gymrat

Replacing tires this week from OEM and am thinking the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S (still want the runflat capability) are these recommended would like a little better ride than the goodyear or do the Firestone's get better recommendations. Thanks

rwlc5

I have the Michelin's and really like them. They ride much smoother than the Goodyears. Additionally, if you get a flat in the Firestones, I believe that Firestone does not recommend repairing them, whereas Michelin does allow a repair.

ArmyVette

I have the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S ZPs and love them. Better handling, much quieter, longer tread wear, all in all, a great set of tires.

07blackcoupe

I too have to get tires soon. From what I have read, the Michelin's are the only run flat tire that is rated for all weather. According to TireRack.com all of the other run flat tires available for the C5 are considered summer tires- temperature rating of the tire relative to the performance and tread rating I guess. Another factor that I am considering is that the Goodyears are the only run flat tires that have a 200 mile zero pressure limit due to the stiffness of the sidewall. That also accounts for the high level of ride noise. Both the Michelin's and the Firestone's got better ratings for ride noise but only have a 50 mile zero pressure limit.
For me I think I would go with the Michelin's due to the price and the all weather rating since I drive my vette every day of the year in NJ!
What type of driving are you going to do pleasure/performance/daily driver and what climate will you be driving in?
Good luck, hope this helps...

pewter99

had both....the Michelins will probably last loner than the stones

Turbo5

I love my Michelin Pilot Sport a/s tires. I got the no runflat ones, but the car is amazing with these tires. Highly recommend them to anyone who is tired of the noise, quick jumps across the median, or to the ditch. They handle great and the ride is wonderful!

Also these tires look like they are a little smaller across the tread. I think they have lowered the car from 1/2" to 1". That doesn't sound like much, but when you consider 3.7" from the bottom of the car with the origianl Goodyear EMTs to the ground, when you lower the car a little it makes a lot of difference. At any rate these tires are not an exact size replacement for the Goodyears. If that makes a difference to you, it may not hurt to measure the Michelin tires carefully to see how much difference there really is. My tires were completely worn out at 30k and I left them with the tire store or I would be happy to give you an exact numbers on this.

Turbo5

MisterC

And, if you happen to be an occasional week-end racer, the Michelins are fairly sticky too.

BlueL36

and they work in snow, too.

arcom

I'm new to runflats as well as Corvettes. I replaced the OEM Goodyears with the Michelin zero pressures and while the Michelins are a bit quieter, the ride is still obnoxiously hard--altho not as bad as the GYs. My neighbor has a '97 vette with very low mileage and regular Michelin Sports. The ride is absolutely plush compared to my car.

But mine is a daily driver and the one thing I don't want is a flat without a spare. So I'll stick with the Michelins and put up with the hard ride.

srchief100

I just had Michelin's put on yesterday. On my drive to work this morning the biggest difference was the quieter ride as opposed to the Goodyears. The Interstate Highway System in Missouri really blows - but these tires helped tremendously.

Steve-H

i am enjoying mine especially after having them road pressure balanced where the simulate driving conditions. Hunter GSP 9700 balancer.

RDVT4ME

I have the Pilot Sport A/S Zp's. We had lot's of rain this winter in SoCal and the vette was rock solid in the wet stuff....really amazing!

These are excellent tires.

gkc501

I’ve had both (Michelin & Firestone) run flats. Both are improvement over GY OEMs. Michelins ride better than Firestone (quieter, softer). Don’t know which last longer (still on my first pair of Michelins.

Vetteman Jack

I have the Firestone Firehawks on mine during the winter. They are a good tire with decent handling, ride and noise control.

Not too long ago, I sent an e-mail to Firestone asking about the repairability of the tires in the event of a puncture. They assured me that they can be repaired and that yes, they may lose their speed rating due to a puncture. I have been running two of their tires that have been repaired for over two years and they have performed just fine. I just take into account that the tires have been repaired and adjust accordingly.

The main drawback to the Firestones compared to the Goodyears is the distance they can be driven with zero pressure. Still, I'd recommend the Firestones as a viable alternative to the Goodyears.

flash134

AFVETTE

I too bought the Michelin Z/P's when I had my 99 coupe. Aside from being a great all around tire that wears like iron, Michelin gives you something no one else does. A full two year replacement warranty. I didn't know this until I was filling out the registration and reading the warranty booklet that came with the tires.

That should tell you all you need, plus the fact that the C5R and now C6R switched to Michelin's last year.

Tom

jimcork1

I have been running the FS Z50 for 30K miles and had 1 flat. It has been repaired and a non issue. New tires will almost always be quieter than old worn tires. The new rubber is softer. However the Z50's are still quieter than GY's. I will replace them within the next 5K or so. They have been track driven,, so the 35K or so isn't bad mileage.

I am considering the Mich.. pilots but now it is a pricing issue. I have been shopping and the Mich. are cheaper than the FS. So lets see who is the lowest bidder. I am going to let price decide. FS or Mich? only time will tell. I think they are both good tires.

GY,, ,, they work, but harsh,, noisy,,

So

bierbelly

I'm in the market too, and was pretty much sold on the Michelins, until I saw the Tire Rack ratings on a comparable Pirelli. I've had Pirellis before and they are great tires, and the Tire Rack ratings bear that out. Then I found out that they weren't runflats...

Blindfingers

I too an running the Michelin PS AS ZPs and find them to be a bit pricey, but much better than the OEM Goodyears.

Bruce1899

I had my Mich Pilots ZP for almost 9 months, very little wear, great ride and handling. Much quieter than the stock Goodyears.