probabilist

I have a 2013 Z06 and run the stock Goodyear Supercar G:2 tires. They are great in the summer but in the fall(I live in NY) I can spin them at 60 MPH in 2nd and sometimes 3rd gear. This is not cool early in the AM heading to work. My previous Z 2008 had the original Goodyear Supercar tires and was much better in 40 degree days. Ranger also noted this cold weather performance many years ago.

So I am going back to the original Goodyears(max summer tire as opposed to extreme summer tire). I'll lose a little in the summer but gain over the year.

Has anyone else done this or even better tires than the Goodyear for all around use in NY weather?

LFZ

Z06 owners still using GYs....? Are you joking?

Gary '09 C6

Michelin f-t-w

psp6158

: get a set of Michelin PSS's, and enjoy your car

AtomicZ_Eric

Completely and totally agree with the previous comments. Michelin Pilot Super Sports TRANSFORM the car from really good to AWESOME. They're around $1.3k on Tire Rack and they're worth every damn penny. My dad's a quintessential "cheap skate" and couldn't have been more elated after driving with his new PSS tires. (Not to imply you're cheap, I'm just trying to make a point of reference.)

A couple things to note, however:
1. PSS tires are not run flats. If run flat are a must have for you then the other Michelin option is the Pilot Sport 2 Zero Pressure (PS2 ZP). They run about $2k which is about $600 more than the G2's.

2. Even the Michelin tires do not work well in cool weather. I've found that temperatures below 65*F result in a significant decrease in traction. Like you stated, on cold mornings it's easy to spin the tires in 1st, 2nd, & 3rd gears... especially when the engine is within the peak power band. All the tire's you're considering are summer tires and I imagine will suffer some performance degradation in the cooler months. You have to be judicious with the throttle. I recall a recent thread where a Z06 owner spun his tires merging on the highway in cooler temps and crashed causing significant damage.

Good luck. I hope you choose Michelin. It seems to be the on near issue on the forum where there appears to be a near consensus. And that's saying something.



EDIT: I believe the Good Year's received so much negative feedback from customers that GM switched to Michelin for the C7.

Gary '09 C6

Eric, f y i, the PS2 ZPs are discontinued...replaced by the PSS ZPs.

PSS ZP 19"/20" sizes on the C7 are the same as on the C6.

PSS ZP 18"/19" sizes on the C7 are not the same as on the C6.

AzDave47

OP, what you are experiencing is standard with any summer-only tire, which is all GM has put on all Corvettes since the C6's came out. None of the manufacturers recommend driving them at less than 40* and not to be moved or stored at less than 20*.

PSS are a fine tire, but they are summer only and have the same limits as other summer only tires. The grip may be greater, but they do lose grip in the colder weather.

Bill Dearborn

OP: I have the Michelin PS2 ZPs. They may have a little more traction than the Goodyears but it isn't something that most people can tell. They will wear a little longer since they have a greater tread depth when new.

The biggest thing you should realize is the problem isn't the tires it is your right foot. You need to understand how to apply the throttle in low grip situations. The tires can handle a lot of acceleration but you can't shock them with a sudden throttle stab you need to roll onto the throttle and manage how quickly you get to full throttle. You can do that with the GYs and any other Ultra Performance tire in very cold temps. Since you live in NY State you are familiar with driving in very low grip situations at the worst of the winter so you know how to do this on your other cars. Also remember when you are driving a car with an LSD like the Vette has both rear tires can break loose since the LSD will send power to both wheels instead of just the one that is slipping. That will make the car feel more unstable and you have to know how to manage the throttle and counter steer at the same time.

Once the GYs warm up a little after driving them at highway speeds for a few miles they will have a lot more traction. I used them for my track tires for half of a season when I purchased my 08Z and they worked great after an initial warm up lap at 100+ mph speeds. Lots of cornering and acceleration grip.

Bill

Mike44665

If your tires are not run flats, how do you handle a flat?

MTPZ06

OP, if you want to retain the runflat option...MPS2 ZP's or B-stone RE050a pole positions. I personally have the B-stones...absolutely a great tire that they developed for the C6Z.

AzDave47

I carry a battery powered air compressor, a tire plug kit and a can of Slime. I've only used the air compressor twice, in the back country on another vehicle.

I'd have to get outside help if I ripped the sidewall open.

However out west here there are places that you can be 200 miles from anywhere that could change a tire, ZP or not and it is likely you'd have to have a tire that works on your Z06 shipped in, so in that case you are down for 2-3 days, ZP or not.

AtomicZ_Eric

Hey Gary. Below is a screen shot of the info I pulled up on Tire Rack tonight. They only had two tires listed for the 2013 Z06 (the PSS & the PS2). Perhaps they're in the process of discontinuing and phasing something in? Anyway, the PS2 ZP appears to still be available on the web, at least. Let us know if you find some different / new info.

Best,

Eric

AtomicZ_Eric

Great question. I haven't traveled more than 3 hours from my home in my Vette... Although the fun roads 3 hours away are fairly remote :-/

I have made a habit to check the front & rear tire pressures on the DIC every time before pulling out of my garage in an effort to monitor for slow leaks. Also, whenever the wheels come off the car I inspect the tires thoroughly. On my previous set of tires I found an embedded screw that, although had completely pierced the tire, there was no leaking air (or so slowly that it was unnoticeable over a couple weeks). While driving I leave the DIC on the front tire pressure and make a mental note to check a few times while out cruising around. It's of course more likely to pick up some debris in the front tires.

But that explanation didn't answer your question how I handle a flat. My *hope* would be that I could limp from gas station to gas station until I made it home if the leak wasn't severe. However, if there was a complete blowout or a lacerated sidewall... then I'm basically screwed. Perhaps runflats would help with a lacerated sidewall, but I'm not sure how they'd perform if the tire blew out.

Honestly speaking I've never had a complete blowout where the entire tire failed. Almost all my tire problems have been road debris that cause slow leaks which can be found due to constant monitoring.

BearZ06

Michelin without a doubt.

Gary '09 C6

Eric, regarding your post above, it is my understanding that Michelin is no longer manufacturing the PS2 ZP.
But, there still may be unsold inventory of the same available via various vendors.

thx for checking...Gary

AtomicZ_Eric

Thanks for the update Gary. I keep an eye on the situation as I'm taking longer trips in my Z it may be a good idea to switch to ZP's for my next set.

Also, I notice the tread wear rating for the PSS's is 300, however the tread wear rating for the PS2 ZP's is 220. Does that indicate they're a more sticky tire? Does anyone have experience with both and could give their opinion?

Thanks!

AzDave47

The PSS is a newer tire with better technology (about 8 years). It has at least as much grip as the PS2 and better tread wear, thus the 300 rating vs 220.