]

No LSD in any of these new breed of utes unfortunately. They use clever electrics and a rear diff lock as a last resort.

I've owned cars with permanently locked diffs and none pushed the front like the Amarok - but they were race cars with grippy race tyres.

My feeling is it may be the tyres. I have a mate with a 2WD Amarok that doesn't have this issue but I don't think his wheels will fit over the larger V6 front brakes.

[Sharkie]

Understeer is pretty common for AWD cars (as in the front pushes wide on sharp corners) ..... and the Amarok is just a BIG AWD car really.

The Conti's are amongst the best road tyres you can get for a SUV (std fitment on BMW X5s too) so I doubt that would be the problem.

[Cheezel]

Do they auto lock the centre diff on loss of traction? If so, that's what may be happening

[Ozsko]

No LSD in any of these new breed of utes unfortunately. They use clever electrics and a rear diff lock as a last resort.

I've owned cars with permanently locked diffs and none pushed the front like the Amarok - but they were race cars with grippy race tyres.

My feeling is it may be the tyres. I have a mate with a 2WD Amarok that doesn't have this issue but I don't think his wheels will fit over the larger V6 front brakes.

I wonder what happens if you unplug the electronic diff lock to prove if it is misbehaving.

[winchy]

I haven't noticed any issues like yours, although my OE tyres are Michelin Primacy and I run 36 psi in the front and 40 in the rears.

[Transporter]

I wonder what happens if you unplug the electronic diff lock to prove if it is misbehaving.

No EDL in Amarok. It has mechanical difflock electricaly engaged by driver.

[Transporter]

No LSD in any of these new breed of utes unfortunately. They use clever electrics and a rear diff lock as a last resort.

I've owned cars with permanently locked diffs and none pushed the front like the Amarok - but they were race cars with grippy race tyres.

My feeling is it may be the tyres. I have a mate with a 2WD Amarok that doesn't have this issue but I don't think his wheels will fit over the larger V6 front brakes.

Did you try to put some load at the back in the tray?

[V6 Rok]

Thanks for the replies.

Having driven cars with permanently locked diffs, I know the diff lock is not engaged. Unplugging the actuator cable would most likely show a fault code.
Not having owned an AWD car before it may well be a characteristic of AWD, but I highly doubt that is the whole problem as the scenario that creates the wet road understeer in so insignificant that those same conditions, on the very same roads with previous utes, have never created cause for concern at such slow speeds coasting into an intersection with very little throttle. If it does turn out to just be how it is I'll be very disappointed as the even with all the tech in the Amarok it's nowhere near as safe on a wet road as any ute I've owned in the last 30 years ! The fact that it handles excellent for it's size in dry conditions points me to the tyres as the main culprit.

I notice the 18 inch wheels seem to come with the Continetal Cross Contact or Michelin Primacy tyres. The Conti's have a tread wear rating of 680 which is considerably higher than other LT/AT tyres I've used before indicating a hard/long lasting compound. Can any owners with the Michelin's have a look at the tread wear number for those ?
I've owned a few cars and motorbikes that came with Conti's as original fitment and I've always preferred what ever I've replaced them with. VW recommends 29/29 without a load and I'm at 30/30 as I rarely carry any weight so can't move the load around. I'll experiment with tyre pressures a bit more next and post up results - if/when it rains again any time soon !

[Ozsko]

My money is on the diff. There must be a figure in NM/Ft LBS that the rear wheels break the lock at unless it is similar to a detroit locker where that is not the case.

[V6 Rok]

My money is on the diff. There must be a figure in NM/Ft LBS that the rear wheels break the lock at unless it is similar to a detroit locker where that is not the case.

It's my understanding that it's a proper mechanical diff lock that is engaged/disengaged via an electrically operated solenoid. I'm familar with Detroit lockers, dangerous things IMO and no way they'd fit one to a modern car.
I'll jack up the rear tomorrow and spin the wheels. I'm expecting it to be an open diff until the diff lock button get's pushed.

[Transporter]

Having driven cars with permanently locked diffs, .

If it does turn out to just be how it is I'll be very disappointed as the even with all the tech in the Amarok it's nowhere near as safe on a wet road as any ute I've owned in the last 30 years !

I’d be checking wheel alignment.
Because, unless there is something very seriously wrong with your Amarok, there is no other 4x4 Ute that you had in the past that would be safer or handled better in dry or wet than Amarok.
Mine is only 2013 2.0L and I can’t make that statement, the V6 handless even better.

How was your test Amarok, before you bought yours?

[V6 Rok]

Test Amarok was fine and drove no different to mine in dry conditions but I didn't test it in the rain and it had Michelin Primacy tyres.

I can check the alignment - any ideas where I might find the specs ?

I've had plenty of different utes over the years and none would understeer in the rain like this one, but then I've always had good tyres on them too.

[winchy]

Thanks for the replies.

Having driven cars with permanently locked diffs, I know the diff lock is not engaged. Unplugging the actuator cable would most likely show a fault code.
Not having owned an AWD car before it may well be a characteristic of AWD, but I highly doubt that is the whole problem as the scenario that creates the wet road understeer in so insignificant that those same conditions, on the very same roads with previous utes, have never created cause for concern at such slow speeds coasting into an intersection with very little throttle. If it does turn out to just be how it is I'll be very disappointed as the even with all the tech in the Amarok it's nowhere near as safe on a wet road as any ute I've owned in the last 30 years ! The fact that it handles excellent for it's size in dry conditions points me to the tyres as the main culprit.

I notice the 18 inch wheels seem to come with the Continetal Cross Contact or Michelin Primacy tyres. The Conti's have a tread wear rating of 680 which is considerably higher than other LT/AT tyres I've used before indicating a hard/long lasting compound. Can any owners with the Michelin's have a look at the tread wear number for those ?
I've owned a few cars and motorbikes that came with Conti's as original fitment and I've always preferred what ever I've replaced them with. VW recommends 29/29 without a load and I'm at 30/30 as I rarely carry any weight so can't move the load around. I'll experiment with tyre pressures a bit more next and post up results - if/when it rains again any time soon !

Michelin tread wear rating is 440. Traction rating A