Anyone have pics of the Michelin AS-ZP's mounted? I'm about to go that route but noticed where some don't care for the look vs. the stock GY's.
I'm NOTinterested in the upcoming PS'2 ZP's.
Thanks,
Nick

 

I don't have a digital camera, so I can't shoot a couple of pics and upload them...sorry. However, as someone who has them, let me say this...They DO look like snow tires!!

 

Another board member posted this pic of his car with Michelin ZPs on awhile back before I bought mine (I hope the owner of this car doesn't mind my posting this, I saved it to gauge what it would look like compared to OEM in Iraq and pulled the trigger on them once I came home) Anyway, I don't think they look like SUV tires at all (although I used to think that) once you put them on they look pretty aggressive to me

 

I agree that they're not the best looking tires in the world but they perform well

Here's some pics of mine

 

I got em, I don't like the look.

 

I know a lot of members here have them on their car and like them, but they do look like truck tires.

 

Thanks to all that replied and especially the actual pics. Since my 03 just hit 30K miles and it's 5th b'day, I think I'll pass on the AS ZP's simply becasue of the look. Guess I'll be paying double for the OEM Goodyears.

Thanks again,

Nick Nichols

 

I felt the same way, but after one ride with the Michelins, you won't mind the look as much

 

When I switched to the Michelin PS ZP's, I could not believe the difference in ride quality, noise reduction, and handling. Unless your are more than 50 miles away from help a good part of the time, I can't see the reason for voluntarily purchasing Goodyear runflats. Each to his own, but to sacrifice ride quality, noise level, and better handling for just tread appearance makes no sense to me.

 

Is the look more important to you than performance,ride quality, sound,traction, length of tire life ?

Because the Mich AS ZP beats the OEM GYs on ALL counts.......and for less $$

 

 

i have the run flats and they are great tires...i did'nt like the look of them at first but once they wore in they looked better...and yes they handle great...best tire i ever bought

eric

 

I had a set of ZP runflats put on my car Friday, can't believe the difference, if Goodyear was giving away their run flats for free, they could keep them, worst tire I have ever owned.

 

I have these tires, and I love them.

When I got the car it had B.F. Goodrich g-Force T/A KD's on it that were not run flats. I didnt push the car much in the beginning, but I do remember being able to break the wheels with the throttle if I tried.

Due to the way I use the car I wanted runflats, so I replaced them with Michelin AS zp's all the way around. I dont know when I started to notice it, but try as I may, I have a lot of trouble breaking these wheels (I have to turn a little on maximum throttle to get them to break). IMO they really do perform well, the car just sticks, no matter what you are doing.

One thing you have to remember is that they are an all season (probably more realisticaly a three season) tire, so they have several different compounds of rubber along the face of the tire to enable them to corner well, and work well in both hot and cold weather (a must for me in the NE US).

The other day I was cleaning under the car and . . .gasp!
(just shot these quick, after 300 miles in the rain, so everything is dirty)

Left Rear
[IMG][/IMG]
Right Rear
[IMG][/IMG]

I noticed that I must have been a little overzealous in one of my "well, lets test the Active Handeling so I know it works and to see what it will do in case I find myself in a similar situation . . ." runs As I said, I can get them to break, but its not easey

I pretty much used up the softer rain groove in the center of the rears. At first, I thought maybe I had overinflated them, but I knew that wasnt the case because I frequently check them and run at 30 cold as recommended. In reading up, I have found a few posts that explained the softer compound in the center and reported similar wear, so Im chalking it up to "normal" wear and not something I did wrong (well except for the hard "testing" I did).

As you can see here, the fronts are in great shape, so I guess thats another reason to place the blame for wear on the rear tires firmly on the "loose nut between the steering wheel and the drivers seat".

Left Front
[IMG][/IMG]
Right Front
[IMG][/IMG]

Im not happy about having gone through rears in 22k miles, but have seen posts that report going through two sets of rears per one set of fronts. So if I get 44k out of the fronts, with the way they handle, I'll consider it money well spent.

Gonna replace the rears in the next week or so, current plans are to go with the same AS zp's. Just have to read up on the PS2 zp's (which I dont think Im going with) just to make sure.

 

Got new Mich ZP's 2 months ago and it feels like a different car. It's now nice and quiet and sticks to the road. Personally, I dont think they look bad.

 

another good info post thanks all

 

 

Dont forget that the main difference between OEMs and the AS ZPs are that the OEMs are rated for 200 miles flat against 50 for the AS ZPs. That means that the sidewalls are much harder. That means that to get that extra performance you get more road noise and a slightly harsher ride with more roll (tramlining particularly) with the OEMs.

 

Good info. Let me add that even GM and Goodyear saw the light that a 200 mile run flat was a bit much. The run flats on the C6 are only rated at 100 miles and C6 owners are even saying that even at that rating the ride is too harsh. The new ZR-1 is fitted with Michelin run flats (hmmmmm).

I used to be a champion for the OEMs and didn't like the Michelin AS/ZPs because of the look. I even had AS/ZPs on my first Corvette (put them on then traded it two days later for my current C5) but I wound up putting Michelins AS/ZPs on my current C5 because I couldn't find OEM replacements at any Goodyear dealer (on backlog for months) I sure wouldn't want to run into that problem on a long trip and need a replacement tire. I like the look of the OEMs over the Michelins but, that is not a deal-breaker for me over the performance and wear rating offered by the Michelins

 

Well I got my rear tires (the AS ZP's), but it wasnt easey.

First went to Costco, they called Michelin and were told that the AS ZP's "were on a national back order" Really wanted to get them there due to the mounting/balancing equipment they use (all new stuff) and their service policy.

Oh well, out to another national tire chain, nope "on back order". Guy made a few phone calls and located some.

Went to another tire service place, also had to call around, found em and ordered from there.

Seems Michelin may be phasing out AS ZP's and going to something called an AS Plus (not the PS2, thats a runflat summer tire, the Plus will be a runflat all season). Supposed to be coming out in September.

So . . .if you will be looking for an all season runflat (gets pretty cold here in NE US) you may want to grab some AS ZP's while you can get em, or if you can hold out, look at the AS Plus when it comes out.

Any way, Im happy, I have my new rears. Now all I gotta do is resist the impulse to try and break them once in a while and be satisfied with them just digging in and going