Jay_Davis

We've spent the last 6 months discussing winter tires, tire cracking, and all that fun stuff. Well, its time to talk about summer tires.

I was looking on Tire Rack and noticed that when you look for Z51 tires, it shows the Pilot Super Sport ZP tires along with the all weather and winter tires. However, if you don't look by car but just look at tires by brand, you will find the standard non-runflat Pilot Super Sport tires and they show that they are available in Z51 sizes. So why don't they show up on the car list?

They seem to have some advantages:
- more tread depth
- about 4 pounds lighter
- over $350 cheaper for a set

Has anyone tried them?

9ball1104

Probably because Chevy wants us to have run flats for the obvious reason, and apparently the tire companies are cooperating.

silky1

I have a set of the Michelin Pilot Super Sports for running around town and the track. I bought mine a little wider (255/295). I prefer them to the ZP's for this use. Just make sure if you are going long distance that you carry a flat kit.

Jay_Davis

Since I'm going to be burning through these tires at the track, saving $350 a set seems like a good idea and 4 pounds lighter can only help.

I'd really like the all-weather tires I've run all winter to have been run-flats, but those still aren't.

ZL-1

I have tried them. Had to, to get the larger sizes I wanted. But knowing that the the runflats that are optimized for Corvette perform the best.

Every year at the NCM Bash Lee Willard gives a seminar about the relationship between Michelin and Corvette engineers and how they have worked together to create tire designs optimized for the Corvette. Lee is chief Michelin race tire engineer and has a long working relationship with Corvette engineers on their street tires as well.

A given tire name like "Pilot Super Sport" actually covers a lot of different tire designs and compounds even though the tread looks similar. The first Pilot Super Sports came in Porsche sizes because those were developed in conjunction with Porsche. Later more sizes appeared, as well as designs optimized for other car manufacturers. Tires developed for a specific manufacturer have a code on the sidewall to identify them.
N0 = Porsche
MO = Mercedes
K1 = Ferrari
TPC SPEC = GM
5-pointed star = BMW

When asked about the performance of non-runflat tires in Z51 sizes, Lee said the correct Z51 runflats will perform better because they were designed and optimized for the Corvette. He said the latest runflat designs actually are superior in many ways, like better turn-in response thanks to the stiffer outer sidewall deflecting less, and there is now far less penalty in ride quality.

Getting back to the original question, I currently have "wrong" PSS non-runflats on my Stingray and I am satisfied with their performance characteristics. The rims are one inch wider with two sizes larger PSS's.
The 265/35 19 fronts are N0 (Porsche) PSS and the rears are off-the-shelf PSS 305/30 20. Surprisingly the ride quality and sound level seem not much different than the original runflats. I haven't run them hard enough to notice a difference in handling.


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ZL-1

At the Bash Lee Willard said he is really pushing to get the all season Michelin runflats in Z51 sizes available by next winter. But can't promise it.

JerryU

I'm sure TireRack just doesn't want someone to buy those nice all-season tires and find out when they get them the're not RunFlats!
Worse yet find out when they get a flat! We've had posters say they could not find the jack and ask where it was located. Takes all kinds!

officermartinez

My Michelin PSS's have part numbers of 31567 (fronts) and 87598 (rears). On Michelin's website, these particular tires in the PSS line do not appear to be vehicle specific.

255 35 19's ..and.. 305 30 20's

http://www.michelinman.com/tire-sele...details?REDR=1

LEJ ZO6

I have the non run flat PSS tires on my C6 ZO6. I carry a AAA card with me, just in case.

I wore out the original set of Goodyear RF tires and a set of NITTO NT05 non run flats before getting the PSS's.

The PSS non run flat tires are the best tires I've had on the car so far. They are quiet on most road surfaces, ride well and wear well. They also stick better than the others.

I'll go with another set of non run flat PSS's when these wear out.

Buzzardz_vette

When I picked up my car at the Museum Dec 2013, I was told that Michelin was working on an all season run flat and it would be ready by fall of 2014. Still waiting, so I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.

JerryU

Would seem so easy, just use a different tread compound on the run flat carcass and the tread shape from that size non-run-flat they already have!
Must admit my old boss, a brilliant guy, would make a comment like that but always end with an “or something!” He knew the <5 minutes he thought about the issue would not work but expected he paid you and your group to define the proper “or something!”

Newman Boy

Good morning,

I just ran across this thread. I found the non-runflat Super Sport's in 245/35/19 but not in 285/30/20. Were you able to find the latter somewhere? They were not on the tire rack.

Thanks so much.

Jim

Jay_Davis

Nope. It looks like they are not making them anymore. Haven't seen anything official though.

stevedun

At the Museum Anniversary, Michelin folks say March.

Newman Boy

Thanks for getting back to me. I will check again in the spring. Now debating between all seasons and snows as the beast is my daily driver--I see no reason to let cold weather deny me the pleasure of driving it. Deep snow I stay home or have my wife drive me to work in SUV.