av8or3

I recently installed a set on my Z06 and have formed some opinions and
made some observations. At first it seemed like I lost some power,it seemed
like the throttle response went away.I even thought for a while something had
broken. I recently had the oportunity to remove the tire/wheels for some shock work and couldn't help but notice that they are VERY HEAVY. The GY
Supercar tire/wheel combination feels like balsa wood by comparison. Probably due to the use of steel in the Michelin vs. Flexten (or something) in
the Goodyears.
It does require horsepower to turn the additional weight and I'm sure that's
where my power has gone. Don't misunderstand me,I can still roast them,
just not as quickly.
They don't seem the grip as well as the GY's,but will probably wear like
iron (just my luck). I would/will swap them for the Goodyear F1 Supercar
tires in a minute. Thanks for your time... :leaving:

wamara

interesting comments....

redzone

I love mine! Have had no such problems :cheers:

z-u-later

:iagree:

ConePunter

redzone - your ride looks awesome. those wheels are z06 motorsports right? mind sharing the wheel and tire sizes you're running?

back on topic, the weight issue is intriguing. anyone ever had a chance to weigh a goodyear f1-sc as well as some of the other popular tires? is it correct to assume av8or that you went back with stock z06 sized Pilots?

cheers all

Z06-JIM

I really like mine and will most likely replace with same when needed!
By the way, "redzone", your car looks :cool: slammed that low!

otisZo6

I agree wiyh you av8or3. I didn't like the traction with my pilots as much as the goodyears. The pilots look much better, but I went back to the stickier goodyears. And after moving both sets on and off twice now, the goodyears do seem to be considerably lighter. I won't buy the pilots again.


[Modified by otisZo6, 3:44 AM 1/8/2004]

Zen06

If they are indeed heavier, you are adding unsprung weight. Because this part of a vehicle is in direct connection to the road and therefore subject to all of its imperfections, it is important that this weight be as low as possible, or at least much lower than the weight of the sprung part of the vehicle, in order that the wheels maintain optimal contact with the road surface. The greater the unsprung weight, the greater the inertia of the suspension, which will be unable to respond as quickly to rapid changes at the interface between the road and wheel. One of the goals of the Z06 design team was to get the unsprung weight as low as possible.

:seeya

blackz28turbo

I have these on my Camaro and I must say the traction sucks. Of course the 600 ft lbs of torque might have something to do with that. :eek:

C5Longhorn

Wow, these are the first negative comments I've read about the Pilot Sports. I have several friends who have them and they are really happy with the performance from them. I'm waiting to check out the new PS2 when more sizes are available.

Maineiac

I run my Goodyears and stock wheels for track days, and run the Pilot Sports on the street. I think the Goodyear is a MUCH better tire. :yesnod:

Tom Steele

Interesting,

I just went from the OEM Goodyears to the Michelin Pilot Sports and I have differing views.

First, they'd have to be made of lead for you to FEEL a difference in acceleration.

I have felt no such thing.

The only thing I have felt is a smoother ride (my OEM's were worn and beginning to get very harsh ride characteristics and noisy!).

I have a few turns that I take at the limit for fun on a several-times-a-week basis on my daily drive to and from work. I picked up about 2mph in one of the sharper (near-90 degree) turns with the Michelins.

I honestly didn't expect that. I thought I would lose a good deal of dry traction, but that has not been the case so far.

The other thing I've noticed is the wet handling is improved by an astronomical factor.

My overall opinion: I liked the OEM's a lot on dry pavement. I like the Michelins a lot on wet AND dry pavement.

YMMV,


[Modified by Tom Steele, 9:25 PM 1/8/2004]

Flyin'Brian

Didn't like the pilot Sports, got rid of them and put on BFG G-Force KD's....much better now

VNAMVET

Nice looking ride Bri............very nice! :yesnod:

stingray454

Thanks for your comments. Your comments are exactly what I expected from the Pilots. I have the Pilot Sports on my G35 Coupe, and although its a different car, I feel the same way you do about the Pilots vs. the F1 Supercars.

Tom Steele

"The Pilot Sport's tread designs are supported by two belts made of high-tensile, lightweight steel cords which are further reinforced by size optimized, spirally wrapped nylon cord utilizing BAZ (Banded At Zero) Technology to improve quick steering response and resist distortion while they enhance ride quality and high speed durability."

"Eagle F1 tires feature just 8/32" to 9/32” of new tire tread depth (1/32” to 2/32" less than most other Max Performance tires) to assure quick responsiveness. Internally, twin steel belts (for strength and handling) are reinforced by spirally wound nylon (to enhance footprint pressure distribution and tire uniformity) and combined with a rayon cord carcass (for ride quality and high-speed durability)."

(source: http://www.tirerack.com)

Now what was that crap you were saying about Flexten or something? :troll

I'm sorry, but it is going to take concrete blocks before you can tell the difference in a set of tires in straight-line performance on a Z06. You're imagining things.


That sounds good, like maybe you are getting more traction.

If they don't grip as well, how come you have to try harder to roast them? Maybe you are getting more traction. You think this is because they weigh a couple pounds more?

Please.

Well, if I had a set, I'd swap them all right - the GY's are quite a bit cheaper. And they are DEADLY in the rain compared to the Michelins.

As for wear, my experience is that the Michelins don't wear a lot better, but they do start with 1/32-2/32 MORE TREAD to begin with, so they will last a little longer.

Just a final note, I don't own stock in Michelin, nor do I work for them. I do have them on my car. Personally, I think the GY's are an incredible dry tire. They are horrible in the rain. The Michelin Pilot SX surprised me with better than expected dry performance and MUCH better than the GY wet performance.

What offends me about this post is the total lack of logic and evidence for the nonsensical things you are saying about the Michelin tires.

Show me the weight difference between the tires.

Show me the math/physics for the amount of hp you are siphoning off to turn those extra couple of pounds.

BTW, no one here seems to notice when they put chrome wheels on their Z06's. That adds unsprung weight, but I do not believe I have seen a single post suggesting that someone felt their car was slower because of different wheels. But you are sure those Michelins are just dragging your car down...

Solid LT1

My wife has an 02 Z06. I get to "borrow" her car on rare occassions, my 2 consecutive WSCC stock championships on OEM Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires are testimony to the excellent engineering done by Chevy and Goodyear on the Z06. Keep your French tires, I'll buy American and keep people working and the profits in my country! The only "better" tire I have run is the "over the top" Hoosier AS03 "DOT" (yeah right!) racing radials. My wife has won 2 WSCC championships and we only went through 1 set of Goodyear tires (14K street miles, many autocosses.) I will admit, when the outer sipes (grooves) are worn and the tread is solid, the Goodyears are downright "deadly" in any wet conditions but, thats why God created the SUV!


[Modified by Solid LT1, 4:59 AM 1/13/2004]

av8or3

Man,who pissed in your corn flakes? What ever I said didn't warrant a personal attack,as I said,Ihave some observations and opinions. I can't
imagine how you got to 2000+ posts and still kept your 100%. :chill:

93Polo

I'm on Pilot Sports now and am not a big fan. I'll be going back to Yokohama AVS Sports or trying BF G Force KDs. Weight can make a difference there was a big change between the stock wheels, AFS wheels, and Forgelines on my 93.

stingray454

Yes, only a few lbs. difference in wheel/tire weight can make a big difference in handling and steering feel.

GM worked closely with GY to get the F1 Supercar weight down as much as possible. It's specifically designed for the Z06. So why would you put on a heavier tire that wasn't specifically designed for the car? Wet weather performance is the only reason I can see. I don't drive my Z in the rain, so I don't care about that.