When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Had 12 punctures in 196,000 miles with my 07 Z06, no way will i be laying on my back in CA triffic with hopes of fixing. My good friend had the 03 Z06 that came without runfalts called me from some small town in AZ saying I can stick the tire repair kit where the sun don't shine. Right front went down and by the time he got off the road the side walls where shredded. Two day wait for tire to be flown in and two days out of his vacation.
I had 7 for 162,000 in my C6. One time the puncture happened on a Sunday at 4:00 AM on a trip from Florida to New Hampshire. I ended up driving 300 miles on my completely flat tire all the way to new Hampshire with no damage at all to the rim.
I am all for a tire alternative but they need to be run flats.
I'm not so sure we can say that without empirical evidence. The sidewall design of the "normal" tire could offset the traction advantage we think we get with the summer run flat tire and the super hard sidewall design that comes with the extended mobility tires.
The perfect example is the tire scrubbing...It is slipping and making all that racket due to lack of grip...In fact on my car now in winter its sounds embarrassingly terrible backing out on concrete when its 40 degrees and not a peep at 60 degrees with the z51 tires...
I don't think any extended mobility tire gives the same grip as a regular tire all other things being equal...(but I like the safety net they provide against flats in the wilderness..)
But it IS called a "Max performance summer tire," per TireRack. And they further explain in the writeup on the stock Z51 tires: "However, like all summer tires, they are not intended to be driven in near-freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice."
Just seems to me that tire noise and 40 degrees is closer to "near-freezing" and 60 degrees and no tire noise is closer to "summer."
The perfect example is the tire scrubbing...It is slipping and making all that racket due to lack of grip...In fact on my car now in winter its sounds embarrassingly terrible backing out on concrete when its 40 degrees and not a peep at 60 degrees with the z51 tires...
It's not that the high performance OEM tires don't have grip that causes “chatter!” It's that they don't squirm like an all-season tire on slow speed, very sharp turns when they are cold, see pic. They have a very low slip angle for performance so when you turn the car turns etc etc.
There is a simple solution to not being “embarrassed” just use ½ turn less on the steering wheel when the the tires are cold and making a slow, sharp turn! Make a “K” turn!
OEM Tires Have Low Slip Angle, All-Seasons Are Higher
It's not that the high performance OEM tires don't have grip that causes “chatter!” It's that they don't squirm like an all-season tire on slow speed, very sharp turns when they are cold, see pic. They have a very low slip angle for performance so when you turn the car turns etc etc.
There is a simple solution to not being “embarrassed” just use ½ turn less on the steering wheel when the the tires are cold and making a slow, sharp turn! Make a “K” turn!
OEM Tires Have Low Slip Angle, All-Seasons Are Higher
There is a reason going to all-season or winter tires “will cure the chatter issue” but you are also giving up performance! The reason the all-season tires don’t chatter is because their slip angle is higher, unlike the more race oriented OEM tires, especially on the Z51. With all-season tires, the construction is more like a conventional tire and when you turn the wheel the tire surface and tread area squirms before the car turns, preventing “chatter.” When cold, the inside OEM tire (especially the Z51) in a slow speed, very sharp turn, slides rather than "squirms" causing “chatter.” The Ackerman angles have not changed but you don’t need "as much Ackerman” when the tires surface twists in a sharp slow speed turn. However the tire surface twisting or squirming is also occurring when you make a sharp turn at speed. The turn-in reaction is slowed. The high performance OEM tires turns rather than squirms!
Not faulting the decision to use all-season or winter tires when it’s cold, they may be needed to handle the weather depending on the climate. However, depending on what the Vette was purchased to do, performance is not all it can be. There are different reasons for buying a Vette, but the Z51 particularly was designed for max performance and the tires are a part of that design. For what it’s worth.
OEM Tires, Especially on the Z51, Have Low Slip Angle for Optimum Performance
If you look at TireRack (or my post above), I'd say your tires will perform, as designed, in the Summer. I would guess that leaves the definition of "summer" in a bit of a limbo---what temperature are you in now?
Not sure of the exact temperature but even on a 45 degree day I find after about 5 miles they are fine. No doubt not as good as on a warm day but I find stopping is excellent, for example. It was quoted that when tracking, the Z51 tires only take one lap to reach maximum traction. I don't track the car but I assume that is with very aggressive driving.
I recall buying Continental high performance tires for my ’93 40 Anniversary Vette and about 2 miles from work there was a unusual hairpin turn after a long straight in a very rural area with only farm fields. If I took that turn aggressively, which I did often in the early morning, when I parked the tires were still sticky and hot! They didn’t last long, they were too much fun!
I have a C7 with the Z51 package in a convertible. I love the car, but I live in NJ and the summer tires, while great in the summer, are awful when its cold.
Today I swapped out the tires for a full set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 and the ride is terrific - no more hopping and feeling every road imperfection. These tires are great and the ride is now much quieter and smoother. The tires after installation (including load balancing) are not cheap, but if you own a nice new Vette, its well worth it.
I have also bought a small 12 volt compressor as these are not run flat tires. Also, I was advised not to use any tire sealant as it can ruin the tire pressure sensor.
12-29-2014, 07:14 AM
I had 7 for 162,000 in my C6. One time the puncture happened on a Sunday at 4:00 AM on a trip from Florida to New Hampshire. I ended up driving 300 miles on my completely flat tire all the way to new Hampshire with no damage at all to the rim. 
