Anyone carry wheels/tire to track in or on their vette?
 

Anybody carry their slicks to the track without a truck? My local track, PBIR, is only about 15 miles away. I can carry 3 easily - 1 in the passenger seat, 2 in back. I can carry all 4 with the trunk left open, maybe I can put a cover over it for weather. Was also thinking of making a single wheel/tire carrier and attaching it to the rear deck. I have a fiberglass spare tire carrier from my C3, could possibly mount it.
Thoughts?

Here are pics of 4 tires in the car for reference:
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...7d2e58d12d.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...19664509a1.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...a512affbea.jpg

What about building a light duty receiver hitch that you allows you to put in a slide in cargo rack/tray to carry at least 2 of the larger tires outside the vehicle? You'd be carrying less than 130 lbs (two tires and slide in tray) so I don't think that the strength aspect is going to be an issue. I saw what this guy did with a simple receiver hitch from Walmart to haul his trailer.....probably could work for what you're doing.


There are a lot of downfalls of driving with your hatch open....at least you're close to the track. But if you take further trips, then I would think the vacuum created would be sucking in a LOT of dust and exhaust fumes into your interior.

for only 15 miles, what is the issue with just driving to the track on the slicks?
(forgive me i run "treaded" 100-200TW tires and not super familiar with slicks yet.)

I dont think you'd have an issue driving on them to the track if its only 15 miles. I'd definitely do that on slicks or R comps before putting them in the car.

I’m on Hoosier R7s now. They’re good on the street, great when it’s warm out, which it is here in south Florida. But they wear a lot on the street and I’m potentially adding heat cycles. I’m switching to Pirelli’s by this summer. They’ll heat cycle on the street, and are very fragile. It’s a pretty easy drive to the track, but why wear out the slicks? I can change them in less than 45 minutes. Have to change them anyways, so why not do it at the track?
I’ll be going to Sebring this fall. It’s about 80 miles. Definitely want a good solution by then.

I drive up to 8hrs on my Nitto NT01's to get to the tracks in the rain. Wouldn't do that on slicks, but only 15mi on a fair weather day? Of course I would.

Thanks for the suggestion. Going to look further at carrying on the back hatch. It can certainly support 1 wheel and tire, under 50 lbs for a front.

I used to carry my track tires/wheels and tools in a small Harbor Freight trailer. The hitch was custom designed to fit my C6Z without cutting holes or altering anything, just using factory mount points. I gave up changing tires at the track so use the hitch as a rear tow point.

Other than driving in the rain I can't see why you would want to transport tires 15 miles. It's not like you will get them up to temperature to heat cycle them.

With my C5 I could fit fronts on passenger seat and mount slicks on rear the night before leaving. If it rains you are limited to about 60 MPH with street fronts and slicks on back.I did this for many years.

+1
me 2

I wouldn't want the flimsy C7 hatch bouncing around... just drive to the track on them.

^I agree if they're just r comps.
Are you running Sport Cups? If so I would just drive them there on the car.

If it is only 15 miles just drive. I would even do that on slicks if weather was ok. You will not get them hot enough to heat cycle them.

I’m on R7s now, going to Pirelli’s in May. The Cup2s are for the street and longer distance tracks. Running Charlotte and/or Road Atlanta this summer, visiting good friends in Greenville.

Really enjoying your build thread :thumbs:
How flimsy is the hatch? Are you going to run an APR wing? If so it can handle 500 lbs of downforce, why not a 60lb wheel/tire/carrier setup.

I'm going with a chassis mount wing. Just push down on your hatch with it closed and you can see it flex relative to the quarters a large amount. If you close it to the first click (I don't have the power pull down) and then try to push it closed over the latch you can see it flex (my C5s never did that). There are some stories of 2014/2015 owners cracking the paint in the hatches closing them before they brought back the power pull down. There's a reason GM went to the trouble of a chassis mount wing on the ZR1... if they cold have done it on the hatch they would have. Interestingly the ACR Viper which makes massive downforce does have a hatch mounted wing. However, I have read that the hatch is carbon fiber and was reinforced for the wing.

If you look at where the hatch hinges bolt to the inner shell of the hatch you'll see that area has to support the load of the whole hatch. I just wouldn't want it bouncing up and down repeatedly driving around, but that's me.

If I had a track that close I'd drive there on Hoosiers, or you can get a hitch and a little tire trailer.

Great info, thanks. I’ve seen chassis and deck lid spoilers on C7s at Sebring. Didn’t ask about cracking or durability issues.
Are you going to fab your chassis mount yourself? I think I have a pic of a home fabricated one I saw, I’ll post it.
I’m doing PBIR this Saturday, will drive on R7s for now.

Honestly, I would be very worried about the hatch bouncing against the tires and breaking the rear glass.

Find a way to drive there on the tires, have a friend bring them to you in another vehicle, or ship them to yourself if it's farther away.

One of our customers fabricated a receiver to the frame behind the license plate and used one of those carriers you see in the rear hitch of SUV's. Quite impressive actually, the receiver is hidden by the license plate when he isn't using it.

A friend snapped this pic at Sebring a couple weeks ago Home fabbed wing and carrier on a C7Z. Was running 30/65/18 & 30/68/18 Michelin’s on Signature wheels.https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...c5e1b6afc.jpeg

Never !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I picked up a 4'x4' trailer from northern tool and using it to haul behind my C5Z Autocrosses for me are usualy 2-5 hours away.

Care to elaborate? Looking for experienced opinions.
Thanks:thumbs:

Previous owner modified a custom hitch on my car. I removed it cause I'm just not that hard core.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...ff7075feff.jpg

On my C5 I used a Harbor Freight trailer that I modified to handle 2 sets of tires and my toolbox. Don't recall where I got the hitch, but it worked fine without altering any of the bodywork. Many times traveling at speeds I probably shouldn't have through Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado, But it did well and was very steady.

Vettes make great tow vehicles, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I use a 4'x8' HF utility trailer to haul my track gear, engines for my other projects, you name it. Think about it - more power, better brakes, better cooling? GM calls that a towing package.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/888/4...3488276e_b.jpg

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/892/4...4a2ea9aa_b.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4166/...54bfbf54_z.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4193/...a844f9b4_z.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4184/...860129bf_z.jpg

https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5782/3...beb66dae_b.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5469/3...f27ce6b4_b.jpg

It's also very convenient getting to the track and just unhooking the trailer, rather than having to unload all your tools/gear/junk from inside the car.

Rear grip is better too, with the extra weight back there😂
thanks for the pics, great setup!

Ok, now I'm waiting for Jeff Foxworthy to post up a "You Might Be A Redneck If"....................

Love the hauling of firewood with the Corvette.

Again, if you don't want to put tires covered with brake dust (they do get filthy after a track day) and have to smell the aroma of track heated rubber, putting them on a trailer or on one of the receiver hitch mounted cargo trays makes the most sense IMO.

anyone try a carrier on C7Z for 4 race tires?

for example this one can handle 500lbs:
https://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...saAlppEALw_wcB

I'm pretty sure what you ask is in post #20 above.