AFVETTE

This past Friday I had my local Firestone dealer install 4 new Firestone Firehawk Wide Ovals in 275/40/17 (front) and 295/35/18 (rear) sizes. $832 out the door with the best handling of my car, wheels and mounting and balancing I could have asked for. I even have the LTP Sensor's installed and the tech removed them first before dismounting the old tires, then he installed the new tires and re-installed the sensors. I had 4 new O-Rings which I provided. He knew to torque the sensors to 110 Inch Pounds. Each wheel lug was hand installed and initially tightened with an air impact gun to 50 FT LBs, then set to 75 FT LBs with a Torque Wrench and finally to 100 FT LBs in the classic STAR pattern. A combination of rim weights (inside) and tape weights (outside edge) were used. It took the Tech 2 hours. He handled my car very gently and took great pride in his work. He also mentioned I need to return in a week so he can re-torque the lugs and check air pressure. He was tipped accordingly.

Now for my 48 hours review:

First, I like the way they look. 10/32nd's of tread vs the GY's 8/32nd's makes a huge visual statement. I'm expecting much greater tread wear. At first glance they look ODD compared to the GY look. Maybe it's the built-in rim protector or the slightly rounded sidewall, but they do look different. The rim protector is a nice touch since "knock on wood" my wheels after 38 months of service are PERFECT. I want to keep them that way.

I had the air pressure set to 32 PSI and headed out to my favorite and familiar back roads around Scott AFB. I quickly noticed two things. First they are much quieter than the GY SuperCar F1's. Granted my rears were original with 16,600 miles on them but the fronts were brand new this past May. The GY have a harmonic noise that my wife and I were both bothered by. She used the term "sing" to describe the sound. I DynaMatted the rear and that killed most of the road noise and "singing" from the rear but it was very much present up front (before and after installing the new front tires) so I can only conclude it's a design trait of the GY's. The FSWO's make NO such noise. Second the FSWO are silky smooth. They are much smoother than the GY in any state. I bought the car with 4771 miles so it wasn't like the initial state of the car was with worn tires.

Now for less subjective observations, how do they handle and grip. In two words - Like Glue. Before replacing the GY's I took the car out this past Friday am on my usual romp and stomp play roads. I drove the car as I always do. There is a 90 degree turn I can take at 40 MPH, come out of it in 2nd gear and go WOT all they way to 3rd gear. With the GY's it was a nice controlled 4 wheel drift, when I'd go WOT (about 2500 RPM) in 2nd the tires would spin all the way till I lifted or shifted and the rear end was "dancing" back and fourth (TC off). I did the same on the FSWO's and the car gripped so good going around the corner it surprised me and my cell phone flew out of the ash tray and hit the passenger door. Going WOT in 2nd the rear tires spun for about the 20 feet and then just BIT the pavement and the car accelerated like it never has.

My lightly modded 03 Z (367RWHP) is a daily driver. In cold and damp/wet conditions the GY F1's were dangerous. I'll get my chance to test the FSWO's all weather prowess later this week as we have rain and very cool temps forecasted. That was one of the main reason's I opted to look at other tires. I'll let you know how they fair in cold rain later this week.

Summary: I was and never been a fan of Firestone tires. I grew up a "GOODYEAR" man. But I have to admit that Firestone seems to have come up with a great high performance tire that should be on any one's short list when it comes time for new tires.

Here are a few photo's:

Front tires:



Rear View:


BTW the store manager mentioned these are actually Bridgestone RE750 with the exact same spec's renamed as the Wide Oval to help restore FS image with the public and they started off with a "halo" tire.

I also stopped my the SVT Cobra forum and these folks love these tires as well. Some even claim getting 20K miles out of them. Guess if they get the performance car nuts on board they will follow suit with passenger and truck tires. Guess we'll see how that plays out but for us vette owner's we have another great tire to choose from that doesn't cost and arm and a leg.


Tom

slong

Nice post. Do you know if they come in wider sizes and what are the ratings on those FS?

ErnieN85

Tom, I've had them on my Z06 for 15,000 now including some real heavy rain & track time. I have about 8/32 tread left. so I'd say you can look forward to quite a bit of the same good times.
BTW I'm at My son's in Maryville right now, never realized you were near Till the mention of Scott. My Daughterin law is stationed there.
Great write up BTW where was the install done? seems like really good shop.

DPG

great review, i am lookin fo rnew tires adn these just might be it

quimbo

I have my wide ovals on my Z around 4 months now and they are GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



QUIMBO SEEYAAAH

Gonzo

I like the rim protector feature, you don't have to guess why

Trebor

AFVETTE:

Nice looking tires. When they removed the old weights from the outside edge of the wheel, did that leave a mark on the wheel? I can only imagine removing the weight from a powder coated wheel will leave a mark.

thanks,

trebor

427Z

curious as to why you went with a 275 front tire when the WO's come in stock Z sizes front and back?

Too Tall Bob

I now use my Z06 almost exclusively as a track car, and when I corded my GY F1's, I bought a second set of rims to mount some R-compounds (Kumho 710's). The stock rims received a set of FS WO's in the same sizes that you have. My GY's lasted about 4 track days when the cord popped thru, and my Kumho's are only going to be good for about 4 days as well.

My FS WO's have taken a real lickin' at Spring Mountain, and I have about 5 track days on them so far, and they aren't even half worn yet! And, I've beaten the cr*p out of them on purpose just to see if they would take the punishment.

The only three things that I found wrong with them for track use;
*They are only good for about three hard laps before they become greasy and the front pushes like mad. But, the rear's seem to still hold well while the fronts disappear.
*They are not nearly as good as the GY's when they get good and hot. The GY's seem to stay sticky for more laps than the FS's. The GY's are also about 2-3 seconds a lap quicker.
*Because it is the fronts that give up so quickly, I now have another set of 18" rims coming and I will try the 295x18"s on the front and see if that helps.

Those FS's are the best bang for the buck that you can get. For just casual open track events at Spring Mtn., I run the FS's and can turn 1:54 lap times compared to 1:51's with the GY's. When I need to pick up the pace, the R-compounds go on, but those FS's are really hard to beat for a nice balance between durability and traction! I'll buy them again.

qball

Great review and thanks for posting, these tires are now on my short list.

CAPTKEN28

I have had them a little over 6 month...and they are still FANTASTIC!

Definately the best set of tires i have ever owned for the money...I will test them on the strip on wednesday to see how they compare to the GY's..

AFVETTE

Responses to questions:

SLONG - Do you know if they come in wider sizes and what are the ratings on those FS?

I believe these are the largest they make. TIRERACK has all the sizes.

ErnieN85 - where was the install done?

The Firestone dealer near St Clair Square Mall

Trebor - When they removed the old weights from the outside edge of the wheel, did that leave a mark on the wheel?

I was lucky, no marks etc

ShawnDFW - curious as to why you went with a 275 front tire when the WO's come in stock Z sizes front and back?

Good question, I just wanted the slightly wider tire, plus I believe I can handle the slight "oversteer" condition they may create. But so far I have pushed the car "very hard" in hard 90 degree turns and the rear end sticks as well as the front. Right now the car feels nicely balanced. Of course that could change with wear. But then that's what AH is for

Too Tall Bob - The only three things that I found wrong with them for track use....

Mine will most likely never see the track. While the GY's were more of a "race" tire used on the street I needed a tire designed for all weather daily street use. Of course based on your results it appears the FSWO hold their own out on the track.

Hope this answers all your questions.

Tom

DWS'03Z

thanks for the writeup.......they will most likely be my choice when I need new tires

why_ask_why

great review...I need new rears and was strongly considering these or the kumho MX...think this may have sealed the deal

Too Tall Bob

Correct....Most people will never use their GY's to their fullest extent on the street, which makes the much more economical FS's a real bargain. On the street, they should last forever and will give 99% of the drivers all the traction they will ever need on the street. They will also be a much better tire in the rain and give a better ride than the GY's.

rgregory

When I called the local firestone to get a price they told me they wouldn't install them on my car. I was like what? But nope they wouldn't do it claiming they weren't rated high enough for a Z06.

0Quik Z06

We have them on our Z06 as well and like them a lot better than the Goodyears. We got them from Tirerack for like $700 shipped. Thats wierd that they would say they wouldnt mount them, alot of people on here have them on their cars.

RandyVettes

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoSpeedRating.dos

A tire receives its speed rating by the U.S. Government through meeting minimum standards for reaching and sustaining a specified speed. What does that mean to you? Well, in general, a higher speed rating will result in better car handling.
Two important notes when considering speed rating:
• We do not recommend downgrading the speed rating of your tires. This may result in poor handling and unpredictable steering. However, if you want better cornering response, there is no problem installing a higher speed rated tire on your vehicle.

• Never mix and match tires with different speed ratings on your vehicle. This will cause serious problems with the handling of your vehicle.

Below is a list of speed ratings along with the corresponding speeds they represent. Remember, the speeds are test speeds, not recommended speeds.

Q- Up to 100mph
R- Up to 106mph
S- Up to 112mph
T- Up to 118mph
U- Up to 124mph
H- Up to 130mph
V- Up to 149mph
W- Up to 168mph
Y- Up to 186mph
Z- 149mph and

AFVETTE

Follow up to my initial review, we've had over 24 solid hours of rain since yesterday morning here in St Louis. I took the opportunity to see just how good of a rain tire the FSWO's are. They are head and shoulders about the GY F1's. While the F1's on my car were down right dangerous in the rain, the FSWO allowed me to drive the car at posted speed limits and forget about the conditions. I won't say how far I pushed the car or where I did it, but let's just say if all weather safety is a concern these tires grip every bit as good as the Michelin Pilot Sports A/S I had on my 99 coupe.

To RandyVettes: Thanks for pointing this out. Yes I was aware of the reduced speed ratings. Maybe I wasn't very clear in my original post, but my Z isn't tracked so those speed rating are meaningless to me.

On the other hand if you or anyone else tracks your car and 168 MPH speed rating is an issue you'll no doubt be aware of the FSWO limitations and won't for a second consider buying them for that purpose anyway, I'd be using dedicated "race" tires mounted and ready to go.

To be clear mine is a daily street driver which includes ALL weather conditions St Louis has to offer to include snow. For me the GY F1's were dangerous at any speed.

Tom

TAC

I agree with almost all the positives about these tires. They are a dang good tire, not counting how cheap they are. They're just plain good.

The only thing I would add here is that I don't agree they are as sticky as the GYs. To be more clear...in an autocross at 70 degree temps in Portland I turned back to back runs in two completely stock 2003 Z06s. No mods at all on either and both had new rubber. My car had the WOs and my friend's car had new GYs. On a 85 second run I chopped four seconds off with the GYs. That's as good a direct comparision as you will get. I guess you could argue that my second run (on the GYs) is expected to be faster because I then had more experience with that course. I'll buy into that a little. That's not worth 4 seconds. I also don't think they stick quite as good on track days. I was sliding where I didn't expect it. Again...70 degree weather in Portland at the track. I had the tire pressure at 32f 30r at the autocross and 32 f&r for the track. Maybe tire pressure should be boosted. Can't say for sure at this point.

Bottom line, they are a good substitute for the GYs, especially if you drive your Z anywhere other than the track.