Mixing Tires on a 96 C4

[Rain]

Ok
Long story, short.
I bought some early C5 rims yesterday that had Eagle F1 runflats on them already.
The rears are in bad shape and need replacing.
The fronts are mint.

#1: Do I replace the rears with Eagle F1 runflats and be done with it?
(Currently they are 275/40 ZR18) Any benefit from going 285/40 or 285/35 for a bit wider tire?

#2 Is it a general rule that you do not mix Runflats with non-runflats (front to rear)?
Can understand the sidewalls reacting differently in turns and such. Or as long as they are a runflat tire, the maker does not matter?

 

[jwilliams]

Does your car have the low pressure tire monitor system? If not, do not ever, ever use a runflat tire on your vette. The reason being is that if a runflat tire goes flat you will not know it until the shreds apart resulting in many bad things happening, damage to car, loss of control, etc...

Your best bet is to buy 4 new tires, you also need to consider overall diameters of your front and rear tires. If the overall diameters front to rear are different you may cause problems for the ABS system. Remember, your vette is calibrated for a certain size tire front and rear. You should try to maintain those diameters. I don't recall what a 96 will have front and rear. A final thought regarding mixing tires on a vette, different brands vary in many ways, handling, ride, true size when mounted, I'd really suggest four tires of the same brand and tread design.

While I've not made a ton of posts, I'll offer this, tires are what I do for a living, I own a tire store and deal with michelin, goodyear, etc. Please feel free to consult Goodyear & Michelin's webpages regarding use of runflat tires.

I hope you do not take issue with my post, I'm offering the advice the same as if you were my customer.

 

[Rain]

Hey
Thanks for the heads up.
I went with the Eagle F1 tires.
(non runflat)

The rear runflat F1s that were on the rims I purchased were ruined, so I knew I needed new rears and they had to be 18" ers.

The only 18s he had in stock were some non runflat F1 models that another Vette owner had neglected to come pick up. Store made me a nice deal on those.

Broke them in nicely this weekend on a Corvette Cruise up thru the Tail of the Lizard with 42 other Corvette owners.
I am very pleased with the ride and response of the new rubber.

Thanks for the info - (and good to know we have a tire store owner here on the CAC!)
Rain

 

[G Winter]

jwilliams, What are your feelings, experience, with michelin tires. I have run them on a few cars and was wondering if they are a good choice for a vette ? I haven't checked into them and don't even know if they offer them. I would still like your opinion on them in general even if they are not offered for the vettes. Thank you .





Glenn

 

[SSTibet]

You can mix & match any tire you like... No kidding! I am taking this from the design principle of the Fighting Falcon, air to ground attack and dog fighter F-16 aircraft. The Corvette of the skies is designed on the principle of inherent imbalance... The pilot (driver of the F-16) has to make corrections to the airplane all the time... So you can do the same with your Corvette! Put 16" on the left front and 17" in the right. I recommend one 18" in the right rear and 15" on the left rear. Please try this and let us know how you like it

 

[AmosF16]

I'm sorry, but I have to inject some sanity into this F-16 comparison. The F-16 is inherently unstable in pitch (up/down)--that's what makes it so maneuverable. But there is also a quad-redundant flight control computer (digital in later versions of the aircraft) that makes it stable and flyable for the pilot. It does not require constant input to remain in control--that would be the case without the computer and the pilot would soon find himself in such huge oscillations that the aircraft would either depart controlled flight or come apart from over-g (airspeed dependent). Instead the F-16 is one of the most stable and predicable aircraft I've ever flown--we used to have contests flying back home while in training to see who could trim the airplane and not touch the stick for the longest time. At the same time it is easily the most maneuverable aircraft I've ever flown--it's the best E-ticket ride ever! A fighter aircraft is significantly different from a car, even a Corvette, that you want to drive on the street, but in both, predictability in handling is important. Setting the limit of either beyond what is controllable is an invitation to disaster--and so is installing wheels of different diameters on the same axle. Just my humble $.02. Cheers, Andy

 

[Rain]

I read & hear great things on the Mic Pilot Sport tires.


my 2 cents

Rain

jwilliams, What are your feelings, experience, with michelin tires. I have run them on a few cars and was wondering if they are a good choice for a vette ? I haven't checked into them and don't even know if they offer them. I would still like your opinion on them in general even if they are not offered for the vettes. Thank you .





Glenn

 

[SSTibet]

I'm sorry, but I have to inject some sanity into this F-16 comparison. The F-16 is inherently unstable in pitch (up/down)--that's what makes it so maneuverable. But there is also a quad-redundant flight control computer (digital in later versions of the aircraft) that makes it stable and flyable for the pilot. It does not require constant input to remain in control--that would be the case without the computer and the pilot would soon find himself in such huge oscillations that the aircraft would either depart controlled flight or come apart from over-g (airspeed dependent). Instead the F-16 is one of the most stable and predicable aircraft I've ever flown--we used to have contests flying back home while in training to see who could trim the airplane and not touch the stick for the longest time. At the same time it is easily the most maneuverable aircraft I've ever flown--it's the best E-ticket ride ever! A fighter aircraft is significantly different from a car, even a Corvette, that you want to drive on the street, but in both, predictability in handling is important. Setting the limit of either beyond what is controllable is an invitation to disaster--and so is installing wheels of different diameters on the same axle. Just my humble $.02. Cheers, Andy

Hey, I was quite humurous yesterday and I made a few stupid postings here at CAC; sorry for those.

But I was involved in production of jet engines for the F-16 aircraft in Turkey. We manufactured over 170 each GE100-F110 model engines if my memory serves me right. Later they upgraded to GE100-F129 when the trust was increased to something like 28K Pounds. I served in this GE joint venture company as engine assembly and also production manager. I am more of a manufacturing type person by my education and do not know much about the engine. But I have seen the engines getting assembled and appreciated that thing a lot... I also observed many times how engines get tested in the test cell; woooooooo !!! There is nothing comparable to its power (thrust in this case). People at CAC talk about exhaust noise; they should really attend a jet engine test and see how loud exhaust noise can get with the afterburners on !!!

So you are a pilot??? I am impressed. I am glad I made those stupid comment for the tire size so I got to meet you. Good to know you Andy.

 

[AmosF16]

SSTibet,
Good to know you as well. I couldn't believe anyone would make wheel recs like that--guess my sense of humor light was on low. Work will do that to you! I was a pilot but retired from the AF a couple years ago; I had flown the Viper since 1982. The GE motors are incredible--our hush house guys at Shaw were getting 33K pounds out of an uninstalled -129 motor. What an amazing change from the Pratt and Whimpy F100-220! One of my favorite things to do, even now, is to sit at the end of the runway to listen and watch the jets take off. It's especially cool at night when you can see the burner plume extending almost the length of the aircraft. And the rumble in your chest is like nothing else I've experienced--noise you can feel, and not like sitting at a stop light hearing the bass from the stereo in the car next to you. I've loved it since I was a little kid, and I hope it never changes. Did you work for GE in Turkey?? Like I said, I love those motors!
Cheers, Andy

 

[SSTibet]

Amos,

Yes I did work for GE for 5 years in Turkey. I was part of the Peace Onyx I (a Government to Government program between USA & Turkey) which involved manufacturing and delivery of 175 each F-16 aircraft to Turkish Airforce. The program also included offset, which was manufacturing of engine parts and also assembly & testing of the engines in Turkey. This was done by a GE joint venture company and I was hired at the start up. We did a 7 months training program in Cincinnati, at a location very close to GE Evendale facility. I was the guy doing the CNC programing at start up phase. I wrote CNC programs for some very complicated engine parts most of which belonged to the high pressure turbine. Later I was promoted to Assembly Manager and then to Manufacturing Manager. I guess I did a very good job in CNC and my American collegues were really impressed

As part of the offset requirement of Peace Onyx I program another joint venture was set up by General Dynamics also in Turkey that did the fuselage and complete F-16's for Turkish AF... This facility produced 175 off the F-16's and later I think they did another 80 or so as part of Peace Onyx II. This is when they did the upgrade to -129 engine. They also produced some 40 F-16's for Egypt. I believe this is one of the rare facilities still with the capability to make F-16 aircraft.

I am still very proud of being part of this program. There is nothing comparable to aircraft business.

Since last 15 years I have been working for another US joint venture company. But now we are manufacturing Armoured Combat Vehicles, which is boiler plate stuff after jet engines

 

[AmosF16]

You should be very proud of what you did in the F-16 program. It's a great jet that serves as the backbone for the defense not only of Turkey but of a number of other nations around the world. It's amazing to me the changes in the airplane since the early Block 1 and 5 jets I first flew, all the way to the Block 50. And the Block 60 jet is yet another leapfrog in capability.
OBTW, I was the operations officer in a squadron at Luke we stood up primarily to train Turkish AF F-16 instructor pilots. We had a great time and really enjoyed that time; I hope they got as much out of it as we did. Cheers, Andy

 

[SSTibet]

You should be very proud of what you did in the F-16 program. It's a great jet that serves as the backbone for the defense not only of Turkey but of a number of other nations around the world. It's amazing to me the changes in the airplane since the early Block 1 and 5 jets I first flew, all the way to the Block 50. And the Block 60 jet is yet another leapfrog in capability.
OBTW, I was the operations officer in a squadron at Luke we stood up primarily to train Turkish AF F-16 instructor pilots. We had a great time and really enjoyed that time; I hope they got as much out of it as we did. Cheers, Andy

Andy, I wish I knew more about the engine and the aircraft. At the time I was with GE I attempted to read the operations manual of the engine. I got lost every time after the first few pages. It was amazing how well some of the people knew how that sucker worked... I mean it was easy to understand the concepts but that was it my friend. A few more steps into the literature and I was totally lost... I however knew very well how to machine the parts made from Inconel, Rene 95, Cr Ni alloys, Titanium, etc etc etc. I still have a cross section of the high pressure turbine aft shaft and I cannot believe I made parts like that...

Well I know how I made it. There was no CAD / CAM at the time. All I had was a simple PC from Digital Equipment Corp and the APT programming software. Got my APT training in Dallas, Texas. I was used to work around the clock (no kidding, for 3 months)... I had great US friends in manufacturing engineering and US technicians in the machine shop. And we did as a team. Thanks Lord I met such people and I know my parts are still flying somewhere around the world. Cheers, Selim (that is my name )

 

[74bigblock]

If you are looking for a dry only tire, I would recommend BFGoodrich G-Force KD's. They are the stickiest thing I have ever ridden.

 

[jwilliams]

scav, sorry for my delay in posting an answer to your question, I was out of town at the Bridgestone tire dealer meeting. I am also a Michelin dealer. I have installed michelin pilot sports and sport a/s tires on vette's. In general the michelin is a very good tire. It's expensize though for what you get. Do you want the ultimate dry weather tire? BFG KD's & Kumho MX's come to mind. As for mounting & balancing them, I have found michelin to be a very true tire and often will zero out on the balancer with no weight added to the wheel. I often find on sport tires that the wheel is the cause of weight being needed more than the tire. The pilot sport a/s is a really good wet weather tire if you'll be in the rain alot. The SZ50 is a quieter tire on the road than the pilot sport a/s. The pilot sport is not very good in the wet. I really like the Bridgestone S-03 pole position if you want a good everyday high end sport tire. But it is not run flat certified. It is really good in the wet, wears well on the front of c5's driven daily, gets decent mileage for wear and is quiet.

Jay

 

[G Winter]

thank you very much Jay helps me a lot in tire decision.:BOW

 

[SKIP780]

what---18" wheels are stock on the 96?i would like a personal e-=mail reply if you get a chance to say it is or not. thats something new to me.

 

[Rain]

Hey Skip
No 17s are stock on a 1996.

Might have confused you in my first post. I bought a set of Chrome (early) C5 rims from a friend that are 18s on the rear and 17s on the front. (hence my requirement for 18 inch rear tire replacement)

Guess this helps,
Rain

 

[SSTibet]

There is a suspension chart, I think in CAC Tech Center, showing stock information for wheels, tires, suspension types, etc etc etc. I am wondering if this is the answer to your question.

 

[Hardlight]

Good advice Jwilliand.... Amos16, the Korean F-15's are getting the GE's, should supercruise at mil power. Could you do that in the 16? Fighter pilots always like more thrust and more tail (surface). Fighter Pilot is a state of mind, not a job title. Therefore not all people who fly fighter are fighter pilots nor do all fighter pilots fly fighters, some of them drive trucks.. :L

 

[SSTibet]

Do not play with the words dude, it takes a lot of guts to fly a jet fighter... have you tried one to make comments like that??????????????????????????