Looking for new tires. Any recommendations?

[93reddroptop]

Guys,

I have a red 1993 convertible and I'm thinking about new tires for it. I believe the original Goodyears are still on it but at 55k both the front and back are getting down in tread. What does everybody prefer? I have been looking at Goodyear F1 G3's? That sound right? They are pretty expensive but they look like great rubber. I'm open to any suggestions.

 

[Robert]

I just bought 4 Falken Ziex 512's for my 84.


Got the whole set mounted/balanced for $380.00.


Robert

 

[c4cruiser]

You'll probably get as many suggestions as there are years for Corvettes!! Go to www.tirerack.com and plug in the tire size and look at what comes up. When you look at individual tires, you will see survey results and also a rating scale for dry, wet, snow, treadlife and other items. You can use that to compare tires of similar types which would be Ultra High Performance Summer, High Performance Summer and so on.

Your decision may have a lot to do with the type of driving you will do. There are tires that are made for dry pavment but don't work as well in wet conditions, others for mixed driving and even a few suitable for "all season" Cost will play a big factor too. You can go from about $100 each to over $300 each!

Here's my suggestions:
If you want a decent tire for all around use, look at the Kuhmo Escta 712. Excellent price and very good tread wear. For some solid high performance use in primarily dry weather, the Kuhmo Escta MX. I have these on my 87 coupe for autocross and track use.

The Bridgestone Potenza RE series is also a very good tire. I have a set on my 92 vert and I am quite pleased with themin terms of tread life, grip, cost and liked how they performed on track days and an occasional autocross.

The BF Goodrich KD is a very impressive tire for dry conditions but I'm not sure it's a good rain tire.

 

[86vette]

Are you talking about Goodyear's F1 GS-D3's? I just purchased 4 of these for my '94 and so far I really like them. They had a very good dry rating and a higher wet rating, which is what I was looking for since I live in Iowa. I have 275/40ZR17's on the front and 285/40ZR17's on the rear. They are not really that loud at highway speeds, though I've only had my '94 for about 4 weeks and haven't made it past 75mph yet. I can email you a couple of pics of what they look like on my car if you are interested.

Good luck in your hunt,
Jeff

 

[93reddroptop]

Are you talking about Goodyear's F1 GS-D3's? I just purchased 4 of these for my '94 and so far I really like them. They had a very good dry rating and a higher wet rating, which is what I was looking for since I live in Iowa. I have 275/40ZR17's on the front and 285/40ZR17's on the rear. They are not really that loud at highway speeds, though I've only had my '94 for about 4 weeks and haven't made it past 75mph yet. I can email you a couple of pics of what they look like on my car if you are interested.

Good luck in your hunt,
Jeff

Ya, I'd like to see those pics. Those are the tires I'm talking about.

 

[tyrel]

I bought the cheapest tires I could find, Sumitomos from tirerack.com, and they are excellent tires. I'm surprised at how good the quality is, to be honest I can't tell the difference between my original goodyears and the sumitomos.

 

[NC-LT4]

Have fun with the Sumi's on wet pavement. We had those on a Corolla. A hard compound that would sing to you at anything over 45mph. They wore and rode like iron.
My recommendation for an inexpensive tire are the BFG's kdw's. I got 275/40's on all corners. They too are a bit noisy but that's what good sounding exhaust and a stereo are for. <BG>
Jim

 

[Moonunit 451]

Ya, I'd like to see those pics. Those are the tires I'm talking about.

F1GS D3's. They rock. Six mos. heavy rain, high speeds frequently, sustained speeds between 120 and 140 for a half hour or so. I'd highly recomend em

 

[corvettejonesy]

HI Robert...do you like those Falke Ziex 512's? I have been thinking about getting a set, but have heard nothing about them.

I just bought 4 Falken Ziex 512's for my 84.


Got the whole set mounted/balanced for $380.00.


Robert