DEW IT 2

I've had a set of the Firestone Wide Ovals on our C6 roadster since last July. I really like them. They are much quieter than the Goodyear F1 supercar tires, cost slightly more than half as much, will likely last twice as long and seem to handling every bit as good. I haven't run them on the track but know guys who have. They claim they are every bit as good and possibly better than the Goodyears.

Mad*Max

As far as I can remember, they are made in USA, but you still don't pay duty due to NAFTA etc. However, you will be hit with GST for sure. Plus you'll have to pay for installation/balancing etc.

We could probably only get the Goodyear Tires (if we get the store to order them, they never have them in stock) and the cost would work out to be about double (depending on the prevailing exchange rate). So it would be well worth the drive across Niagara Falls.

Are the Wide Ovals the same tire as the Firehawk posted by the OP?

DEW IT 2

Go to the link posted previously by DonKey to see what they look like. That's easier than posting a picture.

TBonez

Great tires, I've had mine on for about a month and the car rides awesome and has great traction. Tire Rack $1,045 delivered and I didn't pay install because I had to wait too long at my corvette place so they didn't charge me installation. Great tires.

gota07

Yes, the same ones. The complete name for these is Firehawk Wide Ovals. Firestone makes other tire models in a wide oval format as well and have been for years, but since the Firehawks conform to the wide oval format they named them Firehawk Wide Ovals.

rws.1

I have not tried the new Michelin ZP's but IMHO the
FireHawks were the best run flat tire on the market.

Mad*Max

only in America!

Mocoso

I agree on the noise and price but on the handling I put them half way between normal and z51 goodyears.. they are not as "nervous" as the Z51 Goodyears and wont track every rut on the road which makes for nicer cruising but when pushed hard they dont respond as well as the supercars - they arent as sticky and will get more spin at launch and I do feel more drift from rear end thru tight turns

Im still happier with the ovals as they are lasting much longer than the supercars but once in a while it does suck to lose the grip the supercars had... grip vs. longevity/cruising would have been a hard one were the price difference not been 2x

SlickShoes

Firehawk Wide Ovals here as well, installed at 20k miles. Still looking good with plenty of wear left at 34k miles. Thats with a good bit of "spirited" driving involved, and a few thousand of those LOSB.

(Lowered On Stock Bolts )

2000WS6Vert

I've got Wide Ovals and they are much better tires than the Supercars that came on the car. The car would get a little squirrely in heavy rain on the GY. So far....through several heavy downpours....the Firestones have not made me nervous once.

cmonkey713

Put a set on my C-5 a couple of years ago, great tire. My buddy just put a set on his '05 and loves them. good choice.

cclive

Tell us where you got them as I would go there when visiting my sister in Newport...I'm assuming its near Westminster...

Rocketmanwpb

All run flats are not created equal. The Firestone tires are only good for 50 miles when deflated and the Goodyears are good for 100 miles when deflated. The Goodyears have a 300 wear rating and the Firestones have a 320 wear rating. The higher wear rating would indicate the Firestones provide slightly less traction.

Some run flats are not repairable.

Just make certain you know all about the tire you are buying. I purchased a set of Michelins for my C5 and they were fine.

jpee

I just bought an 05 C6 with the Z51 it only has 6,000 miles on it, and the tires have a wear rating of 220 ? Are these different than the GoodYears you are talking about ?

Mocoso

yes Goodyear has two sets for the vette - the ones that come in base suspension and the supercar F1 that come with the Z51 - I dont know if the wear rating on the tires from factory are the same as the ones aftermarket (not sure if GY puts less tread on factory installed vs sold customers) but assuming they stopped doing that kind of crap your 220 rating is for the Z51 and I would assume the 300 is for the other Goodyear

Also note that unless something changed in the last year or so tread rating is only usefull when comparing tires from the SAME manufacturer - Goodyear's 300 tread rating compared to Firestones 320 last I checked meant nothing as the rating is meant to measure relative to their own tires not across manufacturers but Im no expert


The 100 mile run flat vs 50 mile run flat is def. something to consider when buyin and it is something often overlooked by most albeit not a big factor for many

FlyByVette

I still like the ride WAY better than the GY's.....

glad I could help!

akroen

I put Firestone tires on my 05 , and loved them. Cheaper and a better ride. When the Goodyears on my new 08 go I will replace them with Firestones.

Rich Farr

The Firestones are so much quieter than the original tires, I thought I had a different vehicle. With the magnetic ride suspension, the ride is very smooth with great cornering. I have had 3 sets of Goodyears - 2 on my C5 and one on my C6 - all terrible. I replaced the Goodyears on my C5 with Michelin runflats. They were better, but not anywhere as good as the C6 Firestones.

SpryGeezer

*
Why does the tire not do well at low ambient temps?

"....The Firehawk Wide Oval RFT is not intended to be driven in near-freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice......"

Rogers 07

One thing to remember about tire life ratings like 220 300 etc, is that rating is only to compare tires within that MFG's lineup. IE: Firestones rating is not the same as Goodyears for a given tire. The Firestone runflats are better by far than the GY runflats. Just the ride improvement alone is worth the price.