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This is somewhat long but I wanted to include some of today's events.
Purchased my first Corvette about 5 weeks ago which is a 2009 vert. Original owner had Michelins on front and Goodyears on rear. Both sets are run flats. Left rear had a slow leak since i purchased the vert so I took to a local tire store. Could not find the leak even after dunking in a water tank. Read the forums here and thought I would torque the nut on the valve stem or replace valve stem core after business trip today.
Woke up in Gainesville FL and tire is 6 lbs low. It usually leaks 2-3 lbs after 3-4 days. Added air on a coffee run. 3 hours later down 9 lbs. Stopped by Town Tire Auto Service Center on 8th in Gainesville. In 5 minutes they found the problem but due to puncture location they could only temporarily fix it. (Same area i pointed out to the local shop but they did not find half a small screw in the tire) No tires in stock so they called around but no tires in Gainesville until tomorrow. Ok to drive but I need to get tires when I get home.
My brother-in-law called Scott at McGee tires in Tallahassee and he located the only set that is the correct size in Tallahassee. Was not going make it there before they closed so i decided i would get a set this weekend.
A few miles east of Tallahassee run flats proved their value. It was raining then all of a sudden...I thought the patch failed. Pulled over and there is a large bolt in the center of the patched left rear. Limped the last few miles to Tallahassee and parked the Vert at McGee tires and took a cab to a hotel.
Looking back I am greatful for the run flats. I could have been sitting on the side of I-10 for an hour or so in the rain waiting for a flatbed. With the run flats I could safely and conveniently go where I needed to go without even more aggravation. I was not a happy camper at the time but things could have been a lot worse. I will be back on the road in the morning.
BTW I also need a new TPMS sensor on the left rear because the previous owner put Slime in the tire. Maybe he should have checked this forum before using Slime.
Thanks for all the great information and opinions on the Corvette Forum.
I recently installed the NRFs Bridgestone Potenza Pole Position 04 and couldn't be happier. The dry traction, noise reduction , and wet traction are simply amazing compared to the stock GY RFs
I have a 2014 Fusion Hybrid....does not come with a spare or runflats! Comes with a small compressor/slime system! So....I've learned to run with the risk.....am moving to NRF for the Vette for all of the stated comfort and performance reasons. Having two cars with no spare.....odds are I probably will find out how it really works one of these days!
Yes but how many days did you drive it with a leak and never fixed it? just keep putting in air? Had you fixed it you would have never picked up the bolt because you would have been at a different place and time.
NRF's here too. I just like the savings and never had a tire problem on a Corvette or any other car rather than an occasional slow bead leak in very cold weather on one of my Honda's.
RFT = Security. At this stage of the game this is more important than “performance”.
Whatever floats your boat.
They use Michelin runflats at Spring Mountain driving school on their vettes, at least they did when I was there a couple years ago.
I also run my Bridgestone run flats on road courses and drag strips, and (for a street car daily driver), I'm feel I'm as "competitive" as folks would want to be, for a car that you don't want to tear up as a daily driver.
"Security" on the road courses is important to me, because I like knowing that if I lose tire pressure, I have a safety factor to protect me.
On the highway, I can easily take any curve at triple the posted speed limit, and 4 times it if they are warmed up and I know there is no issue. Meaning, with my runflats, I routinely roll off the 70 mph interstate exits on the local "20 mph max." tight circles at 65 - 75 mph, as long as no traffic is in front or behind me. I wouldn't go any faster with non run flats.
But having said all that, I have no problem with non run flats. Maybe one day I will try a set.
I gotta get past getting flats thought..... I just seem to get a flat about every 6 months, and I love being able to still go to work, call Discount Tire, then drive it there after work to get it plugged, with no worries about damaging a rim or getting towed.
In earlier Corvettes I used non RF's and never really had any problems other than a few slow leakers. Tire technology is constantly changing because of improved materials and construction techniques, the tires you bought 2 years ago are no longer in production even though the model name might be the same. RF's have improved to the point that 99.9% of Corvette owners are not limited by the performance of their tires. 80% of road noise associated to the tires is a function of road surface condition not tire sidewall construction. RF's are much safer than conventional tires in both "stopped on the side of the road" and "catastropic" sudden tire failures. As a retired tire construction engineer buy the RF's, just make sure to match them to your driving habits, summer, all seasons, etc. If you want to race your machine buy a extra set of racing rims and racing tires and you have the best of both worlds.
In earlier Corvettes I used non RF's and never really had any problems other than a few slow leakers. Tire technology is constantly changing because of improved materials and construction techniques, the tires you bought 2 years ago are no longer in production even though the model name might be the same. RF's have improved to the point that 99.9% of Corvette owners are not limited by the performance of their tires. 80% of road noise associated to the tires is a function of road surface condition not tire sidewall construction. RF's are much safer than conventional tires in both "stopped on the side of the road" and "catastropic" sudden tire failures. As a retired tire construction engineer buy the RF's, just make sure to match them to your driving habits, summer, all seasons, etc. If you want to race your machine buy a extra set of racing rims and racing tires and you have the best of both worlds.
Match your tires to your driving habits is what I was thinking while laying in bed last night. I am waiting in the hotel lobby waiting for them to pick me up after my new rear tires have be installed this morning. After reading the previous comments reminds me what I like about this forum is the variety of opinions and suggestions.
My vert is mostly a weekend driver unless I go out of town and don't have to take the family. I am not going to push my vert close to its performance limits so I prefer the piece of mind of getting myself out of an aggravating situation on my own terms.
I wanted to change the rear Goodyears for Michelins anyway but I could not justify changing out perfectly functional tires. Now circumstances have given me a reason to do so. I am getting the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S RF. I wanted the Super Sport RF to match the front but I don't want to stay another night on the road waiting for them.
So last night I thought about it and decided that since I am not going to push the limits of the Corvette then the A/S will work for me. If I don't like them then I will buy a different set it the future.
In my case I bought the Corvette Vert because it put the fun back into driving. I want to put miles on it and enjoy myself. Not because i want to pinch pennies and have an economical form transportation.
Your comment was written perfectly. Match your tires to your driving habits.
I appreciate the OP's story above and the contributions of others as well as the former tire engineer. Having driven all over the country in very different road and weather conditions, I have had every kind of near-disaster tire situation up to, but not including a blow out. I'd remember that one. Altho I don't use runflats in every car, I use it on the Vette. Some will think it's not needed for their type of driving, some will think it is needed. Your decision. But there is no doubt that tire tech, like every other kind of tech, keeps evolving and improving.
Just be safe out there, no matter if you're running within 20 miles or 200 miles of civilization, or home.
St. Jude Donor '12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-'20-'21
Originally Posted by Judgebull
In earlier Corvettes I used non RF's and never really had any problems other than a few slow leakers. Tire technology is constantly changing because of improved materials and construction techniques, the tires you bought 2 years ago are no longer in production even though the model name might be the same. RF's have improved to the point that 99.9% of Corvette owners are not limited by the performance of their tires. 80% of road noise associated to the tires is a function of road surface condition not tire sidewall construction. RF's are much safer than conventional tires in both "stopped on the side of the road" and "catastropic" sudden tire failures. As a retired tire construction engineer buy the RF's, just make sure to match them to your driving habits, summer, all seasons, etc. If you want to race your machine buy a extra set of racing rims and racing tires and you have the best of both worlds.
I too have been fortunate enough to have never experienced a catastrophic tire failure and will likely transition to NRF in the very near future as my original GY's are nearing the wear bars.
While I don't have the statistics to back this up, based on my driving history I feel I am much more likely to be stranded on the side of a road by a mechanical failure than a tire failure. Of course, this assumes I am not pushing my tires beyond their designed performance and wear limits.
03-26-2015, 10:39 PM
Thinking of non-run flat tires read this first.
