Tell me more about the GTO spare...you're the first person to mention that. Are we talking about a small "donut" style spare? If so, do they make them to fit vettes? Not sure what we're talking about. Since vettes have two different sized wheels????

tell me more

 

Is this what you were referring to? GTO Spare??? It says it's 17", What if you have a flat on the back where's it's 18"?



http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/04-06...spagenameZWDVW

 

pro
quieter ride, drastically quieter
better ride, better handling
cheaper tires

con
can't drive 50 miles on a flat
not all shops will touch one
very expensive
crappy ride
very noisy


Just get AAA with the 150 mile tow.
carry a plug kit, mini compressor, and scissor jack in a compartment in the rear
I have had non run flats for 3 years and have never had a flat. have driven a few 1500 mile trips with it

 

Anyone have one of these tire repair kits?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/35-PC...em230229707804

 

The same thing that contributes to the somewhat harsher ride is the reason OEMs deliver better gas mileage due to less rolling resistance, the stiff tire casing and sidewalls. This is one of many reasons the Goodyears were chosen by GM to be the OEM tire on the C5. I just put on softer Michelin ZPs and can tell you that I took a small hit on my gas mileage. That is empirical data that you can take to the bank.

There are tradeoffs with any modification, tires included. That said, nothing wrong with ditching the run flats because there are advantages to be gained

 

I am going to switch to non RF's this spring. I have been looking for a Quality 12volt mini compresser. Today I found it .Pep Boys auto parts sells several, however they have one that is really nice. It looks heavy duty and has a larger compressor head ,that means more volume and perhaps pressure. They get 60 bucks for it and 30 bucks for the next size smaller.Both are much nicer than the ones I've seen at Sears or Wall Mart. . I also think it would be a good idea to carry a 6inch block of 4x4 in case you have to jack your car. You may have to start jacking in the center of the car and then block it with the 4x4 so you can move the jack closer to the flat tire. Good luck

 

You are absolutely correct when you say you took a small hit on mpg. I'll take that to the bank and get interest. But the 3 mpg stated earlier goes into a non-interest bearing account.

 

 

BTW: I just noticed that my car looks just like yours. And, thank you for your service to our country.

 

Okay we get your opinion I solve the problem with runflats for the street and non runflats for the autocross. Shouldn't be that worried about the performance on the street.

 

So you have a machine silver Vette too And thank you for your support

 

Run flats only give you the ability to drive to a safer or better location if it is simply flat. If either tire run flat or not has a catastrophic blow out from road debris you are sunk anyways.

In either case you will be stuck flat bedding your car home and waiting a week or so to order a tire.

 

Yes, this is the spare that I am talking about. It is lightweight and will work on all 4 corners. It is a different size than the rear tire but is only meant and designed to be utilized as an emergency wheel to get to the nearest point of repair or to remove you from harms way.

These fit nicely above the rear compartment. I have seen this set up with a black tire cover on it and the C5 decal emblem placed on the cover for a nice finishing touch.

I am posting this as an alternative means for those who desire something more in their comfort zone. I have RF mounted on polished thin spokes & non RF on chrome Z06's. I run the non RF and keep the patch kit and compressor in the car.

It is purely a matter of personal perference for the owner and they must decide what they value and what is important to them.

Again I wish you Good Luck.....

 

I just love the cavalier attitude posters have regarding AAA. “Just get AAA”. Wait until the bozo shows up from AAA. He doesn’t know $hit from $hinola about C5’s and this is the guy that’s going to save your day .....YOU MUST BE DREAMING. God knows what kind of damage he’s going to create when he flat beds your Vette back to the shop and now you’re at the mercy of his boss. You give up all of your options when you give up your run flats. It's your a$$, do with it as you please.

 

I sure hope you never 'need' one of these guys when you're dead along the road. To make all tow truck drivers out to be what you've described makes me wonder how you'd know this. Did you get fired from AAA?

 

Sorry if I offended tow truck drivers. But my experience with them could have been better.

 

100%. Through personal experience, the damage they inflicted on a work rental with a lot more ground clearance than a C5 was shocking. I want to make the decision of where and who repairs a flat on my C5 without the need for a risky trip via flatbed. Non-runflat savings are cancelled immediately not to mention the inconvenience and car downtime due to any possible towing/ repair damages from a AAA-type service. On top of this peace of mind/ potential savings, there are the following guaranteed savings below...

Plug in a conservative scenario of a tire life of 35K miles, 25mpg vs. 22mpg and $3.25/ gallon for premium and you have over $600 in savings (@ $3.50/gallon you're closer to $800). Which brand name tires are cheaper now? If you can't get the above tire life (many will get more) then I can't help you with your improper maintenance of the air pressure in your tires or your abusive acceleration/braking habits and/or poor shifting expertise.

You missed the point...runflats won't have a blowout in the conventional sense. An almost instantaneous loss of air pressure can occur in a runflat but unlike a standard tire it won't shred to pieces taking a chunk of fender or 1/4 panel with it and possible loss of control of your vehicle. Search this forum and you will find that the factory GY's have been tested with a 1/2 inch hole (yes, 1/2") in the sidewall and run on the track with it. The kind of 'catastrophic' incident you are speaking of that would have enough force to tear apart a runflat could only result in a disabled/damaged vehicle that would be undrivable even after a flat was repaired (read as wheel, suspension damage and possibly more if it was enough road debris to make you lose control and impact something) in which case any further damage that could be inflicted via a haphazard flatbed operator would be minor to the damage already done. Intentional or not your comment is just grabbing for straws to dis the superior runflat capabilities.

 

...just a thought, but usually when you list Pros and Cons, you're referring to the same thing. With the lists above, the Pros are for non-runflats and the Cons are for runflats. Some people might think that you're talking only about non-runflats.

 

Again, I have to bring this up because of scare tactics like this, but really, the chances of a rapid loss of tire pressure when running good treadwear tires is very, very small. If anything, you are likely to have a slow leak (nail in the tire, for example), so getting to a shop is a matter of running on 20-24 psi tires - not that bad if you're not doing 100 MPH.

Only very conservative drivers will get that kind of life out of their tires. My rears are good for 16,000-18,000 miles and I don't spin my tires. Also, it is unlikely that anyone here can average 25 MPG. I'd say 20 is possible and more likely. That being the case, a set of 18,000 mile non-runflat tires will cost only $287 more than a set of runflats - no savings at all, since runflats can easily cost $600 more than a good set of non-runflats.

Really, no one will ever find enough data that shows runflats to be better performers. I liken the use of them to commuting to work in a 6000-lb SUV because someday, someone may broadside you. If we live our lives in constant fear, we leave no room for fun!

 

12 volt compressor from Wally world. Plug kit and that will do it.
Small jack if you want, but I've had two nails and a screw and I just poped out the nail/screw popped in a plug and pumped it back up. Later had the tire taken off and patched.