tires
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 813
Likes: 70
From: Delaware, OH
tires
Have 2009 Z51 and the front tires are on the wear bars. 9800 miles with spirited driving. Looking for advice on whether or not to replace with run flats or not. Would like to get away from F1 super car tires and something that will last and still handle. Seemed to wear out quicker than normal
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
Likes: 2,596
From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
do what you want re RF or non. but if you wore out your fronts with under 10K miles, we all know the reasons and it's only partially due to the tires. take a look at some of the other 'reviews' of tires on here.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 14,100
Likes: 1,606
From: Edmond Oklahoma
There are hundreds of posts concerning the subject of tires. It all depends on what you will be mainly using the car for. Don't get a set of expensive run-flats if you are going to track the car very much, and don't get a set of soft sticky tires for a daily driver.
Many here have had good luck with Firestone's. I would agree that the Goodyear's are not the way to go. Lots of choices out there so do a search, talk to other Corvette owners and then make your move. Be sure that you get a four-wheel alignment and consider taking some of the negative camber out of the front for a little more even tire ware providing you are not going to track the car. Good luck with your quest.
Many here have had good luck with Firestone's. I would agree that the Goodyear's are not the way to go. Lots of choices out there so do a search, talk to other Corvette owners and then make your move. Be sure that you get a four-wheel alignment and consider taking some of the negative camber out of the front for a little more even tire ware providing you are not going to track the car. Good luck with your quest.
Pro
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 718
Likes: 1
From: Missouri City TX
My 2008 is a daily driver so I wanted something that would last longer than the GY. I also want runflats because I can't see myself on the side of the road, at night, in the rain, trying to find a hole to patch. I went with the Firestone and like them. They are quieter than ther GY which is nice. Handling, for a daily driver (with some spirited driving) - can't tell any difference.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,966
Likes: 5
From: Wichita Falls Tx
To the original poster. If you check the inside edge of those front tires, you may find some spots where the cord/belt is coming through. I got 15k miles out of my supercar tires and went with the PS Michelin All Season run flats. I'm also getting my Z51 to the shop for a better street alignment.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 25,022
Likes: 2,714
From: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
St. Jude Donor '13
Summary of 9,999 previous threads on same subject:
Best touring runflat: Firestone (cheaper, but can't be patched if you get a puncture)
Best summer performance tire: Michelin PS2 ZP
Best All Season runflat: Michelin PS A/S ZP
Best touring runflat: Firestone (cheaper, but can't be patched if you get a puncture)
Best summer performance tire: Michelin PS2 ZP
Best All Season runflat: Michelin PS A/S ZP
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 813
Likes: 70
From: Delaware, OH
tires
Hey, great feedback. The weird thing is the rears are wearing better than the fronts which are down to 4/32, rear 7/32. Wear is even but front ready for replacement. I only grand tour and spirited driving. NO track time. Saw the Firestones on TireRack and look like the choice. Little hesitant
to run non/RF tires even with cost savings, dont want to be on a flat bed 2 hours from home.
to run non/RF tires even with cost savings, dont want to be on a flat bed 2 hours from home.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 5,738
Likes: 81
From: Milford NH
Hey, great feedback. The weird thing is the rears are wearing better than the fronts which are down to 4/32, rear 7/32. Wear is even but front ready for replacement. I only grand tour and spirited driving. NO track time. Saw the Firestones on TireRack and look like the choice. Little hesitant to run non/RF tires even with cost savings, dont want to be on a flat bed 2 hours from home.
to run non/RF tires even with cost savings, dont want to be on a flat bed 2 hours from home.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,610
Likes: 12
For extremely quiet tires, try Toyo Proxes T1r. Great looking, wet/dry, ultra-high performance street tires designed exclusively for high-end sport sedans and coupes with good grip and a low price (< $900.)
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,210
Likes: 9
From: CA
The safety factor increase of run flats is nothing to trivially dismiss.
There is a potential life saving ability there to maintain control in a blow out at speed.
Also to keep from having to pull to the side of the road in dangerous areas.
There is a potential life saving ability there to maintain control in a blow out at speed.
Also to keep from having to pull to the side of the road in dangerous areas.
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,257
Likes: 6
From: San Jose, CA, USA
For extremely quiet tires, try Toyo Proxes T1r. Great looking, wet/dry, ultra-high performance street tires designed exclusively for high-end sport sedans and coupes with good grip and a low price (< $900.)
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,678
Likes: 1
Outstanding point. It's your life and the person in the passengers seat.
Racer
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 494
Likes: 0
From: "Beach Bum" CA
I have an 06 w/Z51 option. 1st replacement were the "stones." great, long lasting tire but was not a great "performance" tire.
2nd replacement were the PS2 ZPs - LOVE EM' Perfect tire for the Z51 option - JMHO. If you're crusing around in a base - which I know you're not - then the "stones" are the perfect replacement if money is an object.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 11,470
Likes: 764
for the street, run flats are the way to go. like most here, i haven't had a flat in probably 20 years, but you just never know...a couple years ago, a friend of mine in his 2007C6, hit a frickin' pothole on the interstate 80 near youngstown ohio - hit that thing in such a way, that it tore a 3" gash in the sidewall of his LF, and blew out his LR. we were in traffic, and by the time he saw it, there was no time to swerve to avoid it. i know we were running at least 65mph. initially, he didn't really notice anything except his low tire pressure warning went off. he drove another 5-10 miles or so to his destination. again,
, it's the safety factor... with my frickin' luck, i'd be running non-RF's, and it would happen to me at 3 in the morning in east st. louis - 
my next set most likely will be michelin ps2 a/s run-flats.
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 222
Likes: 2
From: Peachtree City GA
About 3 days later I crossed out of an HOV lane and picked something up which ruined the right rear and the pressure dropped immediately to 0 - no control problems with the runflats. The only cost for the new tire was to reinstate the warranty for about $50.
John
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 799
Likes: 9
From: Long Beach CA
I love my Michelin PS2 ZP's, especially in the wet.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 25,022
Likes: 2,714
From: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
St. Jude Donor '13
Apparently, the Firestone policy varies depending on which runflats for which type of car you have.
