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This thread is to go over my experience of driving my c5z through an Illinois winter. I don't see any threads that really give the details of running these cars year round and Im sure some of you will have a laugh at the posts . Currently the car sits on base rim sizes (17x8.5 front and 18x9.5 rear) I have bridgestone ws80's all the way around. A 225x45x17 on the front and 245x40x18 on the back fit fantastic on these rims and are withing tire racks specifications.
Some details on keeping components from rusting. I really recommend this to anyone who drives their cars in the rain or snow. The product is called fluid film. Its usually used for saltwater marine applications. I use it on my jetskis and although they are stainless, saltwater rusts stainless pretty easily. This stuff keeps them absolutely rust free. I recommend spraying it underneath the car on any metal components. Its sticks very well and inst going to come off soon. if you can hit it right before the first snow and once every few months. I kept my foxbody, which are renowned for floorboard and framerail rust, completely rust free. And i mean surface rust. The car was simply immaculate after 4 winters.
First Snow: Got about 4-6 inches of snow. Temp was a little high so it was mostly a few inches of slush for awhile. Then temp dropped and it all turned to ice. I was at a friends and it was up to about three inches when i headed out. Mind you currently my abs module is taken off for repair so I had no TC, AH, or abs for that matter. I also heard rear break bias is controlled by the module. Anyway, the subdivision was extremely slippery but i had no problem driving 10mph comfortably through three inches of slush. Once I reached the road it was a lot better. I was confortable going about 30-40mph thhrough the three inches. The car did spin some on takeoff but stopped very well. I took it easy on the turns as i wasnt sure the balance of the car yet. Went home and put 160lbs in the trunk. This helped with the takeoff and didn't effect stopping. I finally started putting the car through its paces to determine its max grip as well as ability to recover from a slide. The car handled extremely well. I was able to turn just find and it remained really balanced even when initiating a drift in a turn. Only concern is the front air dam. Its pretty low and i shoveled a bit of slush. I had a coworker(with a c5) say he took his off in the colder months with no issue to overheating. Ill probably be doing that soon.
2018-19 Update
Zero corrosion or driving issues. Couple forum members still saltier than the roads will be.
Last edited by Alexander K; 11-05-2018 at 05:53 PM.
This thread is to go over my experience of driving my c5z through an Illinois winter. I don't see any threads that really give the details of running these cars year round and Im sure some of you will have a laugh at the posts . Currently the car sits on base rim sizes (17x8.5 front and 18x9.5 rear) I have bridgestone ws80's all the way around. A 225x45x17 on the front and 245x40x18 on the back fit fantastic on these rims and are withing tire racks specifications.
Some details on keeping components from rusting. I really recommend this to anyone who drives their cars in the rain or snow. The product is called fluid film. Its usually used for saltwater marine applications. I use it on my jetskis and although they are stainless, saltwater rusts stainless pretty easily. This stuff keeps them absolutely rust free. I recommend spraying it underneath the car on any metal components. Its sticks very well and inst going to come off soon. if you can hit it right before the first snow and once every few months. I kept my foxbody, which are renowned for floorboard and framerail rust, completely rust free. And i mean surface rust. The car was simply immaculate after 4 winters.
First Snow: Got about 4-6 inches of snow. Temp was a little high so it was mostly a few inches of slush for awhile. Then temp dropped and it all turned to ice. I was at a friends and it was up to about three inches when i headed out. Mind you currently my abs module is taken off for repair so I had no TC, AH, or abs for that matter. I also heard rear break bias is controlled by the module. Anyway, the subdivision was extremely slippery but i had no problem driving 10mph comfortably through three inches of slush. Once I reached the road it was a lot better. I was confortable going about 30-40mph thhrough the three inches. The car did spin some on takeoff but stopped very well. I took it easy on the turns as i wasnt sure the balance of the car yet. Went home and put 160lbs in the trunk. This helped with the takeoff and didn't effect stopping. I finally started putting the car through its paces to determine its max grip as well as ability to recover from a slide. The car handled extremely well. I was able to turn just find and it remained really balanced even when initiating a drift in a turn. Only concern is the front air dam. Its pretty low and i shoveled a bit of slush. I had a coworker(with a c5) say he took his off in the colder months with no issue to overheating. Ill probably be doing that soon.
If you leave traction control and active handling on it'll do 'OK'. The tires act a bit like snow skis, but even they are manageable. Prepare yourself for an onslaught of posts telling you you've gone completely crazy.
The ws80s are full winter tires and at the size i was able to fit on the rims they are hardly any wider than most. I was also able to drive, turn, and stop the car with no aid. I would imagine the car will be a cake walk with the above mention being restored once my module is repaired.
Most here have never put skinny winter tires on a corvette so an opinion stating im crazy is pretty useless don't you think But yes the sporty all seasons our cars come with, especially the z06, can hardly get the car moving from a stop. None the less make a 40 minute commute. The difference a full winter tire makes is incredible.
Careful when you hit the drifts covering the road.
90% of the time you will not have a problem during the winter. It's the 10% when all the accidents happen. With the low clearance and wide tires Corvettes really aren't the best for winter driving.
I for one applaud you for even attempting it and having put some thought into the skinnier tires and impact of the lower air dam. Can't wait to see the posts this brings on...
Lets be straight and honest the freakin car is not a snow car. Yes you can get by but no this should not be your dedicated winter car if you need to get to work.
My experience with good (and almost new) A/S tires is that it's OK except when you have to go up hills. Not anything I would choose to do, but I've had to get home a couple of times after its started coming down heavy.
I take a graduated approach to snow: moderate, 250hp of AWD Subaru does the job. Fun to throw snow from all four wheels as well. For deep stuff, our old K1500 W/T with 5 speed manual tranny plus manual 4WD and Mich LTX mud&snows is unstoppable.
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If it works for you, great. There are a number of forum members that drive their Vettes year around. As for me, snow/ice on the roads is why I chose to have a FWD vehicle for my DD. And even then, there are times when I can't get out of my street since I live at the bottom of a pretty steep hill.
OK, I'm just as guilty as many others, when it comes to bashing people for driving their Corvettes in the winter. However, IMHO, it's still a free country, and if you choose to do it, OK.
BUT, let me say this, and I'm not speaking with emotion, here, just with practical knowledge. The current crop of Corvettes was designed around LOW profile, WIDE high performance tires. These DO NOT provide good traction in the snow. Even if you bought "snow tires" in these sizes, they're still not good in snow. The snow will "push around" a wide tire, more so, that a narrow tire, that will "cut through" snow.
And having said that, your wheel/tire choices are limited by the design of the car. Big brakes require large diameter wheels, for clearance, which, in turn, limits your tire choices. Small wheel wells, also limit the tires that you can install on your later model Corvette. You can't physically fit a tall, narrow tire on a C-4 through a C-7 Corvette.
In a previous discussion about Corvettes in winter, I mentioned that in the old days, a LOT of C-1 through C-3 Corvettes were seen on the roads, in my area, during the winter. That's because they all had nothing wider than a 70 series, 15" tire on them, and they were decent sized tires for winter use. Plus, those generations didn't sit as low to the ground.
So, to those who choose to drive their later model Corvettes through the winter, good luck, and BE CAREFUL!! The rest of us will simply park them, till the snow goes away.
I drive mine year round in Korea. I have no choice, the military only allows us 1 car if you're single. Never had any problems at all. However having been in Europe for 9 years I learned how to drive in the snow.
OK, I'm just as guilty as many others, when it comes to bashing people for driving their Corvettes in the winter. However, IMHO, it's still a free country, and if you choose to do it, OK.
BUT, let me say this, and I'm not speaking with emotion, here, just with practical knowledge. The current crop of Corvettes was designed around LOW profile, WIDE high performance tires. These DO NOT provide good traction in the snow. Even if you bought "snow tires" in these sizes, they're still not good in snow. The snow will "push around" a wide tire, more so, that a narrow tire, that will "cut through" snow.
And having said that, your wheel/tire choices are limited by the design of the car. Big brakes require large diameter wheels, for clearance, which, in turn, limits your tire choices. Small wheel wells, also limit the tires that you can install on your later model Corvette. You can't physically fit a tall, narrow tire on a C-4 through a C-7 Corvette.
In a previous discussion about Corvettes in winter, I mentioned that in the old days, a LOT of C-1 through C-3 Corvettes were seen on the roads, in my area, during the winter. That's because they all had nothing wider than a 70 series, 15" tire on them, and they were decent sized tires for winter use. Plus, those generations didn't sit as low to the ground.
So, to those who choose to drive their later model Corvettes through the winter, good luck, and BE CAREFUL!! The rest of us will simply park them, till the snow goes away.
I was able to put a 225 on the front and a 245 on the back. Hardly wide at all. Actually thinner than the tires on my brothers fusion. Those sizes are within spec of the base rim widths. The discount tire tech said he could probable drop it an inch front and back and I said I have no desire to stretch the sidewalls father than spec.
I live in Illinois(flat cornfields). I cant think of a grade i've had to drive through more than 15 degrees, and thats not apart of my daily commute anyway. Ground clearance is not a problem as my roads are plowed often. Im a network engineer and work on devices all over the world. I can stay home whenever I need to.
I really find buying a winter vehicle ridiculous when it snowed....what maybe 5-10 times last winter.
12-05-2016, 04:59 PM
C5 Z06 Handling in the snow
. Currently the car sits on base rim sizes (17x8.5 front and 18x9.5 rear) I have bridgestone ws80's all the way around. A 225x45x17 on the front and 245x40x18 on the back fit fantastic on these rims and are withing tire racks specifications.
But yes the sporty all seasons our cars come with, especially the z06, can hardly get the car moving from a stop. None the less make a 40 minute commute. The difference a full winter tire makes is incredible.
