Replacing tires (wheels?)

mcdavies

mcdavies

Casual User
You're Celebrated Ontario
Messages
44
Reaction score
88
VetteCoins
1,249
Car
Waitlisted 2023 C8
Province
ON
OK, a question about tires. My C8 (which should arrive at the dealership soon) has the Z51 package. I'm planning to use the car as a daily driver and the summer sport tires concern me, particularly in the spring / fall when the temperature starts to get cooler. I'd love to be able to swap them out for the all-season tires but thinking that's likely not an option with the dealer. I could always just buy a new set of all-seasons, but no idea if there is a market to sell the basically new summer sports. Alternately, I am considering getting aftermarket rims with the all-seasons but, again, what do I do with the OEM rims and rubber?

Any ideas?
 
mcdavies said:
OK, a question about tires. My C8 (which should arrive at the dealership soon) has the Z51 package. I'm planning to use the car as a daily driver and the summer sport tires concern me, particularly in the spring / fall when the temperature starts to get cooler. I'd love to be able to swap them out for the all-season tires but thinking that's likely not an option with the dealer. I could always just buy a new set of all-seasons, but no idea if there is a market to sell the basically new summer sports. Alternately, I am considering getting aftermarket rims with the all-seasons but, again, what do I do with the OEM rims and rubber?

Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Some manufacturers are building so called "hybrid" tires, using a medium consistency rubber compound (somewhere in between summer and winter rigidity). As such they're good as an all season, but with the added benefit of the 3 Peak Snowflake designation for "winter tire" use. You could try searching for that, and see if someone has a "hybrid tire" that will fit your new car's rims. I have Falken Wild Peak AT3 hybrids on my Wrangler, as an example. So far, so good with them.
 
mcdavies said:
OK, a question about tires. My C8 (which should arrive at the dealership soon) has the Z51 package. I'm planning to use the car as a daily driver and the summer sport tires concern me, particularly in the spring / fall when the temperature starts to get cooler. I'd love to be able to swap them out for the all-season tires but thinking that's likely not an option with the dealer. I could always just buy a new set of all-seasons, but no idea if there is a market to sell the basically new summer sports. Alternately, I am considering getting aftermarket rims with the all-seasons but, again, what do I do with the OEM rims and rubber?

Any ideas?
Click to expand...
I don't think you will be anywhere near the limit of OEM summer tires in the fall or spring while driving on public roads even if you are going 30 over the posted limit everywhere you go
 
If you plan on using the car as a daily driver are you going to drive in the winter? If so, just buy a set of snows and new rims like @Jack Raccoon! did.
If you are planning on driving till it snows then, yes, like Denis says you'll be fine on the performance tires from mid April until mid October. I wouldn't risk performance tires before mid APril or after mid October. I hit black ice November 4th WITH snows and Flippety floppety
 
I found the Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 very good in all weather and OK on snow. Of course the car is fairly low so a fresh dump of snow is not great. I actually like the stock wheels and have had many complements from "car" people that thought the wheels were aftermarket.
Many people buy aftermarket rims and sell the stock set quite inexpensively so you could but a second set or keep yours if you want aftermarket.
So what I would suggest is to buy a second set of rims (really inexpensive) and mount the All Seasons on those. that way you could run the Summer Sport for 6 months and the All Season for 6 months. That way your tires will last about 10 years.
 
Found this on a similar forum. About 3 posts in there's a tire rated for severe winter that fits the C8, or so it suggests.
any true snow & ice specialty tires for 2021 C8 Z51? - MidEngineCorvetteForum.com
I ran a 2023 Coupe with Z51 package and came up with this. They do fit and are winter rated.
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/pirelli-winter-sottozero-3-run-flat
 
Super ideas guys...appreciate the feedback. I doubt I'm gonna run it in the snow...however, cold weather and dry roads could be in the cards :). Not a bad idea trying to pick up an inexpensive set of rims for a set of all-season...something to think about...
 
mcdavies said:
Super ideas guys...appreciate the feedback. I doubt I'm gonna run it in the snow...however, cold weather and dry roads could be in the cards :). Not a bad idea trying to pick up an inexpensive set of rims for a set of all-season...something to think about...
Click to expand...

I have a set of factory rims that are in perfect shape, that I am looking to sell.
You could put winters on those, and run your factory summers in the summer.
You would be covered then.
Just an idea. 👍
 
The summer tires are rated safe to -7 Celsius , on asphalt.;)
 
As others have said, it's not just the road conditions but also the ambient temperature. I bought new all-season tires right away after getting my Z51 C8 and in my case, I installed them on the same rims that came with the car. That allowed me to drive until November 27 last year (it was a warm Fall) and start driving March 1 this year (daily) which admittedly was a bit early but OK when driving carefully in the Edmonton area.

I sold the summer tires that came with the car, to a member of these Forums, with less than 250 km on them (thanks again Zedaholic, for a ++ smooth deal!).

If I had to do it again, I'd buy the all-seasons before taking delivery of the car, then have the dealer replace them, so there'd be "zero" miles on the tires, making them arguably more valuable and a "sure sale" since they'd be "new". Or if your dealer has no shop/capability/desire to swap tires, I'd line up a place and drive directly there after picking up your car. ****Be sure to stay with your car at all times especially when you're still w/i the break-in period, to ensure no one mucks with it.

If you shop around, you can find Michelin OEM all-seasons at a much better price than from a dealer...perhaps from your local tire shop, or from a GM on-line parts wholesaler such as (in my neck of the woods) BuyKippScottGMParts.ca, where you can pick up from them rather than pay for shipping.

As for replacing rims, you have a ton of choices. I had good dealings with MRR Wheels out of California for some good forged rims. They're used to dealing with Corvettes, have reasonable prices, a great selection, and help out with cross-border shipping costs.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do!
 
Last edited:
Murray20c8 said:
Like Shingles, Black ice doesn't care! lol. No way I'd drive summer tires below +4 C
Click to expand...
I learned to drive with summer tires in front and winter in the back and that, for all of the winter season, on rear drive cars. Trust me we had snow, on top of snow, back then in Thetford Mines, Quebec . Then most of my 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s I think , also, on 4 season tires, driving Mustangs, Trans Am s, 350z, so summer tires , above zero , not a problem. Now my cars hibernate and of course Quebec has a winter tire law , so! As for black ice, winter tires are useless, unless studded.:Ack2:
 
wlgj said:
As for black ice, winter tires are useless, unless studded.:Ack2:
Click to expand...
I'll flip you for it! ;)
I wouldn't say useless. There are ice tires. They help. Trust me on that, but yes they are not perfect. I had a crumpled Camaro to prove it.
 
Murray20c8 said:
I'll flip you for it! ;)
I wouldn't say useless. There are ice tires. They help. Trust me on that, but yes they are not perfect. I had a crumpled Camaro to prove it.
Click to expand...
I did have ice tires on my 350Z and they were good but black ice , I lost control and crunched/scraped my front bumper. There are different kinds of ice and black ice is :Arghh::oops::WillyNilly:;)
 
Murray20c8 said:
Like Shingles, Black ice doesn't care! lol. No way I'd drive summer tires below +4 C
Click to expand...
Not sure what tire Wigi is talking about but if it's the PSS tires, they are not recommended for below +7 temps. and the Sport Cup2 are even worse. I drive mine (PSS) at less than that temp but I'm pretty cautious until I go enough miles to get the tire temp up some. Trust me. I've played a little in the colder temps just to see and they break loose waaaaaaayyyy sooner than warmer temps. If I'm going to drift around an off ramp corner, I don't want mother nature controlling it. lol....
 
Old Thread: Hello . There have been no replies in this thread for 365 days.
Content in this thread may no longer be relevant.
Perhaps it would be better to start a new thread instead.

Similar threads

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)
Back
Top