weezon

I have a 2007 Vert with Z51 package. Only 16700 miles and still rolling on the original Good Years. The back tires looked good. The front were shot near bald on the inner side of both. 13 year old tires. The ackerman effect was horrible. The rear end was hopping to side and every crack in the road was bone rattling. Steering was horrible, car all over the road. I was sure I needed new tires, a wheel alignment, and stocks. What the hell was Chevy thinking, I thought. It was damn near unsafe on these Midwest roads at 50 to 60 degrees. They got so hard like riding on wagon wheels. So I ordered Firestone Indy 500s in stock sizes in March before Covid hit. Just got around to installing them this weekend. This is a totally different car. Never have I saw such an improvement from tires in all my 50 years. Wife loves the ride and the look of the tires. She says I don't need new rims now and the kids agreed. Damn kids.

Night and day difference. Ackerman reduced to nothing, no more side hop, no more following the ruts in the road. Rides like a dream on these Midwest roads. So smooth. These Indy 500's are very quite which is what they are known for. The Z51 suspension goes well with these tires on the express way. Still going to get an alignment. Hope they don't screw it up. I love it. Never going back. I have Haggerty road side but looking for a repair kit. I have tire plugs.

astepup

I got my '94 in '09 @ 15 years old with 29K miles and it too had the original GY Gatorbacks (?) but wow did it ride rough and was very squirrely. I think the rule of thumb is to replace tires when they get 7-8 years old regardless of miles as cracking and dry rot will take their toll. If a car's constantly garaged out of the sunlight IIRC that can help as it avoids UV radiation.

montereyredvette

Let us know how those Firestones perform in 13 years.....lol

06slvr

I had the same tires on my 88, wouldn’t hesitate to get them again .

Vette_DD

Tell us that you still feel that way after having a flat tire on an interstate TWICE. Glad I was using run flats. I was driving 120 miles of interstate EVERY week.

919cw313

I like non-runflats too.

However, ANY tire, from the most expensive Michelin ZP to the cheapest Chi-com off-brand Ebay tire, would be better than those horrible Goodyears you replaced, and would yield the same results you raved about in your OP.

CallawaySC560

Just installed Mich PS4S replacing my 7yo low mileage PSS ZP's. Very happy with the ride and the traction. No wheel hop, and they hook up and handle better in all aspects.

irok

What else would you expect from any 13 year old tire.Come back in another 13 years and tell us how great those Firestone's are when 13 years old.I also prefer non run flats

4SUMERZ

It's all about what one feels comfortable. I switched in my first year of ownership from the GY runcraps to a non runflat. I've never had a blowout, only a few slow leaks from picking up a nail or screw. Those were had during road trips, and I pulled out the screw/nail and put a plug in it.
The odds of getting a blowout are like winning a $10 million lottery. It can happen. but rare.

The driving experience is much smoother on a runflat for sure.

Mike Green9

I have managed to get 34,500 mile on my ‘08 coupe (bought new). The front are pretty much worn, the back still have some life yet. I decided to bite the bullet and buy a set of Michelin Super Sport ZP’s.

I would agree that a NON Run Flat would ride & handle better than a Run Flat. And if you want a Run Flat for your C6, your choice is limited to Michelin AS3+ or Michelin Super Sport Plus ZPs. I also do not track my C6.

You can carry an air pump and some green goop and a tire repair kit, but I imagine getting a flat on some deserted road at 1:00 am in the morning. I can’t imagine trying to find the leak (especially on a rear tire), never mind trying to repair it. If I were to call for a flat bed, the damage that would happen to the underside as he tries to hook his chains across to the fame slots, and then a chain trying to hook that cross chain, and then pull the very low sitting vette onto the flat bed – yikes. Basically I’m a chicken. More likely it’s an age thing for me.

Any new tire over the OEM BadYears will be a dramatic improvement. And Michelin has advanced their Run Flat technology on the Super Sport ZP’s, allowing them to ride and handle better (the firmness of the outer wall is different than the inner wall). There are 480+ reviews on them at JEGS, 95% positive on ride and handling.

My 2 cents…

M..

saplumr

For many of us traction is a major issue. I run DOT drag radials but certainly don’t drive long distance. Everyone has their comfort zone.

The Clevite Kid

When the Chevy engineers at the 2014 Bash told us that the C7 Michelin tires were good on the C6, I took them at their word and switched out my OEM Goodyears for the M. Super Sports ZP tires, World of difference and still had the runflat capability if it is ever needed.

CyberBullet

Recently Installed the same tires on my 11 coupe. It is a much better ride. I keep a plug kit in my car. Worst case scenario I call AAA.

4SUMERZ

I totally understand your opinion, and your option to stay with runflats. I doubt that too many C6 owners are driving at 1AM at night on a deserted highway.
If they are, then they need more than runflat tires.
I've put over 110K miles on my non runflats, and on all of those road trips, I've never driven in the dark. we leave at 7AM and are off the road at 5pm, daily.
I'm not one bit concerned about getting a flat tire, getting my car towed by a flatbed, etc.

PCMusicGuy

What sucked about OEM C6 Z51 Goodyear Supercar tires was the tread life, dusty road traction, and cold weather traction. They would also become quite a bit louder as they wore. That said, for tracking, they had outstanding grip and cornering feel. If you needed to run on the track with run-flats and drive back home, there was probably nothing better. I still feel like the Supercar tires had the best stiff corner feel of any run-flat tire I've put on the car.

449er

OP, You obviously never tried the Michelin Super Sport ZP run flats

Vet Interested

My Firestone runflats have been awesome so far after 31,086 miles. Good ride and piece of mind going across the Arizona desert. When its time to replace them I will probably try Michelin since Firestone RF's are no more.

jjfabs

I had my car on a flatbed twice in the last 6 months, once when I had a brake issue it was taken to my house, then from my house to a repair shop. Both drivers were aware of the issues getting a Corvette on the flatbed.
Both were very careful with the car so I have no problem with getting it on a flatbed. One question though, you have never driven your car in the dark? Really? Why?

Fast Dawg

I agree. I had a 15 C7 that had the Michelin OEM tires and at 22,000 miles I put Michelin Pilot AS3s non-run flats on it and was amazed by the difference. I've got a 09 C6 now with the Goodyear run-flats and I'm seriously considering replacing them with the Michelins to get the better ride, even though they were fairly new when I bought the car in November 2019.

paratrooper34

Some people have an issue driving at night because of vision problems. I have a friend who has diabetes (type 1) and she can't see for **** at night. So she doesn't do it. I can imagine she is not alone.
OP, I use a flat tire kit from a C5Z in my C6. It has a pump and fix-a-flat. It is maybe a little help if you get the right kind of flat. In my C5Z, I had a hole in the sidewall, so no fixing those anyway. They towed that car with a flatbed and had no issues whatsoever. Contrary to popular belief, there are many reputable and competent tow companies and employees. I talked with a couple of guys who drove tow trucks (during the tow back home!) and found that my Corvette didn't even make the top 10 of cool cars he picked up in the past.