Notices
C5 General General C5 Corvette and C5 Z06 Discussion not covered in Tech

[Z06] Firestone Tires

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Apr 13, 2008 | 06:30 PM
  #1  
halp's Avatar
halp
Thread Starter
Racer
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 346
Likes: 10
From: Easton MA
Default Firestone Tires

Has anyone used Firestone Firehawk wide ovals on thier Z.
The prices for these on Tire Rack are much cheaper than GY or Mich.
The comparism tool rates them very good.
Reply
Old Apr 13, 2008 | 06:51 PM
  #2  
NatB's Avatar
NatB
Burning Brakes
 
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 831
Likes: 2
From: Houston Texas
Default

I just replaced my original Goodyears on my 2002 Z06 with Toyo TR-1's in the OEM correct sizes. A major tire chain carries them and they are priced similar to the Firestones. You might want to search the forum on the Toyo Tires as well.

May not matter at all- but the Firestones are "Y" rated instead of the OEM rating.
Reply
Old Apr 13, 2008 | 06:58 PM
  #3  
bmacZO6's Avatar
bmacZO6
Racer
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 490
Likes: 7
From: Slinger WI
Default

Originally Posted by halp
Has anyone used Firestone Firehawk wide ovals on thier Z.
The prices for these on Tire Rack are much cheaper than GY or Mich.
The comparism tool rates them very good.
They are very popular on this forum.
Reply
Old Apr 13, 2008 | 07:03 PM
  #4  
z06inVB's Avatar
z06inVB
Team Owner
15 Year Member
Community Builder
Community Influencer
Top Answer: 3
 
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,620
Likes: 1,178
From: Raleigh
Default

I put them on mine at 66k miles and they have 82k miles on them now and are fine. I don't track the car so cant speak for that but for day to day driving they are fine. They handle well in rain which is something I couldn't say for the GY's the car had when I got it.
Reply
Old Apr 13, 2008 | 07:29 PM
  #5  
LT1driver's Avatar
LT1driver
Le Mans Master
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 6,209
Likes: 33
From: Texas-out west
Default

I agree a good rain tires and general street, I don't track either so can't speak on that...biggest thing I don't like is the way the curb protectors make the tire look lot narrower than they actually are...overall a very good tire in my opinion.
Reply
Old Apr 13, 2008 | 07:34 PM
  #6  
Bob CTS's Avatar
Bob CTS
Race Director
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 17,640
Likes: 1
From: Lenoir City TN
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11
Default

I have them on my Z06 and for how I drive the car they do excellent. I do not track the car just some spirited runs every once awhile.
Reply
Old Apr 13, 2008 | 07:36 PM
  #7  
Quick Silver Z's Avatar
Quick Silver Z
Team Owner
15 Year Member
Veteran: Navy
St. Jude 15 Year Donor
 
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,096
Likes: 2,086
From: Right Corner Pocket of Illinois
No-IL Events Coordinator
2026 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2025 C6 of the Year Winner - Unmodified
2020 C6 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (appearance mods)
2019 C6 of Year Winner (appearance mods)
2018 C6 of Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '12 thru '26
Default

I just replaced my original Goodyear's on my 2002 Z06 with Toyo TR-1's in the OEM correct sizes.


The Firestone's do have a following here on the forum...
Reply
Old Apr 13, 2008 | 07:47 PM
  #8  
NatB's Avatar
NatB
Burning Brakes
 
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 831
Likes: 2
From: Houston Texas
Default

Originally Posted by Quick Silver Z


The Firestone's do have a following here on the forum...
I know the Firestones are very popular - and priced very reasonably. In addition, like the Toyo's, you can maintain the oem size in the front which for me was a consideration.

I was strongly leaning toward's the Goodyear GSD3 tires- the Toyo TR-1's have a similar thread pattern and are a bit more reasonably priced. For me, wet weather handling was a priority- I am very pleased with the TR-1s which proved themselves in a heavy downpour a week ago on a road trip.

Good luck- the Firestones seem to be ranked highly.
Reply
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)

 Joe Kucinski
story-2

Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!

 Brett Foote
story-4

Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-5

10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know

 Joe Kucinski
story-6

5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2

 Michael S. Palmer
story-7

2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

5 MOST and 5 LEAST Popular Corvette Model Years in History!

 Joe Kucinski
Old Apr 13, 2008 | 08:34 PM
  #9  
Big Kidd's Avatar
Big Kidd
Burning Brakes
15 Year Member
All Eyes On Me
 
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 925
Likes: 1
From: Las Vegas, NV
Default

Originally Posted by NatB
I just replaced my original Goodyears on my 2002 Z06 with Toyo TR-1's in the OEM correct sizes. A major tire chain carries them and they are priced similar to the Firestones. You might want to search the forum on the Toyo Tires as well.

May not matter at all- but the Firestones are "Y" rated instead of the OEM rating.
Toyo TR-1's in the OEM correct sizes

That's what I bought.
Reply
Old Apr 13, 2008 | 09:00 PM
  #10  
jss812's Avatar
jss812
Instructor
 
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 185
Likes: 2
From: Bay City Texas
Default

Originally Posted by halp
Has anyone used Firestone Firehawk wide ovals on thier Z.
The prices for these on Tire Rack are much cheaper than GY or Mich.
The comparism tool rates them very good.
Have about 10k on mine. Good overall street tire so far, good wet weather traction, good ride, somewhat less noise. The tread is about 3/4" narrower than stock even though they are the same size. As mentioned, curb protector makes them look even narrower. Looks like tread wear will be very good.

As with other performance tires, they are slicker than snot in cold weather. Not that it stops me from driving the car, just be aware and more judicious with the throttle.
Reply
Old Apr 13, 2008 | 09:39 PM
  #11  
Soundman69's Avatar
Soundman69
Instructor
 
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 244
Likes: 0
From: Ottawa Ontario
Default

My 2 cents. i have never tried the firestones. I have had both the GSD3s and Toyo TR1s. Both are excellent especially in the rain. I'd give a slight edge to the GSD3s in the dry though.
Reply
Old Apr 13, 2008 | 10:07 PM
  #12  
CJR2's Avatar
CJR2
Melting Slicks
 
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,286
Likes: 0
From: Southwestern OH
St. Jude Donor '08
Default

Originally Posted by Soundman69
My 2 cents. i have never tried the firestones. I have had both the GSD3s and Toyo TR1s. Both are excellent especially in the rain. I'd give a slight edge to the GSD3s in the dry though.
I've seen threads both pro and con for the Firestone Wide-ovals.

There are a lot of posts you should read about replacement tires on the forum..

Based on what I've read........ go with the Michelin PS2s, Goodyear GS-D3s, Toyo TR-1s or even the Vredestein Sessanta tires.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...e+page-13.html

Last edited by CJR2; Apr 13, 2008 at 10:11 PM.
Reply
Old Apr 14, 2008 | 12:17 AM
  #13  
Bill Dearborn's Avatar
Bill Dearborn
Tech Contributor
25 Year Member
Liked
Top Answer: 1
Top Answer: 3
 
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,020
Likes: 9,775
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
Default

I've had the WOs on my Z for 3 years now. I use them on the street and as my rain tires on the track. They are great in the rain, especially deep water in a downpour. They did a fantastic job running at the Glen during the Hurricane Katrina downpour 3 years ago. I had one of the few cars that could run through that mess without hyrdroplaning.

I have also run them in the dry through a half day of an HPDE due to one of my race tires going flat. The difference in running the stock size WOs at the Glen was a loss of 6 seconds per lap compared to the 4 315x17 Kumho 710s I had been running before the flat. Not to shabby for a tire that gets so many bad reviews from people who don't have them and think because they have rounded shoulders they can't corner.

Bill
Reply
Old Apr 14, 2008 | 08:04 AM
  #14  
Z06_BluByU's Avatar
Z06_BluByU
Race Director
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 17,103
Likes: 39
From: stop the fun suckers
Default

I had them on my C4 (2 sets in a row). I thought they were fantastic!! They handled great in the dry and EXCELLENT in the wet (i'm with the above poster on that one). The tire is also noticeably quieter than the khumo MX's I was running before them!! Also between the sets I didnt noticed a noise difference when comparing the road noise of the used up set of wideovals vs. the new set.. both were equally quite..


good tire.. I would recommend!
Reply
Old Apr 14, 2008 | 09:10 AM
  #15  
Sigforty's Avatar
Sigforty
Le Mans Master
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 5,941
Likes: 281
From: Was New Orleans but swam to Baton Rouge LA
Cruise-In IX Veteran
Default

They are a great all round tire. I have had them on my Z for about 3 years now and they are still running strong. The only ones I have had to replace are the rears. With a linelock it is hard to not want and burn the tires. I would have to say living in Louisiana they are the best tire I have ever driven with in the rain. For that reason along I keep them on my Z as my daily, autocross and HPDE tires. I think they provide a great value in performance for the price. Plus the lip on the side helps protect your rims.
Reply
Old Apr 14, 2008 | 09:41 AM
  #16  
bobby777's Avatar
bobby777
Melting Slicks
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,334
Likes: 11
From: las vegas nv.
Default

Good looking tire-my WOs are only 1/4in.narrower than the goodyears-great dry traction as well-dont drive in the rain when it does rain-las vegas--cant beat the price--go for em--
Reply
Old Apr 14, 2008 | 10:00 AM
  #17  
DPG's Avatar
DPG
Le Mans Master
20 Year Member
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
 
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 7,201
Likes: 0
From: DP(oh you know where) IL
St. Jude Donor '06
Default

people like em here. the thing that swayed me away from them was the way they looked on the wheel. So i decided to go with a different tire
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To Firestone Tires

Old Apr 14, 2008 | 10:05 AM
  #18  
Z06Frank's Avatar
Z06Frank
Racer
 
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 317
Likes: 0
From: Shediac New-Brunswick
Default

I have wide ovals on mine, they make less road noise then the GY and they stick real good !
Reply
Old Apr 14, 2008 | 02:40 PM
  #19  
Jason's Avatar
Jason
Team Owner
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 71,447
Likes: 6
From: Miami bound
CI 4-5-6-7 Veteran
Default

I've had a couple of sets. I like'em.

Also use them as rain tires at the track.
Reply
Old Apr 14, 2008 | 06:04 PM
  #20  
HUMVET51's Avatar
HUMVET51
Instructor
 
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
From: Forest Park Illinois
Default

I just put on my second set of Kumho Ecsta MX tires(one size wider than stock). For comparison they may be worth a look.
Reply



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:13 AM.

story-0
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)

Slideshow: Ranking the top 10 Corvette engines by torque output.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-05 11:58:09


VIEW MORE
story-2
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!

Slideshow: A Corvette pace car nearly matching IndyCar speeds sounds exaggerated, until you look at the numbers.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-04 20:03:36


VIEW MORE
story-3
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!

Among a rather large group of them.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-04 13:56:44


VIEW MORE
story-4
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!

Slideshow: the top 10 things Corvette owners want in the C9 Corvette

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-30 12:41:15


VIEW MORE
story-5
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know

Slideshow: 10 Important Corvette 'firsts' that every fan should know.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-29 17:02:16


VIEW MORE
story-6
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2

Slideshow: Should you buy a 2020-2026 Corvette or wait for 2027?

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-22 10:08:58


VIEW MORE
story-7
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor

Slideshow: 2027 Corvette lineup vs the world.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-24 16:12:42


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!

Slideshow: 10 major Corvette problems from the last 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-14 16:37:05


VIEW MORE
story-9
5 MOST and 5 LEAST Popular Corvette Model Years in History!

Slideshow: 5 most and least popular Corvette model years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-08 13:25:01


VIEW MORE