Zman6

At 10,500 miles I decided to replace the factory GY's, dry traction was horrible and and they were getting close to the wear bars.

Originally wanted to go with a 345 tire in the rear but with limited options and availability for a run flat I opted to go with the RE050A in stock sizes.

I've had this 2011 GS vert (manual trans) for about a year, my 4 biggest complaints were:
1) Extreme wheel hop as soon as tire broke loose
2) Poor dry traction, spun rear tires in 1st & 2nd gear with minimal effort leading to 1st complaint.
3) Interior road noise. So bad didn't like to drive it with top up.
4) Front tires scrubbing on tight turns. Embarrassing when new passengers always asked "whats wrong with your car?".

Here are my observations with having the new tires installed one day ago. Dry straight line traction is leaps n bounds better, and when the rear tires did break loose I did not feel any wheel hop.
Interior road noise is reduced by 70-80% I estimate. I always thought the road noise was due to poor sound insulation. I was wrong!
I thought the tire scrubbing on tight turns was a car characteristic that I just had to live with but to my surprise this was hugely improved and hardly notice it anymore.

It's only been 24 hours and my former complaints may return as I put miles on these tires but for now it's as if I have a new and improved Vette. Couldn't be happier.

BTW... I paid $1579 (including 6% sales tax) installed from Discount Tire.

Uncle Meat

I was unaware this issue was tire specific. So a change in brand or compound stops this?

U.M.

Zman6

Go figure. I didn't expect any improvement with that issue but when I cut the wheel hard to back into the driveway, barely any scrubbing. Hopefully it stays this way.

Landru

All tires 'scrub' w/ C6, it's well known by CF C6 longtimers so if anything your new BS' may scrub more sine they're pretty sticky when new. Scrubbing's due to a shorter radius between outside vs inside-to-the-turn tires.
No biggy, no harm no foul, it's normal.

Since the 1st replacement of the GYs on my '06 I've used PPs, including 2 sets on my '08 Z06.
Great tire, and, a great buy...or, it used to be in my case.

Just replaced tires on the '08, maybe due to the car needing Z06 sizes but was the biggest PITA I've had yet buying tires.

One Chev dealer's SM told me his distributor "discontinued" PPs for Z06. Sounded weird so I wrote Bridgestone an email requesting info. BS never replied.
Instead he quoted me for Michelin PSS' @ $2,370, my second choice. Second only because Michelin, while a superior overall tire, cost a good deal more than BS, too.

Another Chev dealer said they could get BS PPs, but they'd cost $2K.
I'd usually paid close what you did for Z06 sizes, so I was left wondering WTH.
Then they quote me $2,800 for the Michelins, alignment to PFADT street specs added $129.

Oh and neither place would 'price match' from any Internet tire vendor. Period.

I went w/ first dealer, got the Michelins. Always wanted to try 'em anyway, if I weren't such a penny pincher. Didn't have a choice, $00 more, pretty satisfied and hopefully the Michelin will last longer than the BBs did.
Would make the extra $400 better for the long run, time'll tell.

Wanted better-than-GY + a reasonable cost, and up to now Bridgestone's PPs were the ticket. Again it may be just the Z06, but probably would've popped for a 3rd set of BS if I hadn't felt their dealer network tried jerking me around. You'll love the BS PPs.

Seadawg

Discount tire loses a lot of sales, because their website is broken and will not show the Pole Positions as an option for GS and Z06 vettes.

They refuse to fix it, so you need to ask them in person for the tires.

I'm on my send set, still very happy with the RE050A Pole Positions

Zman6

How do these perform as they approach the end of there tread life?

Torchsport

I was hoping for a longer term review, but thanks for posting nonetheless.

$1,579 is a great price. But I to have found that Discount Tire doesn't list these tires. Strange.

Zman6

I got a quote from Costco @ $1585 out the door. Called Discount Tire and was originally quoted about a hundred bucks more. I gave them the price from Costco and they beat it by a few bucks. As another poster mentioned, they don't list these on the website but they do sell them.

ruxvette

My '11 GS has Bstone Poles with 30k miles on them (I had Gyears on my '05). Obviously, I do not track the car or drive it exceptionally hard...just "spirited" .
I have the Pfadt street spec alignment and the tires have worn evenly. They will be replaced in the next 2-3k miles. Traction is still good, noise level decent. The tires are getting a little harder as they age but I am still sold on them.
By the way OP...if you haven't, get a good alignment. If you don't track the car go with either GM base Corvette specs or the Pfadt street specs.

Zman6

Yes, I plan on getting a lifetime alignment from Firestone done to the Pfadt Street specs in next few days.

truth.b

I'm on my second set and I hope that they keep making them, because I think they are the best all around time for the GS & Z06. Very predictable tire under hard driving even though the rears wore slightly faster than the fronts but not by much. After about 21k miles my set did get a bit hard, but I know that is because I track my car and go to the mountains a few time a year. I think under normal driving they should be good for about 25k~30k miles and definitely won't heat cycle. Note: I knew I was getting new tires and I had never been to drag strip so I went 3 weekend in a row and ended up having 44 passes (3, 26,15) by the time it was over. Rears still had about 2/32 left.



Tires Wear: Roughly ~13 Months @ 20,000+ miles



Tires Wear: Roughly ~16 Months @ 24,500+ miles
This was after 3 weekends of drag racing for a combined 44 passes

Dewayne4608

I've got 6k on mu 50A and they are amazing. Best tire when you compare price and ride. I got my for $1,500 out the door installed. They put my car in a bay with no lift I provided pucks and they used floor jacks and took amazing car of my baby. I'm telling you guys the 50A is hands down the best tire for our cars.

4SUMERZ

Pretty much any tire but a Goodyear RF will be a HUGE improvement as far as wet or cold traction, high cost, high noise from the tires, even at full thread-(8/32"), too hard a compound, and the thread wear factor is much lower than other brands, meaning they wear out faster. Most will agree that a GY RF F1 Supercar tire will only last about 10K miles, and even then, the noise level is brutally loud at 4/32" or half worn out.
Michelin RF's start at 9.5/32" at full thread, and firestones RF's at 10/32"

Why would anyone want to replace the GY's with the same crappy tire once the original wears out???

Zman6

Errrrr.... Went to Firestone this morning to get the alignment done and they couldn't get it up, up on the alignment rack to be more specific. Even putting down boards the angle of the ramp was too much for the splitter to clear.

Gotta find another place now.

hisvett

I'm pushing 30K on my set of B-Stones (CE GS); The rears are going to get changed out soon at a little over 30K while the fronts are good for another 20K or so (estimate 40 to 45K miles total). Mostly Hwy miles, never smoked the rears, I do love a spirited drive on back roads and above all I check the alignment every 6 months Via Firestone Lifetime alignment.

Drive on

Torchsport

That's great to hear!

97Z28M6

This is definitely the case, when I put PSS on my car scrubbing is completely gone except for when the tires were very very cold.

Zman6

Yep, a half dozen trips up and down the driveway, cutting the wheel completely I officially have no wheel scrubbing.

Cor430vette

I have the Bridgestones Potenza RE11s....rated real high love em...someone told me they dont make them in our size anymore ( Grandsport) ??

Uncle Meat

Ackermann Effect can be eliminated with a different compound tire. I still find this strange.

U.M.