WICKED Z

I have a 97 with 30,000 miles i just bought it . I plan on racing it at our local drag strip.i want to replace the stock wheels with c7 black z06 wheels .i will be driving this car , which is un modified, to the track , to car shows and maybe up to 200 miles on trips .won't be a daily driver but will probably be driven 7k miles a year .what tires would be best for all my needs ?
Should i go 17 /18 or 18/19 or 18's all the way around ? Thanks for any input !

Evil-Twin

So you are asking several questions, and offering no real specific needs... you want to know what wheels are the best for racing and the street, and what tires for the street and racing. But in both cases your desires are vague.

Street use and racing are two completely different demands. By trying to incorporated too different needs you wind up with a poor compromise for both conditions.

Wheels sizes have a big impact on ride quality, handling, building of potential energy, and aesthetic appeal.

Everything is a compromise. But because your needs are not specific and more general, the factory wheels would be the correct choice. Because these are designed for your general needs.

Pushing wheels sizes to larger diameters will only effect a much smaller aspect ratio, which will compromise the ride quality, but increase the handling. Choosing other than stock sizes will decrease your choice in available tires from different manufactures and with different compounds. Do you want a long lasting tire ( a touring tire ) with 60% carbon and 40% rubber. Or do you want ( a performance tire ) with 60% rubber and 40% carbon? the more carbon , the longer they will last. the more rubber, the stickier they will be . More carbon, longer lasting, less carbon , shorter life span.

Good luck, and be careful who you listen to.

Bill aka ET

WICKED Z

I guess to explain better

i think i'll go 18 fronts , 19 rear
so what is the stickyest rear tire that i can use , that would still be ok if i got caught in the rain. I only plan on drag racing and driving to car shows . Ride is not important/ tire mileage is not important

Fast Cars & Horses

OK, I'll bite, I autoX and have to have sticky tires that will also be good on the street because I drive to the events. There are 2 tires of choice for autoX and it's BF Goodrich Rival S and Bridgestone RE71R. They are both 200 treadwear and incredibly sticky. They hook and corner fantastic. You can't go with the Rival S unless you go 18" wheels all around. I used those last year on my C5 and they are a rock star. You will be able to find the 71R's in your size and you will love them, it's what I have on my C6Z now. They feel like the Rival S so far, and both are good in the rain. I can't run the same times as the guys on Hoosiers, but I get close!!

You might go over to the autoX and road racing forum, they have great advice on setting up a car for street and track, but this is what they will tell you. I use Forgestar F14's on the C5 and I had my stock wheels powder coated black on the C6Z because they are very lightweight. Good luck!!!

WICKED Z

Thanks !!!

WICKED Z

Thank you !

mwestc5

A bit late but here's my 2cents worth.
My Z06 is set up for the track but street legal. I got it to replace my v8 Miata track only car. No more trailering for me. Now I drive to & hopefully from the track.
On my Miata I started with Toyo RA1 shaved to 2/32, then went to Toyo 888, then went to all out Hoosier Slicks. Not the R6, but an all out slick. Grip was incredible.
Now I go to the Z06 and drive to the track. I pretty much never drive in the rain on track anymore. My rain line is directly to my spot in the paddock.
I do about 30-40 track days per year in the instructor group.
I'd instructed a guy 1/2 dz times with a 911 that he drove to the track. He is now also instructing and I still catch rides with him. I was always impressed with the performance of his tires, Yokahama Advan Neova AD08R. I put them on my Z06. 295x30x18 all around. I got 2 seasons out of them and am down to the cords. They are no Hoosier Slick & that took a bit of getting used to. No longer can I pass people at will in the corners. I've adjusted to the trade off. I'm very happy with these. But, you know we're always looking for something better. I've spent probably 20 plus hrs researching other tires. I looked at Toyo 888's, Dunlop Driezza, Hankooks, Firestone's & Bridgestones. These are all considered Extreme Summer Performance Tires. Price is a consideration but not a big factor, tire noise and comfort are not issues for me. After looking at every video review out there, all the reviews on the various tire re-seller sites and various magazines. Narrowed it down to the Yokohama's and the Bridgestone RE071R.
What I'm looking for is best possible performance on track I can get but also be able to drive 240 miles to and hopefully from WGI in a monsoon. The Yokohama's did this quite well. But, that being said I think I may give the Bridgestone's a shot. The reviews have been maybe slightly better then the Yoko's and the tires are about $40 less. Again the $40 is not a big factor but still a factor. Also I'll be getting 8 of these. I have a C5 convertible for the street and will be getting the same tires for both cars. I keep going back & forth re: the RE071 & the Advan AD08R.
My season starts in about a month. These tires last longer if not exposed to freezing conditions. I'm waiting till the weather here in NJ finally gets into the 40's and up consistently.
On another subject. I'm not comfortable driving these cars with a can of Fix-A-Flat and a compressor. I also carry plugs. But it's always a 50/50 shot if these will work and a cut in the sidewall you are done. I've been looking for a space saver spare or donut that I could use. Turns out my donut spare from my 2011 Cadillac CTS fits both cars. I need a 5/32 spacer for the wheel to fit onto my convertible and 2 spacers for it to fit over my oversized Wilwood calipers on the Z. And they fit into both cars trunks. Obviously will be leaving more stuff on my garage floor to make room for the spare. I can also fit my small floor jack in there too. But, I may be going with a lighter smaller scissors jack and weld a 1/2" socket onto the end of the scissors jack so I can use my breaker bar ratchet to easily raise and lower the car.
That's my 2 cents worth.

donald4972

Of all the tires you mention in your post, that you've used or researched; Assume for a moment that 'road noise' was an issue for you, and you wanted the least road noise of those tires mentioned, where would that compromise lead you, to the most otherwise sticky tire, then?

mwestc5

I think I'd still go with the Yokohama Advan AD08R.
Since the other tires were on my dedicated track cars and they were all louder cars then my C5-Z06 I never really heard the tires except squealing on track. I actually swapped out an exhaust I had on my v8Miata because it was so loud I could not hear anything, cars around me or tires squealing.

My Z06 drive train / exhaust are fairly stock, car is as loud as any more or less stock Z06.. One of the reasons I got the Vette aside from driving it to/from the track was to be able to enjoy it on the streets too. Now that you've posed this question, I've never noticed these tires to be loud to the point where they bothered me just driving around. None of my car buddies ever commented on tires being loud.

I failed to mention I'm using stock Z06 C5 wheels.

WICKED Z

Thanks for the info

Nate@VanBortelChevy

If you want a tire that will perform well on the drag strip and you can drive it around town, take a look at Nitto NT05R. The more grip, the less life is the general rule of thumb. Best of all worlds would be the Michelin Pilot Super Sports, excellent grip for a summer performance tire and excellent life, but they do not grip nearly as good as a drag radial or DOT performance track tire.

Sizes are up to you, the most common wheel upgrade size is 18/19 on a C5. Some go 19/19, 19/20, 18/18, 17/18.

I would also recommend looking into spun cast or rotary forged wheels vs cheap cast wheels. The cheap Chinese made cast wheels are heavy and are more susceptible to damage. True forged is the lightest and strongest but most expensive. Spun cast or rotary forged is in-between.

Best of luck!

WICKED Z

What size 18 fronts are best

knewblewkorvette

I have the Super Sports on all three of my sports cars, best grip on the street. Prices have come down on them too, though still pricey compared to some. I run 18 and 18 on one C5, 18 and 19 on my other C5.