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active handling/run flats
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
From: costa mesa california
active handling/run flats
Hi all. I am a new member to this great forum. I just purchased my first vette (2004 spiral gray automatic coupe) and am now officially addicted
These cars rock!
Two questions for the group:
(1) what are the purposes of the active handling and competitive driving modes? In what situations would you use one over the other?
(2) do regular tires offer a smoother vette ride than the run good year run flat tires (assuming you have a mobile air device for flat tires)?
Thanks
These cars rock!Two questions for the group:
(1) what are the purposes of the active handling and competitive driving modes? In what situations would you use one over the other?
(2) do regular tires offer a smoother vette ride than the run good year run flat tires (assuming you have a mobile air device for flat tires)?
Thanks
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 11,065
Likes: 1,277
From: Central Ma
When you enter comp mode, that disables the traction control but keeps the active handling in play. Disable both, and you are on your own.
Prepare to be bombarded about the runflats.
Yes, non runflats will ride better/quieter, but there is a trade off with everything.
You have been warned, be prepared.
Prepare to be bombarded about the runflats.
Yes, non runflats will ride better/quieter, but there is a trade off with everything.
You have been warned, be prepared.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,043
Likes: 9,807
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
Hi all. I am a new member to this great forum. I just purchased my first vette (2004 spiral gray automatic coupe) and am now officially addicted These cars rock!
Two questions for the group:
(1) what are the purposes of the active handling and competitive driving modes? In what situations would you use one over the other?
(2) do regular tires offer a smoother vette ride than the run good year run flat tires (assuming you have a mobile air device for flat tires)?
Thanks
These cars rock!Two questions for the group:
(1) what are the purposes of the active handling and competitive driving modes? In what situations would you use one over the other?
(2) do regular tires offer a smoother vette ride than the run good year run flat tires (assuming you have a mobile air device for flat tires)?
Thanks
Non run flat tires ride smoother than the GY EMTs but are not that much different in ride quality than the Firestone run flats or a couple of other brand run flats.
Bill
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Welcome to the forum. Yes, non-runflat tires generally will give you a better ride, less noise and better handling than runflat tires.
Le Mans Master
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From: If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate. Texas
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But if you look around/ask around, there are lower road-noise alternatives in RFTs. I have had the Firestone Firehawks and am running the Kumho Ecstas now...both are better than OEM, imho.
Welcome, btw!
Welcome, btw!
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,384
Likes: 87
From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Welcome to the Forum
It looks like you already got some good descriptions of what AH does.
I leave AH in all the time because I don't track the Vert but you'll get varying views. Some ditch it on start but my view is that it's there for a reason and that's not too smart. It saved my behind on more than one occasion when the road conditions didn't go my way. Many of the guys that track their car drop it and also use Competetive mode. I can well understand that when they're pushing the car to the limit under controlled conditions on a track they've studied.
On the runflats; the OEMs are noisy and hard to get the 200 miles running without air which the spec demands. I found them prone to wheel hop and tramlining.
I switched to Michelins AS ZPs which are way quieter and handle better but ar only rated for 50 miles flat. The softer sidewalls make the difference.
You can go for non RFs and its an improvement as well. I tried the Michelin PS2s but it didn't give me the quantum improvement that I'd have needed to lose the protection of the run flat. I guess if you live in a city or have AAA on call you could live with that
JMHO
It looks like you already got some good descriptions of what AH does.
I leave AH in all the time because I don't track the Vert but you'll get varying views. Some ditch it on start but my view is that it's there for a reason and that's not too smart. It saved my behind on more than one occasion when the road conditions didn't go my way. Many of the guys that track their car drop it and also use Competetive mode. I can well understand that when they're pushing the car to the limit under controlled conditions on a track they've studied.
On the runflats; the OEMs are noisy and hard to get the 200 miles running without air which the spec demands. I found them prone to wheel hop and tramlining.
I switched to Michelins AS ZPs which are way quieter and handle better but ar only rated for 50 miles flat. The softer sidewalls make the difference.
You can go for non RFs and its an improvement as well. I tried the Michelin PS2s but it didn't give me the quantum improvement that I'd have needed to lose the protection of the run flat. I guess if you live in a city or have AAA on call you could live with that
JMHO
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
The RPO code if it was fitted as an option is JL4.
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From: Monterrey, Mexico Nuevo Leon
Drifting
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From: Toronto Ontario
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You hold the AH button down for 5 seconds, you hear a ding and the DIC will display "competitive driving". If you held the button down for 10 seconds and it didn't switch to this mode then you don't have it.
