97C5driver

Please post what your current setup is and if you have a z51.

I'm looking to purchase a set of dedicated track wheels within the next few weeks and would like something economical but need to clear my brakes on my Z51

I've researched here and the c5z wheels seem to be a good option but it's been mixed reviews on fitment and rubbing.

Thanks

97C5driver

Thanks for this info! Is there an 18" wheel that will work with the rear?

97C5driver

How many laps should I expect out of any of those tires?

Jet Vet

I recently switched from the street/track MPSS to the track only R888 and I have four track days on them so far. They have gotten noticeably better (read stickier) with each session and have a good amount of tread left. I only have two more track days scheduled before taking the summer off (the heat and humidity in New Orleans in July and August is unbearable) so I'm anxious to see when they heat cycle out. I'll let you know...

JV

X25

I just ordered my wheels:
CCW TS12
18x10.5 front
19x11.5 rear

I will be running NT01 275/35/18 front and 305/30/19 rear. These tire diameters have the exact same ratio (1: 1.027 F:R) as the stock tires, so they should cause no TC/Stability problems whatsoever. These tires are also about 1% shorter in diameter, which both aids in fitment (no rubbing) and makes the gear ratios about 1% shorter. The wheels also allow for wider tires if I want to experiment in future. One candidate that comes to mind is Bridgestone RE-71R; Corvette sizes for that tire will be released on August 1 2016.

97C5driver

So has it been determined if the square setup with the c5z wheels will work without issue?

X25

A few members are running them with no issues, except that they said it rubs on a control arm at full lock and droop, which they said never happens. You can search for it on the forum.

My CCW setup is actually very similar up front, but CCW's barrel (TS12) clears everything, even the huge CCB brakes if you were to use them per CCW engineers.

97C5driver

I would love a set of ccws however I'm the poorest guy that's ever owned a c7 and probably the cheapest. So an economical option is what I'm hoping for.

I've researched the c5z wheel setup and the mixed reviews worried me.

I do know I would like the smallest wheels possible to increase my options for tires.

97C5driver

B stead thanks for the info.

What about just simply running a stock stingray 18/19 wheel with the appropriate tires?

X25

I do have 18x10.5 and 19x11.5 wheels. I am running:
275/35/18 fronts and 305/30/19 rears Nitto NT01. The rear/front diameter ratio is 2.7%, almost exactly same as the stock, yet they are a bit shorter tires, so the possibility of rubbing is also reduced.

I've had a pretty bad experience running Cup 2 tires on my Camaro at 305/30/19 square size : (

97C5driver

Can you drive to the track on any of these tires? Or do you need to install on site and figure out a way to transport ?

X25

You can drive with them to anywhere as long as it doesn't rain (they don't have enough grooves for rain). Actually, my brother drives on them whole summer, even though it's not an ideal way to use these tires.

That said, I do have a car trailer anyway, so I'd use it for any place more than a few hours of driving away. Besides, the road trip is half the fun of the whole event

X25

Bridgestone's RE-71R will also have sizes released in Aug that are appropriate for Corvette.

I used RS-3s (first gen), and liked them very much for street, and they were not too bad at the track, either. Cup 2s, I really didn't like the traction roller-coaster you go through with those tires s they start with cold, then warm up to temp, only to overheat right away and lose it again.

In the same manner, NT01s are also much more stable and consistent than R888s, or most other tires in our tests. Some claim R888s' compound has been updated at some point; I didn't try again after seeing their sister tire NT01, performing much better.

Along4theRide

On my 2015 Z51 I'm running Cray Spiders 18x9.5 +56 (front) & 19x11.0 +76 (rear) with Hoosier A7 275/35/18 (front) and 315/30/19 (rear). This are simply amazing on the track and are night and day over the stock tires (Thanks Alex @ TheSpeedDepot). For pads I'm using Carbotech XP20 and XP12 pads (Thanks Adam@Amp'dAutosport.com) and running Motul660 brake fluid. Finally, Spiegler SS Brake lines. Otherwise the car is stock except for cosmetic items.

BaylorCorvette

I run Nitto NT01s in those exact sizes and have zero fitment or rub issues. I'm on stock bolts at whatever the stock ride height is. A buddy of mine that has lowered the stock bolts (not all the way though) has rubbed the rears on the inner fender liner. Even the Z51's still have a fair amount of squat when being pushed.

X25

Thanks, great to hear that the sizes work! Do you have magna ride? I bought a Z51 without magna ride, which comes with stiffer springs. Combined with the much stiffer T1 suspension's shocks, I'm hoping squat should not be an issue.

Assuming you have MR: Z51 with magna ride comes with softer springs to provide a comfortable ride at the street or even when softness is needed at the track, and the shocks stiffen at the track to make up for soft springs. This works well, until you replace the tires with stickier ones and push the shocks more than they are tuned for. If not already, you should consider buying the DSC module, which would help you match the shocks' tune with the traction you have from those tires.

Looking forward to trying out my setup at the track : )

VThokies

Run the non-run flat MPSS in a +1 size on a spare set of factory Z51 wheels. I go through about two sets of front tires to one set of rears. Eight track days on the front tires, about one and a half hours of track time each day. Compromise alignment between street and track.

Of course tire wear would vary widely depending on the track and driver, but it will give you some kind of idea.

VThokies

JV,

I would also like to know how the R888s end up working out for you in the long run compared to the MPSS. Please let me know once they heat cycle out or run low on tread. My understanding is that the R888s offer much more grip over the MPSS?

How much camber do you run front and rear?

Thanks.

Jet Vet

I'll definitely post an update here after my next two track days, but I can tell you what I know so far. The best thing about the MPSS's on the track is that with the proper camber they will last a long time. I gave up on using a 'combination' setting half way between track and street, and went to a full track setting of 2.0 to 2.5 up front. That has been working very well, and I didn't have to remove any of the upper control arm washers.

The R888's are not just stickier than the MPSS's, they have a completely different 'feel' everywhere on the track. The MPSS has a much stiffer sidewall, and as a result when you take your first laps on the R888's you'll feel like the car is wallowing around. What's actually happening is that the MPSS holds the car very steady, like its on rails, until it lets go and drifts. The R888 won't drift until a higher cornering speed, so the contact patch stays planted and the sidewall flexes and the car feels like its wallowing. The good news is that you get used to it fairly quickly.

JV

VThokies

Thanks JV.

I'm at 1.5 front, 1.25 rear. My tire wear on the front is not good, eats the shoulder pretty bad, so I plan to bump that up. So you run 2.5 front / 2.0 rear with stock washers in place on front and rear?

Thanks again.