Tires - replace 2 at a time?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 286
Likes: 148
Tires - replace 2 at a time?
My rear tires have good tread, but the fronts are getting worn. I do plan to replace them all as they are 6 years old. Would there be any concerns with doing the fronts and then the rears a few months later? The car is driven low mileage, so there will not be a significant amount of miles put on before the rear tires are replaced. Other than the time of taking them into the tire shop twice, are there any other issues to be aware of? Are the alignments done on the C7s all-wheel alignments?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,157
Likes: 522
From: Central Jersey
Short answer is Yes.
Its almost always preferable to rotate the newest tires to the rear. But with staggered sizes on the Corvette that's not possible. There's no issue replacing either the fronts or the rears as needed. Only issue might be tire companies offering better deals when you buy all 4 tires .
You will require a 4 wheel alignment . Know that the Corvette , unlike most cars, also has a rear caster adjustment which cannot be done on any current alignment machines. It requires a special tool and a digital angle meter which many tire shops do not have. You would expect Chevy dealers would have the necessary tools and experience to do this, but many actually do not.
To be properly aligned you will have to find a dealer or shop that is experienced in doing alignment on C7 Corvettes or Porsches, which also has adjustable rear caster.
Its almost always preferable to rotate the newest tires to the rear. But with staggered sizes on the Corvette that's not possible. There's no issue replacing either the fronts or the rears as needed. Only issue might be tire companies offering better deals when you buy all 4 tires .
You will require a 4 wheel alignment . Know that the Corvette , unlike most cars, also has a rear caster adjustment which cannot be done on any current alignment machines. It requires a special tool and a digital angle meter which many tire shops do not have. You would expect Chevy dealers would have the necessary tools and experience to do this, but many actually do not.
To be properly aligned you will have to find a dealer or shop that is experienced in doing alignment on C7 Corvettes or Porsches, which also has adjustable rear caster.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 286
Likes: 148
Short answer is Yes.
Its almost always preferable to rotate the newest tires to the rear. But with staggered sizes on the Corvette that's not possible. There's no issue replacing either the fronts or the rears as needed. Only issue might be tire companies offering better deals when you buy all 4 tires .
You will require a 4 wheel alignment . Know that the Corvette , unlike most cars, also has a rear caster adjustment which cannot be done on any current alignment machines. It requires a special tool and a digital angle meter which many tire shops do not have. You would expect Chevy dealers would have the necessary tools and experience to do this, but many actually do not.
To be properly aligned you will have to find a dealer or shop that is experienced in doing alignment on C7 Corvettes or Porsches, which also has adjustable rear caster.
Its almost always preferable to rotate the newest tires to the rear. But with staggered sizes on the Corvette that's not possible. There's no issue replacing either the fronts or the rears as needed. Only issue might be tire companies offering better deals when you buy all 4 tires .
You will require a 4 wheel alignment . Know that the Corvette , unlike most cars, also has a rear caster adjustment which cannot be done on any current alignment machines. It requires a special tool and a digital angle meter which many tire shops do not have. You would expect Chevy dealers would have the necessary tools and experience to do this, but many actually do not.
To be properly aligned you will have to find a dealer or shop that is experienced in doing alignment on C7 Corvettes or Porsches, which also has adjustable rear caster.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,157
Likes: 522
From: Central Jersey
We considered moving to central florida when I retired but too hot for 9 months and Orlando is a crowded mess. Was looking at Winter Garden and Claremont area.
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 368,136
Likes: 24,734
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '25
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
You will be fine changing out the tires as you mention.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 15,323
Likes: 2,077
From: Guelph, Ontario
I just went through this dilemma yesterday, as my passenger side front was starting to show some cords, but the rears still have a good bit of life left in them. These tires aren't cheap in Canada so I don't like the idea of replacing them before their useful life is over.
I went with the Continental ExtremeContact DWS-06 Plus and they are great! Smoother ride than the OEMs, no more Ackerman effect and they feel very stable in the corners too, even though they are all seasons. I will probably need to replace the rears later this year (or early next year) and at that time I will get the same matching tires. I know that it's not ideal to mix tires, especially not all seasons and summers, but I've done it before on my C5 and C6 without any issues. If I was taking corners at the limit of the car I can see it being a big issue, but not with my driving style (I'm gentle on tires, hence the fact that I got 32,000 miles out of the fronts and should get over 40k out of the rears) I also very rarely drive it in the rain, so that is a big factor in my favor too.
FWIW, I'm still running the factory alignment, and the car is lowered on stock bolts, so getting 32k out of the fronts isn't too bad all things considered.
I went with the Continental ExtremeContact DWS-06 Plus and they are great! Smoother ride than the OEMs, no more Ackerman effect and they feel very stable in the corners too, even though they are all seasons. I will probably need to replace the rears later this year (or early next year) and at that time I will get the same matching tires. I know that it's not ideal to mix tires, especially not all seasons and summers, but I've done it before on my C5 and C6 without any issues. If I was taking corners at the limit of the car I can see it being a big issue, but not with my driving style (I'm gentle on tires, hence the fact that I got 32,000 miles out of the fronts and should get over 40k out of the rears) I also very rarely drive it in the rain, so that is a big factor in my favor too.
FWIW, I'm still running the factory alignment, and the car is lowered on stock bolts, so getting 32k out of the fronts isn't too bad all things considered.
Last edited by Patman; May 18, 2021 at 09:18 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 25,009
Likes: 2,707
From: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
St. Jude Donor '13
My rear tires have good tread, but the fronts are getting worn. I do plan to replace them all as they are 6 years old. Would there be any concerns with doing the fronts and then the rears a few months later? The car is driven low mileage, so there will not be a significant amount of miles put on before the rear tires are replaced. Other than the time of taking them into the tire shop twice, are there any other issues to be aware of? Are the alignments done on the C7s all-wheel alignments?
Keep in mind that Michelin came out with a different tire design (different sizes of course) for the C8 and will some day discontinue the PSS model tires that came on our cars from the factory.
If you replace just the fronts, you might discover that the PSS rears are not available when you go to replace them, you'd have to run mixed versions front vs rear; or buy all four again.
I would consider replacing all 4 PSS now, save the old ones for emergency use if you ruin one of the new PSS and can't buy a replacement.