vader86

Yes summer tires don't grip well below about 40 at all, its not deadly, but they do get squirrelly when they get too cold and you get on it too hard. Cracking can occur in the right conditions as they told you. I've driven my Contis in the 20s before several times, but my garage is insulated.

I'd recommend the Conti DWS06 then if that size is available, loved that tire on my Cayenne. If not, the BFG Comp A/Ss or Michelin AS tires would be my choice.

vette196

check the size availability of Cooper RS3 G-1

MatthewMiller

To clarify, you can have the car sitting on them in freezing temps. You can't move the car while it's sitting on them in freezing temps. You also can't change inflation pressures. The issue is that the rubber compound could crack when it gets cold and brittle, so anything that flexes the carcass in cold temps risks cracking it.

Continental is being uber-conservative, ***-coverers with this. The reality is that there is no issue driving on them, at least above freezing temps. And don't forget that as soon as you start driving the tire heats up, so it's just not a big deal. Everyone I know, including myself, has driven lots of summer-only tires below 45F. Half the time it's driving on them to a race event where the temps will eventually go up to 45-50F but start much lower than that in the morning. It's not an issue at those temps.

That said, in the 245/45/17 + 275/40/17 size combo there are several very good ultra-high-performance all-seasons available. So that's not a terrible thing. The Conti DWS suggested above doesn't come in the 275 size, and it's a soft-sidewall (i.e. slow steering response) tire with lots of grip and it's great in the rain and snow. But I don't think it's really what you need. I would definitely look at the Kumho Ecsta PA51, the General G-Max AS-05, the BFG Comp-2 AS Plus, and the Cooper Zeon RS3-G1. You should read the Tire Rack of each and see what you think. Given that you don't need superb winter performance, I'd look at the BFG (stable and buttoned down feel with class-leading dry and winter grip, but noisy) and the General (sharper response and sportier feel but just a teeny tick off in measured performance). You might not even miss the extra dry performance of a summer-only tire!

rrubel

Continental definitely prefers you to not store the tires on the car in the winter. This is from the email response they sent: "We do not recommend storing summer tires on the tires on the vehicle because of flat spotting and potential damage from extreme cold weather. If stored on the vehicle, and in the elements, we recommend following the steps at the bottom of the page. Just keep in mind that flat spotting may still be possible."

I do need to move the car occasionally in the winter (one reason why storing on blocks isn't feasible) so I can work on another car in the garage. We currently have five vehicles I'm maintaining...

I did see in their FAQ about the pressure changes potentially cracking the treads. Also having to let the tires warm to above 45 for 24 hours before driving! I agree 100% that they're being overly conservative, but damn, that's not making me want summer tires...

This weekend I'll research the all-seasons you and the previous posters mentioned. I think for my own peace of mind, if nothing else, those are still the best bet.

This has been a very useful thread and I appreciate all the responses.

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MatthewMiller

I completely understand. It's hard to put a price on peace of mind!

rrubel

As a followup, I ordered the BFG g-Force Comp-2 A/S PLUS from TireRack. They got better (and more) reviews than the Coopers, which were still a good choice.

Thanks for all your suggestions!

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MatthewMiller

Once you get them on and drive on them a bit, please let us know what you think. It helps add to the knowledge based since none of us can try out all the tire options.

rrubel

Will do, though it'll probably be Spring until I get decent mileage on them.
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Tribox

I've read and re-read this thread and am still very puzzled. I recently purchased very nice stock '96 that hasn't been driven much in a long time and is equipped with what I assume are old Firestone Firehawks in the stock sizes. They're about worn. Apparently the only available tires in those sizes are the Continental summer tires. I live in Albuquerque where winter temperatures are very often below freezing, as low as 10 degrees sometimes, and there is occasional snow. This is my daily driver so, the Conti's do not seem to be an option. I'd hate to mix brands or go to the smaller tires but those seem to be the only options.
Any advice other than what's already been posted would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

MatthewMiller

First of all, damn nice KC avatar you have there! I used that on some forums for a long time myself.

On to your tire questions. You must have a base (non-Z51/Z07) model with 17x8.5 wheels in front and 17x9.5 in back, and 255/45/17 front tires with 285/40/17 rear tires. Yeah, you're choices are limited to the Conti ExtremeContact Sports or (maybe, if they come out of backorder) Nitto 555s. Both are summer tires, and one of those (the Nittos) sucks ***. My recommendation is to drop down 10mm in front and rear tire sizes: 245/45/17 front and 275/40/17 rear. Then you can have your choice of a few good high-performance all-seasons. They will fit great and are the same diameter as the 275/40/17 that came front and rear with the Z51 option (on 17x9.5 front and rear).

93QuasarBlue

so the Op wanted to stay away from Conti's which are the only click and point set up for the staggered setup for reasonable cost. I have this set. Its been about 50-60 F out and I had to lower the psi to about 32 to get them to Not feel like rocks. I park on the yard in the winter so the the dirt makes a cradle shape. No issues with deformation here. They are logoed "sport" probably for a reason, usually implies something "economical" in the build. For the price, so far, not disappointed. I won't argue that they may hit harder rubber compound layers in the middle of life, say 20-30 K, making them very hard riders. Will see.

Fiberbundle

I am running BFG g-Force Comp-2 A/S PLUS 245/45/17 front and 275/40/17 rear on my 95 and could not be more pleased with an all season tire. I have not tried them in snow(and have no desire to do so) but in rain with temperatures in the mid 30s they are excellent. They certainly are significantly better than the Nitto 555 tires I had on my 92 and would not recommend Nittos to anyone.
I certainly do not notice any difference in performance by dropping down in size from original equipment sizes but again it’s not like they are being used for autocross or other performance driving. If that were the case I might have a different opinion but for all season street tires I like them

MatthewMiller

And in reality, the 255/285 tire fitment is too big for the wheels they were installed on if best performance is the goal. They were sized to improve ride comfort and reduce tramlining, not performance. The smaller tires are probably actually better for performance. Note that on the Z07/Z51 handling package options, Chevy went with 275/40/17 on the 17x9.5 tires both front and rear.

Fiberbundle

As noted by MatthewMiller my 92 ZO7 had the square setup. I find with the 245/45/17 front tires on my 95 the car seems to not exhibit the same “wandering” on our roads that are deeply grooved by the high volume of vehicles using studded tires during our winter months. A rather pleasant benefit but I do miss the performance suspension of the 92.

Tribox

Thanks for taking time to respond guys. Absolutely looks like the 245/45 front / 275/40 rear setup is the way to go. Just a question of brand selection now.

ps Matthew: That's for the avatar mention. Been a huge KC fan since the beginning. Saw them last in Nashville Sept. 2019. Awesome. I can't seem to change the avatar to a pic of one of my cars so this'll have to do for now.

rrubel

I've only put a few miles on them so far, but the BFGs mentioned above seem like great tires. They stick well in chilly temps and are much smoother than what they replaced. For me it was between those and the Coopers (also mentioned above) and the BFGs got more and somewhat better reviews on Tire Rack.

I need to get them rebalanced though. The (usually trustworthy) installer used clip-on weights instead of stick-on, and I've already lost one -- plus they look horrible on there.

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