gar4403

Just saw a post about a Corvette crash in the Boston area that was related to my thoughts the other day.

This will be my first winter with the Corvette. Personally, I'm gonna keep driving as long as the roads are clear of snow, ice, and salt.

As the weather turns cold in a good part of the country, how safe is it to run summer only tires? Just wondering what others have experienced. Hope this thread will be helpful to other "newbies" this winter.

capevettes

I drive my Z06 year round here in Mass as long as the roads are clear and dry. You get alot of wheel spin when temps get near or below 45 degrees. It's manageable but you need to keep your foot out of it a bit to be safe.

I saw that story on the yellow Vette crash on TV. The driver was leaving the Ferrari dealer and took off like an idiot. It was about 48 degrees yesterday.

mksz51

Not impossible but always keep in mind that traction with summer tires is GREATLY reduced once the temps drop - even on what appears to be dry pavement. It's kind of fun but kind of scary because they just don't "hold" the same. Due to lack of siping in summer tires you'll find that you can have great difficulty moving forward and stopping on even a dusting of snow on level ground. Personally, I'd never do it.

John in MD

In my experience summer tires start to get hard at around 45 degrees. As temperatures get colder the rubber gets harder. This means you will loose traction much sooner than you did during the summer. That is, you'll need to take corners at a slower speed and accelerate a bit more slowly.

The first car I had with summer tires was a Honda S2000 that had no computer traction control control. I nearly spun out the first time I drove the car below 40 degrees. Scared the daylights out of me since it was on an on ramp to the interstate. This really caught me by surprise since I wasn't driving the car that hard at all.

The computer nannies in the Corvette will help you, but they can't save you from everything. I've already had my rear tires brake loose on cool mornings, traction control took care of things, but it reminded me to be extra careful till the tires got warm.

It seems to take about 20 or so minutes of highway driving for the tires to get warmed up so that they'll start to stick close to normal again. If you're in stop an go traffic in the city on a cold day I don't know that they would ever really get warm.

As long as you're careful (a bit of luck doesn't hurt either) you should be okay. I treat driving on dry pavement with summer tires on a cold day like I treat driving in snow/ice with all season tires. Just watch your acceleration rate and be extra careful in the corners until you get some heat in the tires and know how they react at colder temperatures.

John

gar4403

I didn't see the story on the news and I was wondering if the circumstances were related to cold tires/road and a "spirited" foot.

I tend to take the curves/turns a little aggressive (but within limits ...by law ), but I won't now that the weather is turning colder.

Don-Vette

Don't do it,your asking for trouble IMO.Find a proper tire if you must drive during winter.

capevettes

According to the news report the driver was a woman who had experience racing cars (not sure at what level). She had gone to the Ferrari dealership to look for a faster car. There was some type of disagreement. She lost it as she accelerated from the dealer.

door2416

Whenever I see a c6 driving in the winter I stay as far away as possible.

SSTEVEGS

Traction control will keep your wheelspin to a minimum but the corners are where you need to VERY careful. If I take mine out on a nice winter day, I drive it a lot slower than normal. Take your time and you should be OK except in a possible avoidance manuever...you may not be able to avoid the "other" guy should he do something that needs evasive action on your part!

Larry/car

There is no problem if you use common sense. I have driven mine when temperatures were below freezing without any excitement. When temperatures go below sixty drive the Corvette like you were driving at Chevrolet Impala. I discovered that when temperatures are in the fifties the car will start to lose grip in a corner at around .6 G laterally, this is after the tires are warm. One way to determine when your tires are up to temperature is to consult the DIC and note tire pressures when cold, the pressures will increase about one PSI when warm.

PeterSG

When it's cold and/or wet, accelerating, regular driving, and turning corners are under your control. Even though you have MUCH less traction in these circumstances, you can account for it by driving conservatively. Drive slowly and maintain big distances between you and other vehicles.

However, if you need to make a panic hard stop, you will likely lose traction. You will likely lose stopping ability and directional control. You may float forward and/or skid sideways.

The nannies can't assist when there is inadequate traction.

jrrjbl

Well I have been driving my new GS in high 30 and above weather. Not a lot but enough to know it takes6 miles to get temp of any kind into the tires, at 60 mph. Second, I close my mind and think I am driving on ice. So far so good.

Now if someone would just come out with AS's that fit, in 2 sec I would have a second set of wheels and those tires on the car.

CO Lightfoot

caroutisine

If it's below freezing drive it like you're on snow or ice covered roads. If there really is snow or ice on the roads, don't drive it. My next set of tires will be all season. Not so I can drive in snow, but just traction is not such a concern when the temps get low.

I have noticed the OEM "Gen 2" Goodyears on the 2011 seem to be less sensitive to the lower temps than the tires I had on the 2005.

gar4403

I wish others would do that in the other 3 seasons.

joec

that's why I put on Michelin Ultra HP all season tires.. Love them and they are light years better that the crapyears that come with the Z51...

/jc

wolfdogs

actually, they are not sipes.. they are traction grooves in the tread blocks... but you are right, the lack of same does not allow for the proper flex of the tread blocks in cold ambient to provide good traction and stopping grip.

wolfdogs

he needs to get out, and drop his tire pressure down to around 24psi.. then drive like hes got a raw egg between his foot and the accelerator pedal and get the **** off the road.

QCVette

That matches my experience also. The tires got hard and slippery. It caught me by surprise on an on ramp also. No crash or anything, The rear end just moved out a little when I wasn't expecting it. I drifted for a few seconds and had to feather the gas to control it.

Be careful if you are still using summer tires in the cold!

mforman42

I've driven in 4-6" snow at the Eisenhower Tunnel on I70 in CO on summer tires (Pirelli P-Zero on my Jag XJR). If you are experienced in driving in bad weather and take into account that summer tires get really slick in any cold conditions, you shold be okay.

But, yes, you really will notice the difference on cold, dry pavement. Even here in the desert, when the temps get close to freezing, my Z06 can be a bit loose...