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No doubt this Z06 is a BEAST with a LOT of power! However, It's almost as if I breathe on the pedal and I'm slipping all all over the place.
I do not track this car and I likely will not.
I do not street race the car (I'm old)
I DO enjoy the immense power it has and I would like to have fun with it on occasion within reason... but I can't keep her *** in one place!
I keep it in Tour Mode with traction control ON (I can't imagine it with it off!)
1st, 2nd, 3rd gear... slip/slide and away and I'm not anywhere NEAR getting on it. I can be on the highway in 3rd gear going around 65mph or so... just barely tap the gas to go around someone quickly and it will slip and sway. Even 4th gear for that matter.
Yes, there is a LOT of power and a lot of torque to the rear wheels, but I don't believe this should be happening as it is.
I talked to the Red big box tire guys today... they told me an "OEM Factory Tire Story" about how they use different rubber in the factory tires etc... and that a new set would fix the issue. Told me they would put on a new set... I drive it for 30 days and if I don't like them we change them back... bla bla bla. I would rather put the RIGHT tire on there the FIRST time.
So that's my situation. Now... for more information! The tires are what came stock on the car in 2016 - The car has 9580 miles on it. I bought the car used from an even older gentleman. To "ME".... looking at these tires, I would say, NO WONDER I'm all over the damn place. BUT... others say, no... the tires are supposed to look like that and they are designed to not slip and slide. I would say I disagree, so I'm here on the forum looking for your opinions.
Please see below pics and specs on the tires and let me know your thoughts on this please.
Michelin Pilot Super Sport ZP (run flats) 335/25/20.
Pics are both rear tires.
Tires look fine. Mine behaves like you describe when road surface are cold and ambient temps are below 60 degrees. On a 90 degree day tires grab and it takes off like your shot out of a cannon then it peters out after it gets up to full operating temperature with heat soak in the supercharger.
agree, tires look fine - how long are you driving before you notice or is this as soon as you are driving your car? these tires take quite a bit of time to "heat up" so grip is NOT there again, depending on temperature of road surface; ambient temperature around you and the temperature of the tires themselves........
1. I have a total of about 4 - maybe 5 hours of drive time in this car. This is my first Z06 and my first car with this much power.
2. While I am in South Texas (San Antonio) we are in winter months and it hovers at an average of around 50 degrees ambient temp.
3. A lot of this is when I first get it out on the road.
Sounds like I need more time in the car! I need to get out on the open road and learn the car more. I will do just that and let things be and come back to update the thread after more time!
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17,'22-'23
Originally Posted by mdz06vetter
agree, tires look fine - how long are you driving before you notice or is this as soon as you are driving your car? these tires take quite a bit of time to "heat up" so grip is NOT there again, depending on temperature of road surface; ambient temperature around you and the temperature of the tires themselves........
Forget getting any traction until warm weather returns, even then the tires need to be warmed up. Different rubber in the factory tires- not, LOL. I would avoid that place in the future.
The tires are just fine. It takes some spirited driving (braking hard and turning hard) to really get the tires grippy. If you’re feeling crafty I used a tire treatment from Formula V to improve cold grip a little bit and it works, follow the instructions just lift the car up one end at a time and roll on the treatment with a paint roller. Note this isn’t needed at all but what is needed is warm tires. They are basically a light duty track tire. What that means is they have a compound that can survive at high temps and abuse and they take heat to get working right. If you’re just tooling around to grab a coffee it’s never going to get them warm on a cold day.
Last edited by Pacembellum; 11-29-2018 at 11:10 PM.
Awesome! Damn... you guys are really awesome! Thank you all so much for the great insight, info and advice! This is great! It all makes sense now. I've also been reading on the tires. All spot on!
Being San Antonio, I will NOT have a problem with warm days come April!! I will look forward to summer this year for sure!
Those tires may not be "worn" out, but they may have lots of heat cycles. Every time tires cool after being heated up, they cure a little. When they "cure" they get harder. Hard rubber tires do not deform into the road surface contours as easily as softer tires, therefor, they slip/skid at a lower threshold. But, harder tires do last longer, so there's that.
OP~ I'd tell you if you want to enjoy "maximum" thrust without tire slippage, you'll need to replace your tires...often. This may become price prohibitive as a set of tires approaches $2700.
Not only acceleration, but braking and turning co-efficient of friction will be greater with new tires that have not been "heated up many times."
This is why trackday users have tire warmers. Instead of having numerous heat cycles during the day, you have 1. (The tires stay hot all day long.)
1. I have a total of about 4 - maybe 5 hours of drive time in this car. This is my first Z06 and my first car with this much power.
2. While I am in South Texas (San Antonio) we are in winter months and it hovers at an average of around 50 degrees ambient temp.
3. A lot of this is when I first get it out on the road.
Sounds like I need more time in the car! I need to get out on the open road and learn the car more. I will do just that and let things be and come back to update the thread after more time!
You guys are awesome! Thanks so much!
Not warm enough.
Save your Z for warmer times. Use a different car for chilly temps. Also, use a different car for rain events.
OP. Get on the car a bit - warm tires up good not spinning them just side to side and a little throttle right before slip. Then roll slow. If you hear marbles in a can (metaphor for tires picking up rocks and pebbles) the tires are fine. From the looks of those tires and the description of the original owner? those tires have probably never been heated up to track temp lol.
the C6Zr was the same way. It's the torque of the blower and 650tq..
the more you drive the car you'll learn how to maximize available grip and never EVER turn the nannies off. No need.
'16 M7 here. Only thing I'll add is you must be going dead straight when getting into the throttle in 1st-3rd with M7. It is not your typical 350-400 HP with 350 Ft. Lbs. torque. Those you can typically floor it before coming off the apex & get away with it, not the Z. Learn to go fast, slowly & not in traffic. Also it will get very squirrely if you get into throttle when passing (changing lanes abruptly). Stability control can be overwhelmed in sudden changes of direction with gas/low gears. Be safe.
Any temperatures below 60 I don't even mess around with driving the Z06 spiritedly and like the other guy says make sure you're pointing straight when you smash the gas. What helped me the most out of everything was a alignment done by someone who knows what they're doing. It helped my traction immensely.
Wow!!! All such GREAT information... I'm really glad I posted this. I can't thank you all enough!
Originally Posted by madrob2020
It is not your typical 350-400 HP with 350 Ft. Lbs. torque. Those you can typically floor it before coming off the apex & get away with it, not the Z. Learn to go fast, slowly & not in traffic. Also it will get very squirrely if you get into throttle when passing (changing lanes abruptly). Stability control can be overwhelmed in sudden changes of direction with gas/low gears. Be safe.
Yes! I'm very used to my '08 Coupe... smash it down out of the apex of the turn, hit and you're gone!... NO NO NO in the Z! NOT DO!
I will roll with these tires through the summer and into next winter and then plan to replace them after I post "THAT" picture
Get on the car a bit - warm tires up good not spinning them just side to side and a little throttle right before slip. Then roll slow. If you hear marbles in a can (metaphor for tires picking up rocks and pebbles) the tires are fine. From the looks of those tires and the description of the original owner? those tires have probably never been heated up to track temp lol.
And the above! Yes, likely VERY true statement that they have never truly been warmed up!
Side note - the traction control works, but it takes 1/4 to 1/2 second of tire slippage before it enables and stops the tire spin. I've tried all the modes, including wet (weather), and it doesn't seem to make any difference. I may not have tested track mode with PTM in wet mode, but I don't use track mode in the street to reduce the chance of a bent rim with the stiffer suspension setting.
At a slow speed (less than 15 mph) in 1st gear, slipping the tires for a short time might get the car bit sideways, but not out of control, so if you're on a wide road and not around other cars you can test it out and just wait for the traction control to stop the tire spin. At higher speeds like 50+ mph, even getting a bit sideways can be a problem, so I wouldn't recommend waiting for traction control to stop tire spin at higher speeds. My guess is that traction control doesn't have a "memory" so after a gear shift, it probably has to go through another tire spin cycle before it reenables.
What I don't get is why the traction control takes so long to become enabled, while based on videos I've seen, the stability control in track mode has no apparent delay and seems to prevent tire spin when cornering and too much throttle is applied.
Some have mentioned using MP AS3+ tires for winter conditions, noting that they would be better than the MP SS at 40 degrees or less, but I don't know if this would be true at around 50 degrees.
There are no tires you can purchase that can take using the throttle pedal as an on/off switch. You have to roll on and off the throttle and not shock the tires. You have just about the best street tires you can get on the car but you just can't slam your foot down on the pedal. You have to use the clutch and the gas pedal to apply power in a progressive manner. Your butt meter should give you the info you need to apply the appropriate amount of power so you don't burn the tires up and slide all around.
Change to an All Season Tire if not going to be tracked......You will be able to have fun driving in any Temperature. I drive mine all year round here in Kansas, even with a light dusting of snow with no problems. I changed to BF Goodrich G-Force Comp 2 A/S Have over 30,000 miles on tires driving all over the States with no Issues.
Last edited by golfnutts; 11-30-2018 at 03:59 AM.
Reason: added type of tires
11-29-2018, 10:19 PM
2016 Z06 - Tires and Gripping issue
Forget getting any traction until warm weather returns, even then the tires need to be warmed up. Different rubber in the factory tires- not, LOL. I would avoid that place in the future.
I will look forward to summer this year for sure!
