donbartlett

Hey all;

My 87' still has the OEM Goodyear Gatorbacks on it....and man they are pretty bad to drive on after 25 years!!!! Hard, slippery, bumpy, and I am quite sure not trustworthy........

At any rate, I really don't have the capitol for new rims of like 17" size, and I kind of like the wheels anyway; so with that do any of you have any suggestions for a good tire type and size......

I know the OEM size is 255/ZR50/16..........

Could I run 245's or, is that a bit too small of a size? I noticed there were more to choose from in that category..... could I go with a different aspect ratio?

As always; thanks a lot for the input....

racebum

frankly, you're stuck unless you get super soft track tires

the only choice available in 255 50 16 is the BFG sport which is more modern but harder than your gatorbacks {or what the gatorbacks use to be}. that said as old as those GY's are the sports will handle, stop and feel much better

in 245 50 16 the yoke es100 is still showing on the TR website BUT that tire hasn't been made since 2008 making the newest 3yrs old. it's a better tire than the sport but also slightly smaller.

245 50 16 is 25.8" tall, sec w 9.8" es100
255 50 16 is 26" tall, sec w 10.2" bfg sport
275 40 17 is 25.7" tall

this is SUCH a toss up since the es100 is the better tire of the two but it's also an aged casting that while capable of out performing the sport new is just impossible to tell since a 2010 sport vs a 2007 es100 might yield different results

cosmetically the 245 50 16 will look better on the 8.5" wheel and the 255 better on the 9.5" wheel

donbartlett

Bum;

Thanks........

I too saw the G-Sport.......

Seems like options are pretty limited.....

I think I agree with you that the old tires are hard as a rock. A new tire that is "hard" is 'prolly still "Soft" compared to my old shoes.........

Have there been decent reviews on the BFG's?

I have always had BFG's on all my cars anyhoo...........

c4cruiser

Nothing at all wrong with the BF Goodrich g-Force Sports. They are available in 255/50-16 and you can get them from the Tire Rack, a CF Supporting Vendor. Tire Rack can also drop-ship them to one of their preferred installation stores so you don't have to haul them around.

If you have a Discount Tire store locally, they will usually price-match.

Definitely stop driving on the original Gatorbacks! At that age, they can be so dried out that they can easily come apart with no warning. Not just go flat, but shred themselves in a second or two.

Also check out the Falken ZIEX ZE-512. Look here and enter your ZIP code to find a local dealer. Or try Discount Tire Direct They carry that Falken Tire. DTD usually has free shipping and no sales tax.

Sweeride39

Pretty sure the Continental Extreme Contact DW (not DWS) comes in the size your looking for. I got my set from discounttiredirect.com I fricken love 'em. My other choice is Firestone Firehawk Indy wide oval.

racebum

not sure how long ago this was, as of now the only street tires at discount are the 512 and bfg sport, of those the bfg sport is the better

one thing you can do to save money is find the cheapest price online + shipping, take it to discount and they will match it in person.

donbartlett

So let me throw this out there;

If I did decide to go with 17" rims, I would want 8.5 fronts and 9.5 backs to be the same as factory for clearance, right??

I would just assume not have to get new wheels, but I also want to be able to get tires I want and trust, not the best tire of the only two I get to choose from......ya know???

Do you guys happen to know the OEM Back space on the factory wheels........???? I would like to come as close as possible to a factory width and back set to avoid the use of adapters or spacers. I don't personally care for those...

Well, off to work for me.......I will check in later....

Thanks a bunch,

Don

donbartlett

Ohhhh I think I found the specs:

1987 (base)
front & rear 16"x8.5" 32mm (6.0" backspacing)
Goodyear Eagle VR50, P255/50VR-16

1987 (z51,z52)
front & rear 16"x9.5" 38mm (6.7" backspacing)
Goodyear Eagle VR50, P255/50VR-16

5 x 4.75 bolt pattern

Does that look about right??

Sandpiper59

If you do go 17's, there are a ton of choices from dirt cheap to really expensive. The PO of my 87 had AR 17's and put Rikken Raptors on (275-40) and they can be had for $400 for 4. I find they look great, ride OK and have a decent traction rating. There are certainly better tires, but at $400 a set, they will help offset the cost of new rims and will be cheap to replace the backs when you burn them off

1986-z51

Run a search on toyo tires. They 3 different tires in that size. They also offer a 275/45/16 in proxes tq.

donbartlett

Thanks guys..........

I was also curious if you know the metric equivalent to 5 x 4 3/4" (or just the 4 3/4 part! LOL)

I was just looking at American Racing wheels, and there are a butt load of nice looking 17 x 8.5 and the like.....but most all have metric bolt spacing listed.......

.............??

Sandpiper59

It's 120.649 and I think you'll find wheels listed as 5x120.65.. There are also 'universal' wheels with slots that allow a range of fit but I am not a lover of them..

donbartlett

I really like your rims Piper!!!!! what are those??? may need to copy cat ya!!!!

racebum

that's either a c5z copy or a cray, can't tell in the small pic

if you go 275 40 17 on all 4 corners your life is SO MUCH EASIER, you could split with a 245 45 17 in front on an 8.5", your choice, difference either way isn't huge. the 245 reduces oversteer a bit and tracks easier on rutty roads. personally i like the look of 275 on all 4 but it's totally your call

now on to tires. you have 2 really good choices in the kumho xs and falken 615

either one of those is faster than the 2x priced michelin sport2 in the dry. sadly the fast dry/wet tires like the yokohama ad08 or z1 star spec aren't available in corvette sizes

this is actually the best street tire i have driven yet, if you own other cars that can use it they are so worth trying
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....VAN+Neova+AD08

jsinga

I have the BFG G-force Sport on my 87. They followed a set of SZ Firestones (out of production) The Firestones turned it into an oldsmobile compared to the previous set of BFG that were hard as a rock.
The BFG's actually track straighter than the Firestones. They stick about the same. They aren't noisy. Rain grip is less than the Firestones. They balanced up without a lot of weight. On a cold morning they will thump about a mile until they warm up.For the price they are a great value.
I have a Z52 car with 9.5" wheels.
Don't put 245's on they won't hold, the car will get near the limit and snap loose and you'll be headed for the ditch.
The upside to 17" wheels besides tire selection? C5 brake upgrade will fit. Upgrade with used parts can be done for about the same price as C-4 J55. Rotors are cheaper and you get more brake.
Early C4 brakes aren't much, I did the J55 upgrade and it was more than worth it.

If you order from Tire Rack tell them you want a date matched set of fresh tires. I didn't get both front and back at the same time and one set was about 10 months old.

JS

Sandpiper59

I have no idea.. They are made by American Racing, polished (not coated) aluminum. Didn't see anything else on them, came with the car. I have been into the AR site and don't see them but they could be a number of years old.

ScaryFast

I have some black Grand Sport style rims for sale cheap over in the RR forum...but they're 11x17. Not sure if you want something that wide, unless you just get 2 for the back.

As for tires, I love the g-force KDW. One caveat - they are LOUD. Probably not a huge deal on a C4, but on the BMW I used to have (which actually had sound deadening in it ) it was really annoying.

stevie1dr

I have the Toyo Proxis 4 on my car and have been very pleased with them. they wear very well, and are low on road noise. I'm running the 275-40-17 all the way around. They are also reasonably priced. I got mine from discount tires direct.com.

Steve

5abivt

I generally tell people who ask you pay for what you get. A lot of people see reviews for a tire that come out better than more expensive tires but there is ALWAYS a traffics be it ride quality, noise , longevity etc etc. In the world of tires you pay for what you get is as true as can be.

Having said that replacing gator backs that are that old ... You can probably get better traction with 4 spare tires lol!

j-wireman

I was going to say "check out Avon tires". That's what I bought. 4 years ago. It seems that Cooper owns them now, and has seen fit to discontinue my style (Tech 500) and size (275x17). So, in the future, I'll probably be buying from one of their competitors. Too bad, because they're good tires. I love 'em.

ADVICE TO THE O.P.: I would not change rear rim size. Keep all four the same. That way, they can be rotated every 2500 miles or so.


Mike
'90 'vert