Ditching the run-flats on a Hardtop C5

Nepenthe2 · 05-29-2002, 10:50 PM

Hello house, :)

Well, my father's Vette is going to need tires soon. The car is a 2000 Hardtop (non Z06) with the Z51 suspension and the manual transmission. It is completely stock in every way besides the miles and the maintenance. It is used for daily commuting, short trips, and occasional spirited driving on backroads. My father has toyed with the idea of taking it to a 'track day' one of these days, but nothing's remotely set. The current tires are the stock Goodyear F1 GS EMTs, which he's not real happy with--the noise and the traction (especially in wet conditions) are concerns.

He wants to go without run-flat tires next. He desires stock sizes (using the stock wheels) and a well-known brand. I looked through the Tire Rack website for Michelin, Goodyear, Bridgestone, and Dunlop tires in the Max Performance, Ultra High Perf., and Ultra High Perf. All-Season categories. I limited the selections to W, Y, and Z rated tires. I only chose tires which were available for front and rear in the precise stock sizes (245/45-17 and 275/40-18). And I ruled out run-flat tires. Here's what I came up with (prices are from The Tire Rack for two fronts and two rears):

--Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Pole Position -- $814
--Dunlop SP Sport 9000 -- $812
--Goodyear F1 Supercar -- $1176
--Goodyear Eagle F1 GS -- $590
--Michelin Pilot Sport -- $1142
--Michelin Pilot Sport A/S -- $1024

Price and long life are lesser concerns. Grip, rain-worthiness, and low noise are the higher priorities here. Stability, or tires that don't 'hunt' while going down the freeway would be preferable as well.

There seems to some disparity in price here, particularly if you look at the two Goodyear selections--the GSs are half the price of the Supercar tires. What do you sacrifice by going with the GSs? Are the Supercar tires really that great? Are the non run-flat GS tires better than the stock run-flats? What about the others? Are the 'All-Season' Michelins comparable in most ways to the normal Michelins? How are those Dunlops and Bridgestones on the C5?

What other tires might we look at for a C5? Is there any good reason to look at slight differences in width or profile for front or rear or both? Has anyone mixed models or brands front and rear on a C5 with any success?

Finally, in the D/FW area, what would be a good place to have the tires installed and balanced? We'd rather avoid Discount Tire if at all possible (all the other vehicles in the family use Discount, but this is the VETTE).

Thanks for reading and for any guidance with this question (or links to past threads?). :cheers:

Richin Chicago · 06-02-2002, 12:07 AM

I did a fair amount of asking and looking around and I'm having the Bridgestone S03's installed next week. Check out the Tire Rack Website for installers near your Zip code.

Nepenthe2 · 06-02-2002, 12:23 AM

Thanks Rich. In going through some of the reviews at Tire Rack and looking up old threads here, it looks like the Bridgestones might be the way to go.

GRAYVETTE · 06-02-2002, 04:06 PM

I just installed a set of Pilot Sport A/S (non run flat)and thus far am very pleased. They are smoother, ride better and are far less noisy than the old Goodyear's. They also track better although my Goodyears were pretty worn and this doesn't help tracking. I only have a couple of hundred miles on them and will have a better idea after a couple of thousand. Handling wise they are certainly acceptable although I don't compete with the car. You probably wouldn't be disappointed with the Pilot Sport A/S tire. :yesnod:

KMoney · 06-04-2002, 07:46 PM

I also started to install non-runflat on my 01 coupe. Since I take my car on trips I decided to stay with the runflat technolgy, and invested in a set of the FireStones. Now, I don't take mine to the track or autocross, but for a street tire they are great. Very little noise, good handling and ride. Don't drive mine in the rain, but since they are designed after the Indy car rain tire they should do well one would think. :yesnod:

What would you do in case of a flat? If you don't have pressure sensors then maybe the fix-a-flat would work... maybe. The darn car is low to the ground anyway, what about with a flat tire? Got a jack to go under that?

Just my .02

:seeya

lotzahp · 06-05-2002, 12:00 PM

search the other C% sections for "Nitto". You need to seriously consider this tire if you're definitely going to non-run-flat. Set of 4 is under $700 and they perform to nearly the full potential the big-names do. check http://www.tires.com

mozin · 06-05-2002, 01:39 PM

I do a lot of long trips with my car and I am very pleased with my Michelin Pilot Sport A/S ZPs. :yesnod:

Nepenthe2 · 06-06-2002, 01:48 AM

Thanks guys.

GRAYVETTE, thanks for the recommendation.

KMoney, ditto for the Firehawks.

As far as what to do in case of a flat, my father was thinking about this. He hasn't had a flat in seventeen years (although I've already had three in the past five or six years on my RX-7 and my Stealth). That doesn't mean he won't get one tomorrow morning and then another one next week. But he just decided to take his chances without a flat. I s'pose what he'd do is either try the spray can or just use the celphone. Pain in the ass for sure. But he's pretty adamant that he wants to go with 'normal' tires.

lotzahp, that would be a great idea, except for the fact my father is very much a... well, I guess you'd call him very 'mainstream'. Or maybe stuck up. He'll only buy a tire from a brand he's heard of for most of his life--Goodyear, Bridgestone/Firestone, Michelin, and Dunlop. Even Yokohama and Pirelli don't measure up. It doesn't matter how you try and explain that this company sells really good products at aggressive prices, his money goes to the 'household names'. Regardless of price.

This will also be the first (and probably the only) 'modification' from stock the car will receive.

mozin, thanks, that's two votes for the Pilot Sport A/Ss (one run-flat, one not).

I suspect that any of the tires in my list above would provide a satisfying experience--I'm sure you can't go wrong with any of them. And after all, with those sizes, any modern tire will have pretty good grip and stability.

Thanks again for the thoughts. :)

[Modified by Nepenthe2, 10:50 PM 6/5/2002]

lotzahp · 06-06-2002, 11:14 AM

Quote:

lotzahp, that would be a great idea, except for the fact my father is very much a... well, I guess you'd call him very 'mainstream'. Or maybe stuck up. He'll only buy a tire from a brand he's heard of for most of his life--Goodyear, Bridgestone/Firestone, Michelin, and Dunlop. Even Yokohama and Pirelli don't measure up. It doesn't matter how you try and explain that this company sells really good products at aggressive prices, his money goes to the 'household names'. Regardless of price.

Man, your dad is doing himself a tremendous consumer dis-service with that attitude. Company's prey on folks like that, by offering inferior products with inflated prices - all because the "brand" fools the consumer. Good marketing, bad shopping decision.

Would he put Firestone's back on his SUV too? :nonod:

Good luck with the tires man.

Nepenthe2 · 06-06-2002, 12:42 PM

I don't disagree with anything you said at all. Good points in fact.

As intelligent as dad is, he's also become set in his ways (though he'd deny that characterization and throw up all sorts of justifications).

Example:
"If Nitto made great, quality tires, then I would have heard of them by now."

Why do you think I'm here seeking information for him? He's too much of a technophobe to give the 'net any credit as a communications/research tool.

He has great taste in vehicles though. No SUVs. :) But no, he'd replace them with the #1 best-selling replacement. The most popular one. I'm actually supposed to be here trying to find out the most 'popular' replacement for C5 run-flats, but I thought I'd gather some actual opinions on the 'best' replacements and then tell him they were the most popular according to my research.

I've read good things about Nittos. I first read about them years ago when I was looking at upgrades for my '86 RX-7. I know they're raced and respected. But I'm afraid he'd just think 'generic brand' (like General Tire).

Oh well. :) It's not that big a deal. :cheers:

Still leaning toward the Potenzas...

KMoney · 06-06-2002, 02:58 PM

I understand wanting to go with a non-runflat tire. If someone made a temp spare and a jack kit that for the C5, I would save $400 and go with them too. The big manufacturers make good tires, you just have to shop around for the best deal; which might be at your local tire store after considering the cost of mounting and balancing. I believe I'd still have gone with the Nittos. They remind me of a BF Goodrich tire.

:seeya