jmoses52

Sorry if this was answered somewhere else.

I want to know what are the best winter tires to put on a 2015 C7 Z51 stock wheels also where to buy them and get get them mounted. I want to drive the car when its cold, but it will be in the garage in when it snows or if the roads are icy.

I am currently considering Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 Performance Winter / Snow tires. But they are kinda pricey.

Thanks,

Woodson

That's what I have. Based on your comments above, all seasons would be a better choice IMO.

jmoses52

You would use all season for winter only? then put the stock tires back? Or you use all season all the time?

Woodson

Winter only. There are a few here that run all-seasons year round but that's a waste of a Corvette in my opinion (but it's their car).

kenownr

I'm going to get the Michelin A/S 3 when my OEM tires wear out. I plan on running them in summer, into late fall and early spring. I figure it will give me at least a couple more months of usable driving time here in MI. Snow, Ice etc. it will stay in the garage. The summer only tires are pretty slippery in cold weather to the point if you just stab the pedal to change lanes in traffic it will step out on you. Not a good feeling in the traffic with a semi behind you.
I figure I'm never going to track the car or "Hard Race" it so the A/S will work just fine for me as a cruiser, not a tracker.

louloumax

Just put on Continental Extreme Contact DWS tires--about $1000 for the set. Z-51 sizes.
Tire rack has a couple other choices that are more $$.
The Contis are not run flats, so I carry a compressor and plug kit.
Much quieter and smoother ride than the original tires. I am sure the handling is not as good, but for winter it will be ok for me.

techshooter

I just put on a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3's on my 2014 Z51 'vert. Living in Seattle, I needed very good performance in the cool wet conditions here in the winter. So far, I am quite pleased. They are quiet, and ride well. Definitely not as stiff and precise as the OEM Z51 rubber, but they do a LOT better in the wet. There is a less solid feel to the steering in sport mode, likely due to the more flexible sidewalls. The turn-in is also not quite as crisp, but they are still very good. I had Bridgestone SO3's on my '02 BMW M roadster, and these feel very similar. I have yet to drive them hard more than a few times on dry roads (the monsoons have arrived!), but what little I have done tells me that they are good, but not at the same level as the OEM tires. But, those are on another set of OEM wheels (now powder coated) for the summer!

I'd buy them again.

Hope that this helps.

Cheers,

$$$frumnuttin'

Do a search on my username. ..you'll see an informative thread.

jmoses52

Thanks, do you have a price and location for it? I know I can buy the tires from tire rack but, I want the best deal.

jmoses52

Can you please send the link? It is difficult to search on this forum now.

techshooter

I buy all my tires from Discount Tire. They were a few hundred less than the OEMs Z51 rubber. The made me a very good deal. They will match or beat just about any legitimate advertised price. I've been buying my tires from them for many years for this reason, that plus the fantastic service (free flat fixes, etc.).

doug doo wop

I have 1900 miles on the 2015 Z51 and have not opened the throttle yet. I've been driving around this past week in 20's to mid 40's and these tires slip and skid whenever I give it a little gas especially with the paddles. This car is scary and I'm afraid of mashing the pedal to the floor, because i don't know what the car is going to do;I hate these tires but I'm certainly not going to buy new tires after spending over $84000 but when I need tires I hope I can find runflats for the Z51 sizes.

mjw930

Yeah, don't change those tires out of spite just make sure your insurance is paid up and perhaps you should drop your collision deductable down while you're at it so it will cost less than the proper set of tires for your condition.

JerriVette

If you feel the car is unsafe...all kidding aside...pickup a second set of rims cheap....the same size and buy the continental extreme contact dws snow tires for a grand....

I drive my corvettes all year round on summer tires yet the c7 z51 and upcoming z06 sound like their tires are really summer only...

Either use your other vehicles or get winter tires as suggested.

Stay safe to enjoy your ride

Aflyer

I picked up my Z51 at the end of March and loved the Z51 and the sticky tires all summer long, 6,900 miles worth.

Last weekend I smoked the tires way to easily on a couple of entrance ramps, at about 42 degrees. And I wasn't trying or even stepping into the accelerator. I know this from a lot of reading last winter so I went ahead and bought some All Season tires.

I am now riding on a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3's, and they really like the cold weather. They do ride a little softer and may be a little less noisy. I only put about 100 miles on them and no highway so this is the early report.

The sticky tires will go back on in the spring, and I can use the gas pedal again.

MotoChris98

Once temps get below 40 or 45 degrees, the rubber on a performance winter tire like the PA4 is supposed to have more grip than a performance all season tire, even on dry pavement. The rubber compound of an all season tire is usually a compromise because it has been designed to be passable in "all seasons" aka year round throughout a broad temperature spectrum. A "performance" winter tire like the PA4 is designed to feel great and sporty on dry pavement if the temp is below about 45 degrees. I have the PA4 on my C7 Z51, and it feels great on cold, dry pavement.

Woodson

My PA4's feel very sloppy on cold dry pavement which is exactly what I expected.

MotoChris98

A track day friend with a Camaro 1LE that had Pilot Super Sports in the summer also thinks his PA4s feel great on cold (around 0-30 degree F), dry pavement. Tirerack customer reviews also like the PA4 on cold, dry pavement (might have to select Reviews after using the link):
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....=Z51%20Package

You could always call Tirerack, explain your situation, and see what they recommend.

Woodson

Are you telling me you don't experience any tread squirm in comparison to the OEM summer tires?

ghostRder

In NJ they will not sell you non-run flats on a vette