Cadillac CTS donut for a spare?
#1
6th Gear
Thread Starter
Cadillac CTS donut for a spare?
Hey guys. I'm new to this forum and searching for a little advice re: tires. I have a 2004 base with (surprise!) very bald rear tires. As a first time Corvette owner, I am just now learning of the ridiculous price of replacement Eagle F1 EMT run-flats, and I quite honestly can't afford to shell out $600 per tire. Can anyone tell me if a donut for a 2008-15 Cadillac CTS (T135/70R18) will work as a spare if I decide to go with regular tires? I'm pretty sure it'd fit in the main cargo compartment (where the CD changer is), but I'm not sure about lug-bolt pattern, brake clearance, ground clearance, etc. Any advice would be most appreciated. Thanks!
#2
Zen Vet Master Level VII
Welcome to the forum! I'm not sure on the CTS spare size but my hinch is that it wodul work.
Another option is to spring for a set up like the Z06 guys have. The Z06 does not have a spare and does not use run flats, however they come with a "kit" that has a tire inflate and what amounts to a can of "fix a flat." This is pretty compact and fits in the rear storage compartment area.
https://www.google.com/search?q=c5+c...72822609820076
Another option is to spring for a set up like the Z06 guys have. The Z06 does not have a spare and does not use run flats, however they come with a "kit" that has a tire inflate and what amounts to a can of "fix a flat." This is pretty compact and fits in the rear storage compartment area.
https://www.google.com/search?q=c5+c...72822609820076
The following users liked this post:
RevElvisLee (04-08-2023)
#4
I also have the sealant can and mini inflator. Also have a tire ream and plug kit. However, there are some flats none of the above will fix. So I also carry road service. OP-You'll find few proponents of run flats here. I personally would never run them again. They DO have a place. For instance? How about this; you and the wife take the Vette to a relatives wedding, and get a flat tire. Odds are mighty good it wont matter if you have runflats. However, if you dont have runflats, odds are mighty good youll miss the wedding!! If I was going to run runflats again, they wouldn't be Goodyears. My opinion......
The following 2 users liked this post by grinder11:
RevElvisLee (04-08-2023),
yellow2007 (04-07-2023)
#5
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Dec 2017
Location: Virginia
Posts: 5,379
Received 3,112 Likes
on
1,940 Posts
2021 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
St. Jude Donor '21-'22
+1 for switching to non-runflats. No need to carry a spare. You can get a small air compressor from Amazon for $20. Combine that with a tire repair kit, and a AAA membership. This will will by far be your best option. The cheaper non-runflat tires are just plain better as well. They are quieter, get better traction, and offer a better ride. I really wouldn't bother with a spare.
The following 2 users liked this post by MWWarlord:
RevElvisLee (04-08-2023),
yellow2007 (04-07-2023)
#6
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Dec 2017
Location: Virginia
Posts: 5,379
Received 3,112 Likes
on
1,940 Posts
2021 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
St. Jude Donor '21-'22
Also...Welcome to the forum!!
Don't forget to SAVE THE WAVE!!
Don't forget to SAVE THE WAVE!!
The following users liked this post:
RevElvisLee (04-08-2023)
#7
Administrator
Member Since: Mar 2001
Location: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
Posts: 343,741
Received 19,527 Likes
on
14,091 Posts
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-
'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
First off, the newer runflat tires are much improved over tires that were available years ago. They ride better, have less road noise and the performance is very good. I would agree that $600/tire is nuts (not sure where you are finding tires that cost that much), but a good quality set of all season runflats does not run anywhere near that price. Tire Rack has Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ ZP tires in stock sizes for $273 each front and $379 each rears. I run these tires on my C7 and they are excellent. And the web site shows them to be in stock. Other sites may show similar costs and availability.
That said, I ran non-runflats on my last two C5s for many years and was pleased with them too. I used Hankook Ventus V12 EVO tires and yes, they were cheaper to purchase than the runflats. I did carry an air compressor and plug kit in the car and had emergency road service on the car as a safety measure.
Bottom line is it is your choice what type of tire you go with but don’t discount the capabilities of today’s runflat tires.
That said, I ran non-runflats on my last two C5s for many years and was pleased with them too. I used Hankook Ventus V12 EVO tires and yes, they were cheaper to purchase than the runflats. I did carry an air compressor and plug kit in the car and had emergency road service on the car as a safety measure.
Bottom line is it is your choice what type of tire you go with but don’t discount the capabilities of today’s runflat tires.
The following 2 users liked this post by Vetteman Jack:
c5arlen (04-08-2023),
RevElvisLee (04-08-2023)
#8
Burning Brakes
Member Since: Aug 2014
Location: Richmond VA
Posts: 1,174
Received 273 Likes
on
201 Posts
St. Jude Donor '18
The problem with carrying a spare in a C5, especially a coupe...
...is securing it. AND the jack that you will be carrying. In an accident the spare and the jack can and very likely will kill or maim you.
It's best just to carry a patch kit and a small inflator. That's what most of us do.
...is securing it. AND the jack that you will be carrying. In an accident the spare and the jack can and very likely will kill or maim you.
It's best just to carry a patch kit and a small inflator. That's what most of us do.
The following users liked this post:
RevElvisLee (04-08-2023)
#9
6th Gear
Thread Starter
#10
Drifting
The spare wheel discussion has been on the forum for years, many using the previous generation GTO mini spare (with modifications). Found an recent thread from last year, check post #2 for a interesting alternative
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...es-fit-c5.html
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...es-fit-c5.html
The following users liked this post:
RevElvisLee (04-11-2023)
The following users liked this post:
RevElvisLee (04-11-2023)
The following users liked this post:
RevElvisLee (04-11-2023)
#13
6th Gear
Thread Starter
The spare wheel discussion has been on the forum for years, many using the previous generation GTO mini spare (with modifications). Found an recent thread from last year, check post #2 for a interesting alternative
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...es-fit-c5.html
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...es-fit-c5.html
#14
6th Gear
Thread Starter
An update for anyone who is interested: After what I can only describe as a comedy of errors attempting to purchase tires on eBay, I made a 2nd attempt on Tire Rack. By default, Tire Rack wants to know the year, make and model of the car you're buying tires for. But since the C5 has different sizes for front and rear (and Tire Rack wants to sell you 4 tires), my choices were very limited until I switched to providing only the tire size I was looking for - and then I ran into a bit of luck! They happened to have Bridgestone Potenza RE050A RFT's in the correct size on sale for $160/each. Quite the price improvement over the Eagle F1 run-flats (though they don't exactly get rave reviews online). If anyone reading this happens to have any experience with Potenza RFTs, I'd be interested to know what your opinion of them is.
Anyway, thanks everybody for taking the time to educate me on the subject!
Anyway, thanks everybody for taking the time to educate me on the subject!