~Stingray

Hey Guys,

I am trying to figure out what my added cost would be for getting winter tires for the C7 Corvette Z51 or Base. I want to drive it year round and living in Indiana has few snow days before it is quickly cleaned off.

I have done some searching but all I seam to come up with is PIRELLI WINTER SOTTOZERO. Are there no other options? I really like the blizzaks on my mustang. I would gladly pay for a set of those.

While we are at it, is there a place to find some cheap rims to use at winter wheels?

What's the opinion to getting some spacer so I can get a smaller set of wheels/tires for winter driving?

I really don't want to spend 3k on wheels/tires so I am looking at all options.

Thanks for the help.

nyciti

Do a search been discussed to death here..... but most run either the continentals or Michelins is the short answer.

graj6

On the stock rims for a GS or Z06, no other options. If this a Stingray you are talking about, you could try the Michelin Alpin PA4.

I don't know enough to advise on options with different rims.

Woodson

I'm running Michelin Alpin PA4 in OEM sizes on Z51 knock-off wheels.

Foosh

You can purchase a set of reproduction wheels from forum vendor, House of Wheels, for a little over $1K. Figure another $1K for the tires and $150 for TPMS sensors. For a max of $2500, you could drive year round. I think that's worth it, considering the winter tires would be usable for at least 3-4 years.

buckeye4

Yep, my winter package I am installing in the morning. Just under $2500. Pilot A/S 3+ and House of Wheels.

~Stingray

What are the numbers for the z51 and base tires? Are the wheels staggered on the z51 or base?

Where are you guys buying your tires from? Tirerack or locally?

~Stingray

Could you not find winter, only All season?

JK 23112

For what it costs to buy winter wheels & tires plus the chance of damaging your Corvette.........maybe it might be worth it to buy a "beater" vehicle for use during inclement weather.

Even with winter tires, piloting C7 in deep snow would not be a whole lot of fun.

~Stingray

This isn't for really plowing through the snow. Its just about driving it in the winter. You shouldn't use summer tires in the winter, they get too hard and loose traction. I'm concerned about keeping traction, not driving through 3 inches of snow. if it really starts to snow, I won't drive the vette that day and wait for the plows.

Maxpowers

The costs above are about what I spent for my Pilot Alpine PA4's on Cray Spiders.

Also from a cost perspective, consider you are extending the life of your summer tires while stored (if you were to drive on them in the winter). As well when you get rid of your C7, you can sell the rims to recoup some of the cost.

mksz51

Any perceived "cost savings" from tire wear saved will easily be offset by the damage done to the vehicle from exposing it to corrosive salt / brine and the inevitable paint / windshield chipping from rock / sand kicked up. No thanks. Anyone who thinks you can drive this car during winter with crap all over the road and NOT have the car show it is delirious. As ironic as it sounds, if you're looking for a pristine used Corvette look to the snowbelt. The nicest cars with the lowest mileage will be the ones stored part of the year due to weather. In addition to not being driven in snow I'd wager many of those cars have also been driven minimally in rain.

L8ter

Note Mr. Woodson's location, post #4. I doubt he would steer you wrong.
We have several forum members who drove their cars through the winter.
I'm sure a few more with chime in.

LIStingray

What you really need to decide on is - do I need to drive in snow?
If the answer is no, then a set of all season tires would be the perfect choice for those day when the weather is between 10 and 50 degrees and the roads are clear/clean.
If you want to drive in snow, then winter/snow tires are a must, and even then with such wide tires, minimal ground clearance and light weight, the C7 is not going to be very useful or fun.

Foosh

Most folks, including myself are using the OEM wheel and tire sizes for their particular car, which means staggered.

~Stingray

Is there any issues with not getting staggered for my winter set? I know the tires are larger to get more traction because of the torque and power the car has, but am I really loosing that much traction when going from a 20 to a 19 for daily commuting to work?

Foosh

Probably not, but OEM wheel offsets for front and rear are different to accommodate wider tires for the rear. That's true on all models, whether base, Z51, GS, and Z06. Even if you go to 19's all around, it's still going to be staggered because of wider tires in the rear vs. the front.

You could go to the same tire widths all around, but it will look a little funny in the rear if you try to put say OEM 19" front sizes on all 4 corners. The only other way to do that would be ordering same width wheels w/ different offsets for front and rear, but that will likely be more expensive.

The most cost-effective approach is just to use the OEM sizes.

~Stingray

You're saying I would need spacers for the rears because that space is designed for a wider wheel?

I am seriously contemplating getting a wheel/tire set. And wheels and tires are often cheaper in sets of 4. That is why I am asking. Just trying to be smart with my money as I am not tracking the car, I probably don't need the tires to be as big as they are. But I am not an expert in these matters. I might be missing a bit of info that would change how i move forward.

vbdenny

The thought of salt and winter grit all over and under my Corvette makes me shiver. I learned about "winter rats" decades ago.

rrsperry

Sport Muscle 7 rims, Continental Dunlop AS (not RTF) tires, Tire Rack, $1900 including tpms sensors and delivery. (Z51 sizes)

BUT... I bought them to drive when it's cold, not snow... (but they would work if I had too.)