I just bought a 2004 Vert that has the run flat tires which I know nothing about. Is there anything I should know about proper maintenance or problems to look out for? Or anything else to be aware of in a C5.

As you can see from my handle I was a C4 guy (93 Vert), guess I'm movin' on up.

 

If they are the stock run flats than they are terrible tires. They make for a very harsh ride, lots of road noise and they pull with every crack and crevice in the road. As soon as feasible switch to a different set. It will be a different car... I promise!

 

Assuming the tires still have reasonable tread, there is not much you need to do to maintain them. Just keep them around 30 psi when cold and keep on eye once in a while on the tire pressure on the DIC.

As to using runflats or non-runflats, I would wait for a while untill you get a feel for the car. Meantime you can do a lot of reading under the search function here on the forum. You're going to find differing opinions. Good luck and enjoy the C5. Mine in an 04 also.

 

Oh come on, their not "terrible" Look at their good points, 1. They hold air and while we're at it, did you know they are both round AND they 2. Hold air ? so that that my forum friend !

 

I think it's universally accepted around here that the best replacement is the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 ZP which is another run-flat tire.

Just Kidding, I have the Good years on my 2003 and the major drawbacks are they are a very Noisy and hard riding tire. If I could get rid of my good-years in favor of the Michelin's I'd it in a heartbeat. Right now I turn up the radio !

 

I stand corrected!

 

The OEM runflats on my 02 had very hard sidewalls. The original spec called for 200 miles flat which meant the ride was hard and "tramlining" was common. With litle give in the tire, handling was a tad compromised. I heard that with the later OEM runflats the spec was trimmed back to 50 miles flat which was similar to the Michelin AS ZPs which I fitted. The performance was chalk and cheese and the ride and particularly the noise was way better.

As for maintenance, there's no difference to any other tire. The spec is 30 psi cold. Some suggest using 30 hot which for me is about 28 cold.

Welcome to the C5 Forum

 

get rid of them had mine for 45 min after i bought the vette 4 yrs and an additional 87K miles and i have never had an issue of having to call a tow truck because of tire issues.

 

A brand new set of Goodyear Eagle F1 EMTs probably work just fine for probably 15-20K miles. After that much wear they start to have some issues, like ALL ultra high performance and maximum performance tires with that much wear.

A less expensive alternative would be Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus ZPs. Many people are getting them installed for just under a grand.

The Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 ZP is a summer only maximum performance tire designed to compete against the F1 Eagle EMT. And it is pricey too.

I prefer over all of them the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus ZP. For the average Corvette driver, these are superior tires in nearly all applications.

 

or the regular AS ZP's, very good tire for general use.

 

I think you nailed it.

 

ok, i'll add my two cents to the discussion. i have an 04 CE convert with the OEM goodyear runflats on them also. if you understand how a runflat functions (to make it run flat) you would understand why they are a bit harsh riding. the sidewalls are stiff because with no air in them (hence run FLAT), the sidewall is what keeps the tire somewhat functional so you can get to the nearest place of replacement or repair. are there "better" tires out there, i'm certain there are. are there better runflat tires out there, a simple search here will give you the impression that isn't the impossible dream either (michelin and firestone seem to be the brands most seem to like if they stay with runflats). if you take the car on trips from time to time, or if you plan to use it as a daily driver and you don't want to be stranded on the side of the road all dolled up in your business attire, or you don't want your wife or girlfriend stranded waiting for a flatbed if she drives the vette, then runflats make lots of sense. if you're going to track it, autocross it, or are willing to cope with the inconvenience of being stranded by the side of the road waiting for AAA to come get you, then tow you somewhere (flatbedded) runflats aren't for you and you can get an improvement in ride and handling with non runflats.

for me, when these OEM tires need replacement (it's pretty close now) i plan to replace them with either michelin or firestone runflats. if i run into trouble, at my age i want to make it as minimally inconvenient as possible. that's just my opinion.

 

I'm very pleased with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus ZP. I'm a daily driver and go anywhere anytime in any weather ... no problems. Put in 30lb, check them in the DIC every now and then. Mine's also an '04 'vert. You're gonna love it!

 

Here's something I've noticed about OEM C5 runflats, having driven several very low-mile garage-kept cars in the last couple years. The OEM runflats do not age well--the ones on the aforementioned cars apparently hardened with age and got very poor traction when trying to accelerate. Lots of slip. This was trying the straight-line traction, but this same hardening is bound to affect cornering limits too. I'd be careful running old run-flats hard.

One plus, 'tho--the runflats do indeed get better gas mileage; proved it to my satisfaction on my own car after I made the swap. 2-3 mpg difference, believe it or not.

 

, or you don't want your wife or girlfriend stranded waiting for a flatbed if she drives the vette, then runflats make lots of sense.

 

Thank you all for your input. Just bought the 04 and drove it home @250 mi. Now it sits in the garage covered due to SNOW, SNOW, SNOW. Will have to wait a few months to check it out. I do agree that the ride seems harsh, and traction on acceleration is not what I expected. I also thought the mileage would be better, it got 26.

 

The window sticker states 19 City 28 Highway.

26 is pretty good for a 350 HP V8.

You didn't say how many miles were on this Vette. So it really depends on the wear as to whether the tires behave well or not.

Today, was a drencher in FL. Since mine is a daily driver, it has to deal with all weather. Well I can attest, PS A/S ZPs have extremely exceptional traction in all weather conditions and are totally predictable in tight turns, to the point it will hold much longer than you ever expect from the vehicle. I think the worst conditions at times are newly wet roads where you are making at least a 90° turn or more with a change in incline, especially since you are adding that oil layer as the road becomes wet until it is washed away. Most cars lose traction quick. Not my Vette, sometimes it even surprises me what it gives back. And when driving in heavy water on the road, it tracks true right through the water without being thrown about.

Sorry about the snow, maybe by springtime you'll have it out and running on new shoes.

 

I have had both types on my car a 2001 Coupe and I find no difference in the noise from either Goodyear or Michelin Pilot run flats.

 

Proper maintenance is the same as any other passenger car tire - keep the air at proper levels, keep the alignment correct and the wheels balanced.

The OEM runflats have a reputation for being noisy, having a harsh ride and not lasting all that long. They also tend to follow the grooves in the pavement to the point that it gets annoying. When I bought my current car, it had the original Goodyears on it - I really didn't mind the ride and didn't notice all that much wavering across the road - and as for the noise - the Corsa cat backs took care of that.

On my '00 I ran a set of Firestone Firehawks (runflats) and loved the tires. Runflat security and IMO the handling/road noise/etc. were much, much better than the OEM Goodyears.

 

Sorry I forgot the mileage. It only has 22k, with the original tires.