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Runflat tire replacement question -

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Old Jan 6, 2010 | 05:07 PM
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Default Runflat tire replacement question -

- actually 2.

1) My OEM Goodyear front tires need replacing, but the rears probably have another 8-9,000 left in them. Is there any reason I can't put either Firestones or Michelins on the front, and leave my Goodyears on the rear?

2) I drive my C6 year-round here in the northeast. I don't, of course, drive it in snow, but there are plenty of days I'm driving around in 20° temperatures. I like everything I've read about the Firestone Wideoval Runflats, except when I read the details online, they indicate "The Firehawk Wide Oval RFT is not intended to be driven in near-freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice". Can I really not use these to drive around in the winter?

Thanks . . . Stu
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Old Jan 7, 2010 | 11:02 AM
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Hi Stu:

I changed my OEMs to Firestones about a year and a half ago, and have had no problems here in Chicago driving at very low temps, i.e., in the teens. That being said, you don't want to get on the accelerator hard and behave yourself around turns. For normal driving, however, I have had no problems.
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Old Jan 7, 2010 | 11:20 AM
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Originally Posted by Wingrider
Hi Stu:

I changed my OEMs to Firestones about a year and a half ago, and have had no problems here in Chicago driving at very low temps, i.e., in the teens. That being said, you don't want to get on the accelerator hard and behave yourself around turns. For normal driving, however, I have had no problems.
yes, these tire's do say "summer time only" but if you careful you can make them work, but even most hi-perf tire's are for the warmer temps only, if your thinking about non-RF's I am running GY supercars non-RF all season on the front of mine, and yes it's hard for me to say what their like in really cold wheather, here it forty degree's for about five mins in the mourning. hey, Wingrider I went to HS in Downers Grove
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Old Jan 7, 2010 | 05:01 PM
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Wingrider - THANK YOU!

You're exactly the guy I was looking for - someone who's actually driven these in the winter. I'll be buying a set . . . thanks again!
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Old Jan 7, 2010 | 06:01 PM
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The only thing I would caution you about is making sure the tire that has the best overall traction/performance is on the rear. If you don't do that you will increase the car's tendency to oversteer. That is why the car companies recommend you replace all 4 tires at once.

How much tread do you actually have on your rear tires? They may be closer to replacing than you think.

Bill
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Old Jan 7, 2010 | 06:31 PM
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As per the owner's manual:

CAUTION:

Mixing tires could cause you to lose control
while driving. If you mix tires of different sizes
(other than those originally installed on your
vehicle), brands, or types (radial and bias-belted
tires), the vehicle may not handle properly,
and you could have a crash. Using tires of
different sizes (other than those originally
installed on your vehicle), brands or types, may
also cause damage to your vehicle. Be sure to
use the correct size, brand, and type tires on all
four wheels.
________________________________________


Sometimes you can "break the rules" and be OK. Just be careful. One time I drove 60 mph in a 55 mph zone, and I lived to tell about it.

Last edited by calemasters; Jan 7, 2010 at 06:35 PM.
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Old Jan 9, 2010 | 09:31 AM
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Originally Posted by StuSegal
Wingrider - THANK YOU!

You're exactly the guy I was looking for - someone who's actually driven these in the winter. I'll be buying a set . . . thanks again!
Happy to be of help.
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Old Jan 9, 2010 | 09:53 AM
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To answer your number 1 question, I just did that last weekend. I put Michelin PS2 ZP's on the front and am very happy. Like you my rears still have some good life in them. I wore my fronts out do to not paying attention and getting an alingnment earlier.

Anyway the car handles just fine with the mixed tires.

Last edited by wallyj; Jan 9, 2010 at 09:53 AM. Reason: spelling
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Old Jan 9, 2010 | 12:43 PM
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Originally Posted by wallyj
To answer your number 1 question, I just did that last weekend. I put Michelin PS2 ZP's on the front and am very happy. Like you my rears still have some good life in them. I wore my fronts out do to not paying attention and getting an alingnment earlier.

Anyway the car handles just fine with the mixed tires.
The question is what does it do at the limit, which most drivers will never encounter except in an emergency.

Also, different tires that perform similarly in the dry can behave very differently in the wet, so be conscious of that. Ditto with extreme cold.

There are no doubt combos that happen to work, but the car was set up assuming front and rear contact patches with the same traction properties, which is most reliably accomplished by changing all four.
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