New Z06 owner with tire & wheel question
12-02-2016, 09:50 PM
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
New Z06 owner with tire & wheel question
I've lurked around this forum for years, mostly to pickup corvette parts for my Impala but, I bought a 2001 ZO6 to replace the 1996 Impala SS that has been autocrossed and tracked for the last 15 years. Ran 17 x 9.5 Forgelines with 275/40/17 R comps. Even passed a Corvette a time or two. Didn't count the Mustangs.
I can buy two more rear wheels and running a 200 tread wear in the SCCA tire class with stock rear tire sizes or Get new wheels and run R comps and wider tires. What confuses me is that a Z06 is 1,200 lbs lighter than the SS and everyone on here seems to run 315's or bigger. What would be a good set-up that would clear brake ducts and not stick out past the fenders? I would think that such a light car would not need huge tires to stick well.
I can buy two more rear wheels and running a 200 tread wear in the SCCA tire class with stock rear tire sizes or Get new wheels and run R comps and wider tires. What confuses me is that a Z06 is 1,200 lbs lighter than the SS and everyone on here seems to run 315's or bigger. What would be a good set-up that would clear brake ducts and not stick out past the fenders? I would think that such a light car would not need huge tires to stick well.
Last edited by BTTBSS; 12-02-2016 at 09:51 PM.
12-02-2016, 11:28 PM
#2
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It is sort of like too much power is just enough. Too much tire is just enough. 315 is about as big as you can put under the car and they really do handle well with 315s on all 4 wheels.
The C5s are great handling cars that exhibit initial understeer upon turn in but have plenty of trailing throttle oversteer that can be used as you go through the turn. The larger tires tend to bring the extremes closer together. Once you learn how to drive the car you will find you can enter a turn with a little understeer, lift off the throttle and have the car transition to oversteer tightening into the turn to clip the apex, then go back to maintenance throttle until you can start adding power to exit the turn with a little understeer.
Bill
The C5s are great handling cars that exhibit initial understeer upon turn in but have plenty of trailing throttle oversteer that can be used as you go through the turn. The larger tires tend to bring the extremes closer together. Once you learn how to drive the car you will find you can enter a turn with a little understeer, lift off the throttle and have the car transition to oversteer tightening into the turn to clip the apex, then go back to maintenance throttle until you can start adding power to exit the turn with a little understeer.
Bill
12-03-2016, 09:28 AM
#3
Instructor
Thread Starter
It is sort of like too much power is just enough. Too much tire is just enough. 315 is about as big as you can put under the car and they really do handle well with 315s on all 4 wheels.
The C5s are great handling cars that exhibit initial understeer upon turn in but have plenty of trailing throttle oversteer that can be used as you go through the turn. The larger tires tend to bring the extremes closer together. Once you learn how to drive the car you will find you can enter a turn with a little understeer, lift off the throttle and have the car transition to oversteer tightening into the turn to clip the apex, then go back to maintenance throttle until you can start adding power to exit the turn with a little understeer.
Bill
The C5s are great handling cars that exhibit initial understeer upon turn in but have plenty of trailing throttle oversteer that can be used as you go through the turn. The larger tires tend to bring the extremes closer together. Once you learn how to drive the car you will find you can enter a turn with a little understeer, lift off the throttle and have the car transition to oversteer tightening into the turn to clip the apex, then go back to maintenance throttle until you can start adding power to exit the turn with a little understeer.
Bill
Allen
12-04-2016, 09:13 PM
#4
Pro
It is sort of like too much power is just enough. Too much tire is just enough. 315 is about as big as you can put under the car and they really do handle well with 315s on all 4 wheels.
The C5s are great handling cars that exhibit initial understeer upon turn in but have plenty of trailing throttle oversteer that can be used as you go through the turn. The larger tires tend to bring the extremes closer together. Once you learn how to drive the car you will find you can enter a turn with a little understeer, lift off the throttle and have the car transition to oversteer tightening into the turn to clip the apex, then go back to maintenance throttle until you can start adding power to exit the turn with a little understeer.
Bill
The C5s are great handling cars that exhibit initial understeer upon turn in but have plenty of trailing throttle oversteer that can be used as you go through the turn. The larger tires tend to bring the extremes closer together. Once you learn how to drive the car you will find you can enter a turn with a little understeer, lift off the throttle and have the car transition to oversteer tightening into the turn to clip the apex, then go back to maintenance throttle until you can start adding power to exit the turn with a little understeer.
Bill
But rub the brake ducts if I go to full wheel lock with 315s on the front. They stick a small amount out from the fenders. Run 335s in back and they stick out a couple inches. They work, but just need to take care not to wheel lock and ensure clearance under suspension load.