thville92

Hey guys, I have a 1992 corvette with the original goodyear gsc 275 40 zr 17 tires that are in need of replacment. Can anyone recommend a good replacement tire at a decent price? Thanks.

FAUEE

It all depends. Do you drive it in cold? Rain? Don ou track it? Drive it hard? Just cruise in town to hit on high school girls? Without knowing how you use the cad, nobody can recommend a good tire.

thville92

Thanks. Car sits in garage during PA winters, so driving is mostly late Spring through late Fall. Usually cruise the town and maybe some runs up to 50 miles round trip. Car has not seen rain. Appreciate the guidance on this.

Nowhere Man

they were in need of replacing over 15 years ago. why change now

thville92

Car has 31k miles on it and tread is good. Noticed some dryrot on two of the tires recently. Time to replace now.

Nowhere Man

tires depend how much you want to spend. if your only driving on dry roads above 50* and observing the speed laws I don't think it matters what brand you buy.

belairbrian

My 92 currently has Uniroyal tigerpaws. probably not the best in performance tires, but they are not unidirectional and since 92s have a square setup you can rotate the tires. Of course if you go side to side the wheels will be backwards.

Mine were on the wrong side when I bought it but I was able to move them to the correct sides without un-mounting them.

At under $300 a set, my guess is the PO decided to go low price. But the few times I've been in rain they worked fine. Seemed fine at 100 mph as well. haven't gone much over that.

c4cruiser

For something specific per your question, I purchased a set of NITTO NT555 tires in 275/40-17 for my '93. These work very well for street use but like a lot of "high performance summer tires" they are not recommended for use in cold conditions especially with snow or ice on the roads.

NITTO also has another version in the same 275/40-27 size, the NT555 G2 that would also work great. Go to the NITTO website and select "Passenger Car" to see info on both models.

I bought my tires thru Discount Tire Direct, but a local Discount Tire store can get them. Also try the Tire Rack for some other good choices.

FWC

I have been running Hankooks on all my vehicles including my '96 for years. They ride smooth, wear well and are quiet for a nice price, at least worth pricing. Just a little added here, the tires are the only thing that is between your car and the road so don't be squeezing the nickel too much lol. Last February I bought an '09 which had Goodyear rf's on and I swapped them out for Michelins, very happy. So, in the spring both my dd and my gf's needed new tires, my buddy who runs the shop where I put the Michelins on suggested I go with a set of General A/S tires trying to save me a few bucks since I just dropped a grand on the vette. They are a good tire not great, but with good reviews so I did. The gf opted for a set of Continental a/s tires, while I can say I don't regret the General's , the ride of a quality tire is so obvious if I had to do it over again I would put a different tire on. Mind you I have had no issues with the tires and have shown no wear. If it comes down to a reasonable dollar amount between cheaper tires and a quality brand, step up.

MatthewMiller

I am waiting for delivery on a new set of Riken Raptor ZR A/S for my OE wheels (245/45/17 and 275/40/17). They're only $85ea in your size. Their parent company is Michelin. They have the same unidirectional tread as the older/closeout ZR (non-A/S), but with an updated compound that is better in cold/wet/snow. That's the deal of all deals on tires right now.

The best performance option for a street car right now in that size is probably the Continental ExtremeContact Sport. It's their replacement for the DW, which was renowned for its grip, especially in colder temps and rain. Autocrossers use it in those conditions. The new Sport is supposed to be better in all aspects, and especially in dry grip and steering response, compared to the old DW. They are $165ea. I would have bought those for my car and used them as both street tires and rain/cold autocross tires. However, Continental told me they don't recommend driving on them under 45*F, and I need to drive in the winter. Let's assume that's overly cautious, but they still probably risk some compound damage if you drive them below freezing. That just didn't work for my needs, but if you don't drive in winter then these would be awesome. If you ever did drive in the rain, you'd be golden.

Kens94

I bought the prior model Continental Extreme DW which was still available this past year. I paid with tax about $150 a tire for the front. Didn't need back tires and since the back was already Continental Extreme DW I had to match them. I have heard that the Nitto tires are very good also. I've put 7000 miles on my tires and they are great.

MatthewMiller

I'm jealous of your tires! There will be a massive difference between grip of the Nittos vs the Conti ExtremContact DWs or Sports.

FAUEE

It sounds like you just need tires that are round and black. Really, pretty much any tire you puck will work for you. I'd just caution that in the spring and fall, if the temperatures stay below 50, you may want to go with all season tires, as summer tires have less grip in cold.

I'm a fan of bf goodrich. Can' go wrong with a good American tire. I' not a fan of cheap Chinese tires. That' the only part of the car that actually touches the road, it' the most important part.

Cool Runnings

Pilot sports are about $1,100

Cool Runnings

Mine are going on 13 years, long as there's no dry rot, I'll run them another season, just around town mostly.

Kens94

(I'm jealous of your tires! There will be a massive difference between grip of the Nittos vs the Conti ExtremContact DWs or Sports.)

I have noticed that my Continental tires are a little slick when they are cold, as in cold weather. Once they warm up they stick very well.

Nowhere Man

I ran BF Goodrich tires for ten years on my 94 when I had it. drove my car all year round in any weather in PA they did very well

straycatt

Nitto is discontinuing the 555's in favor of the 555G2's. Just about three weeks ago I put the G2's on my car because the 555's are no longer available, anywhere....Still about the same price, though.

MyOtherCar

Nitto's, Continental's, both good tires at reasonable prices.

But don't forget to take a look at the Mickey Thompson brand. I understand they are a very good tire for performance-minded drivers.

Edv92c4

I have them on my BMW along with my Vette. My brother has them on both of his BMW’s. They are absolutely fantastic tires but a little pricey. As someone above mentioned, they are the only thing between your car and the road. If you drive like grandma, it doesn’t matter much...but if you drive your Vette like a Vette, you may one day be in a situation where you’ll wish you spent more.