C4 Tires

[chevy]

Hey I would like to hear from other Corvette owners about this. I got a set of Grand Sport wheels for my 90 Roadster and now I need tires, Big price diff. between GoodYear and Sumitomo. I think that i May go with the Sumitomo , what ya think ?

chevy:confused :confused

 

[Jeffvette]

Get the best tires for your application that you can afford to replace every couple of years if they last that long.

 

[dburgjohn]

Have you checked out BF Goodrich's KDWS? Good tire, low noise, great price!

 

[Eagle85C4]

Firestone SZ-50's...handsdown....

 

[taegdh]

Kuhmo makes an excellent one, lower cost and Z rated, but I won't be testing the difference between the W rated originals and Z rated aftermarkets...

 

[CKA_Racing]

I'm going to assume you need the 315 and 275 or it could be 275 at all four corners since you do mention Grand Sport wheels but yet don't actually give us a tire size. Not tht many options for 315 unless ya are willing to dish out some serious cash. Honestly, even though I feel the Goodyear will grip better when new, the Sumitomo is your better option. I'll also assume you are taking about the GSC and HTRZ. Without details it's hard to really give you a solid answer.

How will you use the car?
What seasons will you drive it in?
How much do you have to spend?
How much mileage do you expect out fo the tires?

How anyone can give you an honest answer without knowing details is beyond me. :L

Sure I also can give you what i think. KDW, Comp TA ZR, SZ-50.

That's why I think JEFFVETTE answer is the best so far.

Care to give us some details?

 

[RedRagTop]

Mine came with Yokohama 285/275 which I am currently cooking off the car. When they are toast I'm going back to the original gatorbacks in this size. Were there problems with the original tires that I don't know about?

 

[Tuna]

That's not a bad idea. Some people will tell you that GoodYears are not the best choice but they may be. They do get noisy and rough as they get older but they work well and last well.

GoodYear is replacing the current GSC and HP line with the new F1 D3 which is supposed to be much better. In the meantime, there are a lot of GSC's on sale now since they will not be made much longer. Might be a good time to check out tirerack.com.

 

[CKA_Racing]

Mine came with Yokohama 285/275 which I am currently cooking off the car. When they are toast I'm going back to the original gatorbacks in this size. Were there problems with the original tires that I don't know about?

My 91 had Gatorbacks. I autocross the crap out of that vette with those tires on it. I placed very well and the tires lasted 1.5 years.
Some complain about the slight tire noise. Hell you want quite then you should be driving a Cadillac. :L

 

[Edmond]

I personally think the Goodyears are overpriced for what you get. I'm not saying that you get an inferior product; I'm just saying for the money you spend, you could get something equivlent for less money.

I have the SZ-50's and they're great.

I've also heard and read good things about Kumho tires. They're not as well known, but their quality is supposed to be good.

 

[chevy]

Thanks guys I should have given a size 275/40 and 315/35

chevy

 

[CKA_Racing]

Thanks guys I should have given a size 275/40 and 315/35

chevy

See , that changes everything. There are limited choices when it comes to 315 unless you are willing to spend $$$ ie Pilot Sports then more options become available. I'm been dealing with this same thing for a while now. My only option always ends up being the Sum HTZ tires. There are not bad tires but has a smaller width profile than the others but not as bad as the SZ-50. Barely noticable though. They have the grip i'd like. I don't like the width profile of the SZ-50's, they look too skinny compared to tires of similar size. Check one out installed. The are really good tires though but do not come in 315.

Like Edmond said though, your money may be better off spent on something other than the GSC.

 

[Jeffvette]

Realistically you ony have about 7 options for matched sets

BFG KD
Michelin Pilot SPort
Goodyear F1 Super Car
Goodyear F1 GS-D3
Yokohama AVS
Dunlop SP8000
Sumitmo HTRZ

 

[CKA_Racing]

Yup and reality for me always ends up being that i can only afford the Sum's:L

 

[Tuna]

F1 Super Car - supposed to be the absolute best in dry traction. My car is an all weather car, so I skipped these as I want good wet performance also.

Pilot Sports - very, very good dry traction and good in the wet, not cheap. I like mine a lot. Ain't worth much in the snow though!

F1 GS-D3 - latest GY tire. If test reports are to be believed, these are a good choice. My favorite GY dealer has them in stock in your (and my) size. If GY had released them before I bought my Pilot sports, I would have give them a try.

 

[elkabong]

I have Dunlop SP8000's. So far no problem, they stick to the road, they are wearing nicely and work well in the rain. Here in AZ it does not rain frequently but when it does, it comes down in buckets.