Tire Noise and Marks

Although the ABS system prevents complete wheel lockup, some wheel slip is desired in order to achieve optimum braking performance. Wheel slip is defined as follows: 0% slip means the wheel is rolling freely and 100% slip means the wheel is fully locked. During brake pressure modulation, wheel slip is allowed to reach up to 25-30%. This means that the wheel rolling velocity is 25-30% less than that of a free rolling wheel at a given vehicle speed. This slip may result in some tire chirping, depending on the road surface. This sound should not be interpreted as total wheel lockup.

Complete wheel lockup normally leaves black tire marks on dry pavement. The ABS will not leave dark black tire marks since the wheel never reaches a fully locked condition. However, tire marks may be noticeable as light patched marks.