pletzvet

I searched the threads but gave up...simple question - under NORMAL driving patterns/behavior, which tires (front or back) experience greater tread wear?

Before I bought the car, someone must have had the wheels off (possibly for mechanical inspection) and messed up the pattern as I have less tread showing on my front right and left rear. Tread wear is even on all 4 tires and steering is arrow straight, so alignment seems fine.

Pete K

My car wears them almost equally. Rears wear slightly faster than the fronts.

pletzvet

Thanks Pete! Makes sense too, unlike a front wheel drive where the front tires are doing the pulling and steering.

I think I'll even out the pattern by putting the better treads on the front.

CentralCoaster

Under normal driving it, should be even, but doesn't matter. Just match up your high tread with high tread. Better to have these in back.

Red Tornado

my rear ones are 3/4 worn down. i just got them 7 months ago. i attribute this condition to the late-night rubber-burning events behind the local bank parking lot.

pletzvet

okay - I'm persuaded...I'll run the higher treads on the back. The car is driven pretty easy (almost!) all the time and the lower treads on the front are probably the better place for them to be since there is very little aggressive cornering, etc.

I'm finding that the 255/50/16's are not that easy to come by, esp. in Canada. This is probably the place for a new thread, perhaps in the Canadian regional section, to find out where owners are finding their tires in Ontario.

Thanks for the feedback!

CentralCoaster

255-50-16 is a common size. Try Kumho if you want a cheap one that is half decent.

Demonic85

On just about any RWD car the back tires will wear out faster than the fronts, unless you drive like a grandma, then they'll be about equal. on FWD cars, you probably wont see any wear on the back tires at all compared to the fronts.

Sorry, but no 255/50/16 is NOT a common size and there are very few tire options, Kumho is not one of them anymore unless you find some unused stock.

pletzvet

According to my search efforts, not in Canada...I haven't been able to find this size with Goodyear. I did find the Kumho, and Yokohama (currently on the car), and a drag radial by Dunlop.

Vito.A

Good luck finding decent 255/50-16 tires. Most are out of production. I finally gave in and bought new 17" wheels so I could put decent tires on it.

CentralCoaster

In that case it looks like you're pretty much stuck with a 245-50-16

jvette44

Sorry guys you can get 255/50/16 tires in Canada cuz I got them a few months ago!! Because my Canada ends at the Rockies I don't know about your area. Kal Tire had Falken ZE512 tires for $130.40 each!
p.s. Leafs suck!

pletzvet

Hi Jay, Thanks for the info on the Falkens - do you like them? I'm currently driving with Yokohama's.
p.s. - I'm not a hockey fan, so Leafs, Habs, whatever other Canadian teams there are - they all suck to me!! . Have a good one...

coupeguy2001

That would be a true statement if you have a Z51 on a 85 vette with 8.5 wheels that are supposed to be in the front, and 9.0 wheels that are supposed to be in the back. all are directional.
86 was base model all four = 8.5 wheels, but directional
your front left is a rear wheel, and left rear is a front wheel

jvette44

No Hockey eh?! Lions rule Argos Suck!!! The tires are great
a much smoother ride than the Bf goodrich VR 50 tires that I had on before.
Don't laugh, my bad back is my radar on that! I also haven't found the limit on cornering so far, also they're great in the rain! It's rained 3 times in the 4 months I've had them! Ahhh! Paradise! No slipping or sliding! I guess I'm not the best judge on wet weather adhesion
p.s. One of the days it rained was when I went golfing with Agent 86
Take Care!

pletzvet

According to RPO and wheels, it has the Z51 option; 9's in the back, 8.5's in the front.

CentralCoaster

The only early vette that came with different wheel sizes was 84 Z51, 9.5" rear, 8.5" front.


85-87 has either all 8.5" or all 9.5" so unless someone traded some wheels you're fine. Or you could just measure them. The measurement is to the bead surface, so add about 1/2"-1" for the lip. 9.0" wheels were never used on a C4.

pletzvet

hey Coaster I know we're getting a little 'off-topic' in this thread, but can you tell me what exactly the Z51 option includes on an '85. I haven't measured the wheels but assumed there was a difference in width. If there is an inch difference as you said in the '84 year - does this require 2 different sized tires? I'll be sure to measure this when the tires are replaced. But what else is included? I note that the Bilsten (sp) shock absorbers are identified by a separate RPO #.

Interesting....

CentralCoaster

Varies by year. In 85, I think its just this....

Auxiliary cooling fan
Engine oil cooler/warmer
Stiffer shocks
Bigger swaybars
Tight ratio steering
Wider 9.5" wheels
Shorter overdrive gear (4+3 only)
Heavy duty lower control arms
Frame reinforcements

Tires were the same 255/50R16 for Z51 or not. Although 9.5" wheels could accomodate 285s easily, 8.5s can't go much past 265.