C6 GS Tire Question
07-02-2013, 11:42 PM
#1
Le Mans Master
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C6 GS Tire Question
Would like to know what would be better for HPDE events, 19"/20" or the stock 18"/19"? I'm thinking about getting a set of rims/tires and am curious as to what works best on the track. I realize that the 19/20 combo is a wider size, but would the smaller sidewall size negate the larger width? I see cars running race tires and they seem to have larger sidewalls, is there a reason for that? Long story short, I would like to get a second set of rims with street tires and want to know if going to 19/20 would be a degradation over the stock 18/19 combo on the stock GS?
Cliffs Notes: I want to buy tires for HPDE events, what size is more conducive for this, a stock GS size with good performance tires or a ZR1 size with good performance tires?
Cliffs Notes: I want to buy tires for HPDE events, what size is more conducive for this, a stock GS size with good performance tires or a ZR1 size with good performance tires?
Last edited by pkmoose; 07-02-2013 at 11:45 PM.
07-03-2013, 12:51 AM
#2
Race Director
Would like to know what would be better for HPDE events, 19"/20" or the stock 18"/19"? I'm thinking about getting a set of rims/tires and am curious as to what works best on the track. I realize that the 19/20 combo is a wider size, but would the smaller sidewall size negate the larger width? I see cars running race tires and they seem to have larger sidewalls, is there a reason for that? Long story short, I would like to get a second set of rims with street tires and want to know if going to 19/20 would be a degradation over the stock 18/19 combo on the stock GS?
Cliffs Notes: I want to buy tires for HPDE events, what size is more conducive for this, a stock GS size with good performance tires or a ZR1 size with good performance tires?
Cliffs Notes: I want to buy tires for HPDE events, what size is more conducive for this, a stock GS size with good performance tires or a ZR1 size with good performance tires?
07-03-2013, 01:00 AM
#3
Race Director
Do you drive to track events, or trailer the car??
Well....I don't have a GS, but I have a C6 Z06 with the exact same size stock wheels/tires.
I have track tires on both Z06 wheels and ZR1 wheels. I have a trailer I pull to the track behind the Vette with my track wheels/tires, tools, spares, etc.
You can get Hoosiers and other tires in Z06/GS sizes, but not for ZR1 wheels. I used to run Hoosiers, but they need a LOT of negative camber - too much for the street, and they aren't good tires for the street anyway. I got tired of doing alignments every time I swapped from street to track wheels and back.
You aren't going to find anything for the ZR1 wheels but the Michelin PS2 ZP or the Pilot Sport Cup ZP.
I've run the ZR1 wheels with the stock ZR1 PS2 ZP's, and they are great for the street and track!! I've got a set that has about 22,000 miles on them - about 3,000 were on the track. I don't run them on the track anymore, but will probably get several more thousand street miles out of them.
I recently got a set of PSS (non-runflat) mounted on Z06 wheels and ran them at Sebring, and they are even a step up in track performance from the PS2's and do well on the street, including wet conditions.
I also got a set of Pilot Sport Cup ZP's for the ZR1 wheels and ran them last week at VIR, and they are a notch up from the PSS tires. They seemed very close to the Hoosiers I used to run.
The diameters of the Z06 tires and ZR1 tires are essentially identical.
The PSS is a good street and track tire, and the PSC is a better track tire but not as good for street driving - unlike the Hoosiers the PSC's are considered a streetable tire, but they're not good in the wet and you won't get many miles out of them.
If you want a real track tire, go with Z06 wheels and Hoosiers, but you can't drive them on the street and will need to crank in -2.5° to -3° of camber when you run them, so if you also drive the car on the street they are not a good solution.
Very close to the Hoosiers are the Pilot Sport Cup ZP's I have on ZR1 wheels. If you drive to track events these are probably not something you want to use up on the street, and they aren't real good in the wet. I run an aggressive street/track alignment - PSS or PSC on the track and PS2 ZP's on the street.
The PSS on Z06 wheels is also a very good choice for an HPDE tire, and will also do a great job on the street.
My recommendation for the best tire that you can run with an aggressive street alignment is the Pilot Sport Cup ZP on ZR1 wheels. A close second is the PSS on Z06 wheels.
As Froggy mentions, a set of CC's in 18 inch front and rear is a gray option - lots of tires to choose from.
Bob
Here's a couple pics of the ZR1 wheels with PSC ZP's on my Z06:
Well....I don't have a GS, but I have a C6 Z06 with the exact same size stock wheels/tires.
I have track tires on both Z06 wheels and ZR1 wheels. I have a trailer I pull to the track behind the Vette with my track wheels/tires, tools, spares, etc.
You can get Hoosiers and other tires in Z06/GS sizes, but not for ZR1 wheels. I used to run Hoosiers, but they need a LOT of negative camber - too much for the street, and they aren't good tires for the street anyway. I got tired of doing alignments every time I swapped from street to track wheels and back.
You aren't going to find anything for the ZR1 wheels but the Michelin PS2 ZP or the Pilot Sport Cup ZP.
I've run the ZR1 wheels with the stock ZR1 PS2 ZP's, and they are great for the street and track!!
I've got a set that has about 22,000 miles on them - about 3,000 were on the track. I don't run them on the track anymore, but will probably get several more thousand street miles out of them. I recently got a set of PSS (non-runflat) mounted on Z06 wheels and ran them at Sebring, and they are even a step up in track performance from the PS2's and do well on the street, including wet conditions.
I also got a set of Pilot Sport Cup ZP's for the ZR1 wheels and ran them last week at VIR, and they are a notch up from the PSS tires. They seemed very close to the Hoosiers I used to run.
The diameters of the Z06 tires and ZR1 tires are essentially identical.
The PSS is a good street and track tire, and the PSC is a better track tire but not as good for street driving - unlike the Hoosiers the PSC's are considered a streetable tire, but they're not good in the wet and you won't get many miles out of them.
If you want a real track tire, go with Z06 wheels and Hoosiers, but you can't drive them on the street and will need to crank in -2.5° to -3° of camber when you run them, so if you also drive the car on the street they are not a good solution.
Very close to the Hoosiers are the Pilot Sport Cup ZP's I have on ZR1 wheels. If you drive to track events these are probably not something you want to use up on the street, and they aren't real good in the wet. I run an aggressive street/track alignment - PSS or PSC on the track and PS2 ZP's on the street.
The PSS on Z06 wheels is also a very good choice for an HPDE tire, and will also do a great job on the street.
My recommendation for the best tire that you can run with an aggressive street alignment is the Pilot Sport Cup ZP on ZR1 wheels. A close second is the PSS on Z06 wheels.
As Froggy mentions, a set of CC's in 18 inch front and rear is a gray option - lots of tires to choose from.
Bob
Here's a couple pics of the ZR1 wheels with PSC ZP's on my Z06:
Last edited by BEZ06; 07-03-2013 at 01:04 AM.
07-03-2013, 03:39 AM
#4
Burning Brakes
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18X11 front and 18x12 rear gives you the best tire size choices for the track if you are going to run R Comps such as Hoosier R6, Kumho V710, etc.. as well as the best choices for slicks.
If you are going to run street tires, just stick with OEM wheel sizes as you may have more choices. I have a spreadsheet with tires choices. PM me if you want me to send it.
Don't even think about the 19/20 setup you mentioned again. You'll never have good track tire choices with that setup.
If you are going to run street tires, just stick with OEM wheel sizes as you may have more choices. I have a spreadsheet with tires choices. PM me if you want me to send it.
Don't even think about the 19/20 setup you mentioned again. You'll never have good track tire choices with that setup.
07-03-2013, 04:25 PM
#6
Burning Brakes
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FYI you can run a lot of negative camber on the street. You will wear the inside edges a little bit faster, but not as fast as you might think. I found toe wears out tires more than negative camber. I run PSS on the street and have -2.8 front and -1.7 rear camber and doing better than you would think with wear. Whatever extra wear there is on the street you'll make up with lifespan on the track if you run R comps or slicks.
My 2 cents.
My 2 cents.