Tire question
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 94
Likes: 2
From: Houston Texas
Tire question
Time for tires and I'm wondering how many members put the good years with the run flats back on. I have heard that the good years are not the best tire. Should I keep the run flats? What are the best tires for regular street use with a few trips to the drag strip? 
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 6,454
Likes: 3
From: Hells Sister City Phoenix AZ
St. Jude Donor '03
Stick with the runflats if yours is a daily driver. If not you'll have to decide what the peace of mind is worth. The last tire I'd buy is the GY! There are alot of different brands and styles out there. I went with the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S XP and love em!
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 19,304
Likes: 85
From: San Diego CA
I looked at it this way:
1) I've been driving for 31 years and have had one blowout in all those years. All of the other (3) tire issues have been nails that caused either very slow or no leaks, so getting to a tire shop was painless.
2) Have you ever noticed that rounding a bumpy or pot-holed corner results in some very disconcerting side-stepping? That's due to the sidewall stiffness of the runflats. Yes, other manufacturers softened their sidewalls for a slightly better ride, but with a resulting shorter runflat distance. However, runflats are always more expensive and heavier than their non-runflat brethren. Keep in mind that the extra 6+ lbs that a runflat tire carries is rotating, unsprung weight which harshens your ride considerably.
3) Goodyear does make one of the best all-around set of tires in the world for a C5. They are called GSD3s and not only provide a superior ride, but also are exceptional in wet weather. The added two bonuses are that they are less expensive than almost all the major runflat and non-runflat tires and they are made right here in the USA.
Highly recommended
1) I've been driving for 31 years and have had one blowout in all those years. All of the other (3) tire issues have been nails that caused either very slow or no leaks, so getting to a tire shop was painless.
2) Have you ever noticed that rounding a bumpy or pot-holed corner results in some very disconcerting side-stepping? That's due to the sidewall stiffness of the runflats. Yes, other manufacturers softened their sidewalls for a slightly better ride, but with a resulting shorter runflat distance. However, runflats are always more expensive and heavier than their non-runflat brethren. Keep in mind that the extra 6+ lbs that a runflat tire carries is rotating, unsprung weight which harshens your ride considerably.
3) Goodyear does make one of the best all-around set of tires in the world for a C5. They are called GSD3s and not only provide a superior ride, but also are exceptional in wet weather. The added two bonuses are that they are less expensive than almost all the major runflat and non-runflat tires and they are made right here in the USA.
Highly recommended
Race Director
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 12,952
Likes: 0
From: Greer SC
Cruise-In II Veteran
Just remember, every tire is a compromise...dry traction vs wet traction...runflat vs non-runflat...great handling vs marginal handling but better for all-weather driving. Determine what YOUR needs are, then you can better decide which tire. We run Nitto Race Tires on the street. http://www.nittotire.com/tires_555r2.asp
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 242
Likes: 0
From: Huntington Beach CA
i have the michelin Pilotsports zeropressure
runflats. Ive alays had the original goodyeas till now. the michelins are smoother and somewhat quieter, but they are much uglier in my opinion. People have asked me why I got a diff aspect ratio...even tho its the same.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 11,945
Likes: 12
From: Vancouver
2015 C5 of Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10
Originally Posted by Dave68
I looked at it this way:
1) I've been driving for 31 years and have had one blowout in all those years. All of the other (3) tire issues have been nails that caused either very slow or no leaks, so getting to a tire shop was painless.
2) Have you ever noticed that rounding a bumpy or pot-holed corner results in some very disconcerting side-stepping? That's due to the sidewall stiffness of the runflats. Yes, other manufacturers softened their sidewalls for a slightly better ride, but with a resulting shorter runflat distance. However, runflats are always more expensive and heavier than their non-runflat brethren. Keep in mind that the extra 6+ lbs that a runflat tire carries is rotating, unsprung weight which harshens your ride considerably.
3) Goodyear does make one of the best all-around set of tires in the world for a C5. They are called GSD3s and not only provide a superior ride, but also are exceptional in wet weather. The added two bonuses are that they are less expensive than almost all the major runflat and non-runflat tires and they are made right here in the USA.
Highly recommended
1) I've been driving for 31 years and have had one blowout in all those years. All of the other (3) tire issues have been nails that caused either very slow or no leaks, so getting to a tire shop was painless.
2) Have you ever noticed that rounding a bumpy or pot-holed corner results in some very disconcerting side-stepping? That's due to the sidewall stiffness of the runflats. Yes, other manufacturers softened their sidewalls for a slightly better ride, but with a resulting shorter runflat distance. However, runflats are always more expensive and heavier than their non-runflat brethren. Keep in mind that the extra 6+ lbs that a runflat tire carries is rotating, unsprung weight which harshens your ride considerably.
3) Goodyear does make one of the best all-around set of tires in the world for a C5. They are called GSD3s and not only provide a superior ride, but also are exceptional in wet weather. The added two bonuses are that they are less expensive than almost all the major runflat and non-runflat tires and they are made right here in the USA.
Highly recommended
Well put Dave!! I also went with the D3's and love them. I had a flat in the old runflats and nobody wanted or could work on them. The tire places have to be certified to work on runflats. Also they have to have a cage built to inflate the tires in. So I bought a plug kit and repaired the tire myself. So now that I have a plug kit and a compressor there's no reason to have the runflats. And the difference in the ride and noise is astonishing. Get yourself some D3's and don't look back.
