VRY YLW

Hello and Happy Thanksgiving,

The Goodyear Eagle M+S, that I used and liked very much on my 2002 C5 Coupe in the snowy Chicago winters, are no longer available. And it seems that there is no tire out there anymore that comes in the OEM sizes of 245 x 45 x 17 and 275 x 40 x 18.

Does anyone know a manufactures that offers real winter, snow, tired in these sizes?

If there isn't, can I use slightly different sizes? I am thinking of the Dunlop Winter Maxx. They come in 225 x 55 x 17 and 255 x 45 x 18. Both are narrower and slightly larger in diameter which is good for winter and snow driving. But it brings up the question if that would screw up the traction control and/or active handling? They are great tools to have in the snow.

Thank you very much and be safe!
Reinout

JR-01

Buy a beater to drive in the winter. Someday you will be glad you did.

JrRifleCoach

Or pickup a set of wheels that will fit the tires and the factory offset.
I just cant see how a bottom feeder makes a good snow car.
YMMV

CactusCat

While I agree that its not a good idea to drive a Vette in the snow, here's the answer to your questions. Only took up a few seconds to have the answers that you requested.

For the 245/45/17 tires:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSe...&performance=W
For the 275/40/18 tires, its a bit more limited. Only one in actual size, one in 285/40 and a couple of 265/40/18s.....
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSe...&performance=W

Hope this helps... sigh

vette747

I had also found pirelli with the right size but there were $2k here in canada. I found Michelin pilot Alpin original size in front and 245-45-18 in the rear for a reasonable price. They have about the same hight and 1 inch less wide. No problem with ABS. I do not know if it would have any issue with traction control as I have the module disabling it when I start the car. I have more than 1000 miles on them in the last few weeks. They are great, but I must say that I'm not asking a lot of them because I do not want to wear them prematurely. I'm not hard on the break or gas pedal or in turn. So i have not made a performance test. I went to an ice storm and the car was very stable. Great on snow.

note: I have been driving corvettes all year around for the last 20+ years. My C3 and C4 have been my winter beater, but this year, I decided to drive my C5 during the winter months. My C4 is for sale. Therefore, my C5 will become my winter beater and I'm planning to buy a C5Z as summer car. My choice....

DSTURBD

Why do all of you ****-retentive a**holes have to sing this same old broken record every time this subject comes up?!?!?!?

I have driven all of my 'Vettes year 'round and they are just as great to drive in the winter as they are in the summer!!!!!

The OP is asking about winter tires, not your narrow minded opinion as to his use of his car!!!!

In other words, next thread pin-head!!

DSTURBD

JR-01

Only morons drive Vettes in the winter up here unless they like staying home when ever it snows more than 2 inches. Just because idiots like you drive their Vettes in the snow doesn't mean he should. My buddy had to drive his C5 in the snow once because his wifes car was in the shop and she needed his car. He got stuck three times in his driveway and three more times driving to work. The Vette is a sports car and not built for snow. The wide tires and lightweight make it useless in snow over 2 inches deep. In my 45 years of driving I have never seen a Corvette driven in a snowstorm. I guess folks are smarter up here.

I would love to see a C5 try to drive in 6 inches of snow.

Voodoo13

What passion! LOL
I drive mine all the winter and if the snow is not sticking to the road. Once I see it collecting on the road I high tail it home. It won't plow through snow but it does OK on packed snow with the right tires. I drive on Michelin A/S pilot sports after October, they get me home in a pinch if I baby it. I dont consider them the right tires for snow on this car though.

I also have great respect for those who put them away for the winter, I don't have the restraint or discipline to NOT drive it year round. When mine wears out I will just buy another - one of the cars that one of these fine gentlemen on the forum store in the winter and treat like gold.

dbgoodwin

Yes but you have to remember he asked about snow tires for his car, not about his choice in winter beaters. Just like the people who use "don't spin the tires as much" as their answer to solving wheelhop. Im sure he appreciates your worthless responses cluttering up his post.

DSTURBD

It's called knowing how to properly drive in snow!!! I have no idea who your friend is or his acumen for driving in adverse conditions, but I have personally driven many years in eighteen wheelers in the mountains of Colorado in places like Wolf Creek pass, Rabbit Ears pass, Eisenhauer pass, etc., etc. I think my actual experience far surpasses your ignorant and limited personal opinion, so I'll just leave it there and call BS on anything else you have to say on the subject right here and now!!! Go ahead......make another ignorant and unsupportable statement to further display your lack of knowledge on the subject!!!!!

DSTURBD

P.S. Try watching some of GM's winter testing videos of the C5 and its performance in sub-zero and snowy conditions!! These cars were built to be driven in any weather conditions that might be experienced in North America, or anywhere else for that matter! Pull your head out and catch a clue, you narrow-minded so-and-so.

DSTURBD

To the OP:

Sorry for hi-jacking your thread. That was not my intention. I just get so pissed-off when these idiots with more dollars than fully functioning brain cells go off on a tangent like they are God's gift to accurate information on subjects that they have no true clue about!!!!!!

I'm rich, therefore I am the ultimate authority on anything I deem worthy of expressing an opinion about. Never mind anything said by people with extensive actual experience in the situation. Well, when the **** hits the fan and we have to survive with our knowledge, we'll see just how much their dollars insulate them from reality!!!!!! (and the aforementioned sub-zero temps!!!!)

DSTURBD

o2bnkc

Yep, that really answered his question.

o2bnkc

Right on!

JR-01

Beware of *******s giving bad advice on these forums. They believe that they can get away with being morons, so everyone else should give it a try.

http://www.carthrottle.com/what-idio...-in-deep-snow/

jakecol

Now Now,children. Let's end this P---ing contest. Just because some of us will not drive our Vette in the snow doesn't mean no body else should. We all have options.
I'm sure there are some Ford and Mopar owners think we are "morons" for owning Vettes.
Let's just enjoy our rides.

troyguitar

I run michelin pa4 in 235/45/18 on 4x base C6 18x8.5 wheels. Haven't actually seen any snow yet but everything fits fine and the taller front tire adds half an inch of ground clearance at the air dam.

Koufax

Wow, someone actually answered the question!

VRY YLW

Thank you all for your feedback. To the people who think that Corvettes should not be driven in the winter, I can only say that indeed they shouldn't be driving theirs in the snow. It is like everything else. If you don't know how to do something it is safer to stay away from it. I happen to think that I can handle my Vette in the snow and that it is actually tremendous fun.

TroyGuitar and vette747 maybe answered the question. They both use non standard sizes and report no problems with the electronics such as traction control or active handling.

Is that pretty much the consensus or should we not be using alternate tire sizes because, as my tire place suggested, it screws up these electronic systems.

Thanks again to all of you and don't jump out of an airplane if you don't know how to skydive

troyguitar

I didn't have any tc/ah issues on the race track with tires that are the same size front and rear with the car sideways at 100 mph. In my opinion those concerns are overblown.

I have only heard stories from people saying that it "could" or "would" mess with those systems - never any first hand accounts of issues.

VRY YLW

Thanks TroyGuitar,

I also did some searching on this forum and there are many threads about the topic. Most indications are indeed that there are no problem when the original front to back ratio is maintained.

Thanks to all,
Reinout