run flat or non runflat
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 13,421
Likes: 8
From: Lake Mary Florida
Lots of opinions on this subject. Yesterday I got to see a new set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S ZPs on a C5. They look pretty aggressive in the tread design and from user reports are much quieter then the GY's. With the all weather abilities of the MPS's I'm thinking about changing over.
Last edited by Jet-Jock; Nov 5, 2006 at 12:31 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 4,816
Likes: 132
From: Plano TX
I put on a set of non-runflat Sumitomo tires. $550.00 for a set of 4... They grip like glue, much quieter than the stock Goodyear run flats, and are 20 lbs lighter (set of 4 ) than the Goodyears.. The only dis-advantage I see is that if I have a flat I don't have a spare.. I carry a fix a flat kit with me just in case.. http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....Model=HTR+Z+II Like Jet Jock said,, There are lots of choices and lots of good tires out there... You can pay $1500.00 for a good name brand if it makes you feel good . I'm always looking for the best value for my money on whatever I buy
Last edited by David426; Nov 5, 2006 at 09:45 AM.
Pro
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 612
Likes: 0
From: Simi Valley CA.
Originally Posted by ABNVET.I
I dumped the run flats and never looked back 
NITTO 555's all the way around!
Quiet, Good Ride, Great Longevity........over 40K on current set, with plenty of tread to go...
Good Luck.....
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 8,003
Likes: 249
From: Tampa Fl
St. Jude Donor '12-'13-'14
I needed something to hold me over for the winter, and I picked up a set of 8/32 used off the forum. Maybe Ill get two years out of them. 20000 miles and the front still look pretty good. For some reason, the car doesnt seem to get much traction these days 
Pro
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 551
Likes: 19
From: Morgantown WV
I have the Pilot Sport A/S ZP and am very happy with them. Picked up a screw on the way home from Carlisle last year and if I han't had the ZP tires I would have been stranded.
They are much quieter then the GY. I highly recommend them
They are much quieter then the GY. I highly recommend them
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 4,933
Likes: 30
From: San Rafael CA
Originally Posted by davey1
which is the better choise.thanks
1) You take your car to the race track and are looking to get maximum performance from the tire. You expect excellent grip, don't care about tire life, don't care about tire noise, and know that if you cut a tire you may have some problems, but you can trailer it "home".
2) You use your car as a daily driver. If you get a flat tire, that is a MAJOR issue. You need reliability more than performance,
In the first case, the non-runflat is your answer ... much better "performance" than the EMT tires.
In the second case the EMT (run-flat) is a better answer.
Evaluate what's important to you, then find a tire that fits your needs.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 230
Likes: 2
From: Montana
I put Goodyear DS-G3's on my car shortly before taking a 5000 mile trip to Bowling Green. The ride and noise difference from the run-flats to the non run-flats was like night and day. I would not go back to the run-flats. I now travel with a patch kit and the tire rack emergency pump system.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,228
Likes: 5
From: Gainesville Georgia
For traction...No question about It..Non-RunFlats!!!! I believe that the sidewalls on the RunFlats are not flexable, so they will just spin away, I believe the new C6 Runflats are much better but they are an 18" & 19" package. I would either get P.S 2's or BFG's, I think the F1 Supercars are pretty darn good also, but many people upgrade. Good luck on your search.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 789
Likes: 38
From: Shreveport LA
Originally Posted by BlackZ06
I think it depends on what you consider "important" ... let me give you two examples that may help clarify this .....
1) You take your car to the race track and are looking to get maximum performance from the tire. You expect excellent grip, don't care about tire life, don't care about tire noise, and know that if you cut a tire you may have some problems, but you can trailer it "home".
2) You use your car as a daily driver. If you get a flat tire, that is a MAJOR issue. You need reliability more than performance,
In the first case, the non-runflat is your answer ... much better "performance" than the EMT tires.
In the second case the EMT (run-flat) is a better answer.
Evaluate what's important to you, then find a tire that fits your needs.
1) You take your car to the race track and are looking to get maximum performance from the tire. You expect excellent grip, don't care about tire life, don't care about tire noise, and know that if you cut a tire you may have some problems, but you can trailer it "home".
2) You use your car as a daily driver. If you get a flat tire, that is a MAJOR issue. You need reliability more than performance,
In the first case, the non-runflat is your answer ... much better "performance" than the EMT tires.
In the second case the EMT (run-flat) is a better answer.
Evaluate what's important to you, then find a tire that fits your needs.
A can of fix a flat in th back will be just as good for the everday DD that might get a flat.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,332
Likes: 31
From: Silver Spring MD
runflats or no
Just mounted Michelin Pilot Sport A/S ZPs on my C5. Got them at Discounttiredirect and with free UPS shipping were less expensive than Tirerack. Seem quieter. Haven't given them the works yet. PS go to a REPUTIBLE INSTALLER.
GM Dealer had lowest price, better than the installers listed on Tirerack and Discounttiredirect. $90 including $20 "disposal fee" to trash old ones. When installing, one of the TPMS sensors DIED. They ATE THE SENSOR. Being knowadgeable and talking to the service manager reasonably helped. I have the old sensor and will try and replace the battery as shown on the forum in another thread. Funny thing is THE SENSOR WAS RECOGNIZED by the TIRE TRAINING option using the DIC. It JUST WOULDN'T WORK when driving the car.
BIGHANK
GM Dealer had lowest price, better than the installers listed on Tirerack and Discounttiredirect. $90 including $20 "disposal fee" to trash old ones. When installing, one of the TPMS sensors DIED. They ATE THE SENSOR. Being knowadgeable and talking to the service manager reasonably helped. I have the old sensor and will try and replace the battery as shown on the forum in another thread. Funny thing is THE SENSOR WAS RECOGNIZED by the TIRE TRAINING option using the DIC. It JUST WOULDN'T WORK when driving the car.
BIGHANK
Last edited by bighank; Nov 8, 2006 at 11:39 AM.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 4,933
Likes: 30
From: San Rafael CA
Originally Posted by Blue02ws6
Are you a politician, because you put a lot of spin on that.
A can of fix a flat in th back will be just as good for the everday DD that might get a flat.
A can of fix a flat in th back will be just as good for the everday DD that might get a flat.
Maybe I didn't make it as clear as I should have .....
Rather than recommending a particular tire (Goodyear, Toyo, Michelin, whatever ...) what I was trying to say is ...
"What are the tire characteristics that are important to you?"
If performance is the A number 1 issue, then a runflat is probably not a good choice because the stiffer sidewalls (regardless of who makes it) generally mean the tire does not have great "performance" characteristics.
On the other hand, if reliability is important, then a run flat is a good choice. Years ago, in a Pontiac, I was on my way to a very important appointment (job interview). Suddenly a truck in front of me dropped a piece of metal onto the road, and other cars were hitting it and causing it to fly all over the freeway. I tried to avoid it, but at the last moment a car in front hit it and sent it spinnning into my front tire. It pierced the sidewall of the tire and then rolled away, leaving me with a rapidly deflating tire.
Fortunately I pulled off and replaced the damaged tire with the spare and still made the interview on time. If all I'd had was a can of "fix-a-flat" like we have in our Z06's I would have been screwed as that stuff cannot fix a sidewall puncture (or almost anything beyond a simple puncture to the tread). I would have had to wait for a tow truck, a tow to a tire shop, and then wait for them to repair/replace the tire if I had to rely on the "fix-a-flat" kit With an EMT tire none of this would have been an issue.