I would like to drive my 19 Z06 next winter. I am tired of looking at it on the hoist with a cover on it. I went to my dealer and he suggested downsizing the rims to 18 or 19 all around with all season tires that are narrower and taller than the stock Michelins for better grip. I have no intention of driving it in the snow. Do any of you know how small a diameter and how narrow a rim can be used, that will leave clearance for the big Brembos that are on this car? Thanks.
Question Winter rims and tires for Z06
- Thread starter Quinnw1
- Start date
The Michelin AS3 is getting great reviews as an all season tire. Not sure why you want a smaller rim size and high profile tires if you "have no intention of driving it in the snow". If you don't track the car, sell the Cup 2's that came on it and run the AS3 year round. JMO
I believe, in theory, you could downsize to a C7 non-Z51 wheel, 18x8.5 front and 19x10 rear, then install 245/40R18 front and 285/35R19 rear tires. You'll want to get a 1.5" adaptor to get the wheels to sit flush.
However, if you're never going to drive in the snow, I'd just get OEM size wheels and fit winter rubber on them. Thinner tires are only a benefit in snow. You're likely not going to find a smaller diameter wheel in those sizes.
I run Michelin Pilot Aplin PA4 tires and they are phenomenal. I wouldn't suggest an all-season tire in the winter, even if you don't drive in the snow. All-season tires still have reduced grip when he temperature drops below 5C. The winters wouldn't cost any different and they'll still grip well when it's -25C outside. Not to mention when you hit ice.
However, if you're never going to drive in the snow, I'd just get OEM size wheels and fit winter rubber on them. Thinner tires are only a benefit in snow. You're likely not going to find a smaller diameter wheel in those sizes.
I run Michelin Pilot Aplin PA4 tires and they are phenomenal. I wouldn't suggest an all-season tire in the winter, even if you don't drive in the snow. All-season tires still have reduced grip when he temperature drops below 5C. The winters wouldn't cost any different and they'll still grip well when it's -25C outside. Not to mention when you hit ice.
I have a used set of C6 OEM wheels with winter tires mounted. Not sure if that would work? I don’t need them. $1,000.
Flyboy, CCF has a Z06 and has been driving it in the winter ever since he bought it - contact him for details.
Flyboy hasn't returned to CCF since his verbal brawl with ddgermann so I doubt you will be able to contact him.
OH! Too bad - I liked FB!!
Yeah. I did too. It is too bad.
This is my first year winter driving the Vette and my inspiration came from Flyboy - too bad tiffs occur on the forum. The instructors at Spring Mountain also encouraged me to drive my Stingray in winter and advised on using Michelin Alpin tires of standard Corvette sizes.
I purchased the wheels from Corvette depot in Windsor; the offset must be correct otherwise the wheels will be too close or too far and can damage the calipers among other problems. In my experience, the guys at Corvette Depot have the knowledge to find the right wheel. I picked up the tires on Kijiji from a guy in the GTA last April but any Michelin dealer can sell and install the tires on your wheels. You might be able to get it done at Costco. I don't think a narrower tire is a good choice. Stick with the standard sizing for this car. The full winter kit is well worth the money IMO to be able to drive the car year round. Touchless car washes were made for us.
My 2017 Ray Z51 came with 19 front, 20 rear but I installed 18 front and 19 rear with the higher profile Michelins Alpins. Flyboy used 19s on all four wheels with Pirelli Sottozero's I think. Check his posts. Agree with EJChevy - the Michelins are an excellent tire and the Corvette likes to play in the snow. Now that I am all mounted up (including TPMS), it will be an easy swap out every Fall and Spring.
Just a caution though - if you consider doing it this year, don't drive your Z06 to the garage for the winter install on the summer tires unless the temperature is above 0 degrees C. Check the owners manual - the tires can crack if driven when very cold.
The only thing I will debate, and this is personal opinion, is to not wash your car unless it's advice freezing for the next 24 hours.
I take this stance because water expands when it freezes. When you wash your car, it gets everywhere, including deep into the cracks between your body panels and other components. I'd rather have some salt in the body than have my panel gaps forced open.
My $0.02.
I take this stance because water expands when it freezes. When you wash your car, it gets everywhere, including deep into the cracks between your body panels and other components. I'd rather have some salt in the body than have my panel gaps forced open.
My $0.02.
I agree EJ. I wash just before coming home and parking it in the garage. My attached garage is not heated but never drops below zero even on the wicked cold days. But if the Leafs ever win the Cup, I will have to install a heater 
.
Would sure like to see more folks driving their Vette in winter.
.Would sure like to see more folks driving their Vette in winter.
12cents
Power User
Wouldn't even dare consider it here with the amount of pure salt and other chemicals put on our roads. Rust is a given on our vehicles no matter how hard you try to avoid it.
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YFCvii
Ya I miss @ddgermann as well.
in regard to Michelin as3 ... they were first on my replacement radar ... until I heard the C8 has an AS4 ... so I have adjusted my preference when I found they are ZP too (as AS3+ZP were hard to find supply in Canada)
... and so I wait to see if AS4ZP comes in C7 sizes
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- Thread starter
- #15
Thank you so much for all of the great info. I have a line on some C6 OEM rims 18 x 8.5 and 19 x 10 with Pirelli Sottozero rubber. Vanguard2001, did you require spacers on the hubs to get proper clearance?
Who was Flyboy?
Who was Flyboy?
Flyboy was a member from Prince Albert area in northern Saskatchewan who drove his Z06 C7 all year round as a daily driver. He use to post pictures of his car in the snow and the outside temperature readout on the panel. The coldest day he drove to work and sent a pic of his dash readout was -40. Here's a pic he posted from a past thread. He ran studded winter tires. Unfortunately Flyboy had a bit of a skirmish with another member and left us.
Spacers were not required. I purchased the wheels with the correct spec offset; 18" x 8.5", +56 Offset and 19" x 10", +79 offset. Fitment was perfect.
Get those winter boots on Quinnw1! Winter driving is very enjoyable in our Corvettes. The traction is amazing but the front tends to float a bit - just a matter of adjusting your driving style for snow and slush. As noted above, I discovered that with the M7, pulling away from a stop in 2nd is easier than in first and then a shift in to 4th keeps the revs low but the torque available. You will find the method that best meets your own driving style. Former member FLYBOY999 inspired me to drive my Vette in winter and he said the A8 up shifted to 3rd or 4th quickly in snow conditions. Keeping the revs down helps maintain control. Perhaps EJChevy can chime in on his winter driving technique.
My winter driving technique?
First, I need to say that by writing this post, I am in no part taking responsibility for anything that happens to you, your car, passengers, or innocent bystanders. If you choose to drive in slippery conditions, that is your decision and you are responsible for your own actions. If you crash, it is ultimately your fault. Know the limits of your driving skill and drive within them. Don't go full-send unless you're willing to accept the consequences if something goes wrong or you lose control of your car.
If it's seriously slippery and you're concerned about how much grip you'll have when launching from a stop, I do one simple thing:
Edit: I don't exactly do what I describe above, but I'm a lot more aggressive than if I were driving normally in dry conditions. Once the clutch has engaged, I typically go WOT and let the car do the work.
I then modulate the clutch and throttle as I get going to keep me going where I want to.
Outside of that, I just drive pretty normally.
If there was one thing I could suggest to anyone on how to extract the performance out of a car, it would be this:
Let the car do what the car wants to do. Do not fight it. Simply guide the car where you want it to go and let physics do the rest. As soon as you start fighting your car, you're going to go beyond the limits of friction and you could lose control. Relax, if the car wants to slide, let it slide. Keep the front wheels pointed where you want to go and don't stomp on the brakes.
This is a learned skill and can take a lot of time to get the knack of. For some people, it comes naturally, most people will never be able to fully grasp the concept. It's not a natural thing to do either, so it can be very tough.
Aside from saying that, I would suggest someone learn how the vehicle handles in slick conditions in a safe environment. Learn what you can and cannot do with the car. Learn its limits. Go to an empty parking lot and do some donuts, and try getting out of the spin while staying on the throttle. Then try to drive from one end to the other while keeping the car sideways the entire time, swinging from side to side. Try doing some figure-8's with the back end out.
The only way you'll get better at something like driving in snow and ice is by doing it.
The rest is confidence. If you don't feel comfortable driving in the snow or sliding the car around, don't.
Edited to add:
If I am driving on public roads and there are other cars around, or I'm not entirely sure about the grip conditions, I keep all nannies on, all the time. It's kicked in many times and probably saved my ass more than once. Even when climbing a hill, I have noticed TCS kick on.
If I want to intentionally slide the car around, and I'm not familiar with the environment or it's a relatively small space (I don't want to spin/kick the back out too far), I put it into Competitive Driving Mode (I assume Track mode in the C7 is similar).
If it's an open area and I feel comfortable with going all-out, I disable all of the nannies.
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