New rims and tires

[SMOKEmUP]

The 02 Z needed tires. It has the factory Z28 tires size 245-50R16. I have the following tires on the car now and I love them, Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3. Great in the rain, stick almost as good as the Nitto 555R drag radials I had but the problem is you have to pay for this great tire. I will say hands down they are worth the money. However the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus are highly rated. So my decision is between these two tires.

245-50R16
Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 ------$254.00ea -----$1,016.00 Total
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus ----$193.00ea -----$772.00 Total

However another option came up. I found a set of rims this guy was selling locally, new take off factory 17" SS rims with tires and he was asking less than a set of Pilot sport tires for the 16" rims, never mind 17's. I'm suspect of the tires, I hope they work out.

[Big Dave]

I have used GoodYear Eagles ever since they put a bunch of them on my wife's old patrol car for fleet evaluation (she has been retired nearly twelve years now). On my Imala and her old squad car that I bought at auction they stick like glue in the corners, they are quiet, and wear well. They also have tremendous traction off the line if you do not heat them up first (I think it is the tread pattern and not the rubber compound that is making everything stick as well as it does). They are not the cheapest as you stated, on par with Michelin's and Pirreli tires of the same size.

The last set I bought came from Brazill not Akron, Ohio, though which annoyed me. Still they are good tires so I have time to decide what to buy next time around as before I bought Goodyear tires I was sold on Pirreli's tire for their traction (they wore out very quickly though).

Big Dave

[clay]

I'm not exaclty impartial here, but I do think Michelin makes a good tire, they are just expensive. I'm actually surprised someone has a comparable tire that costs more. The Michelins you are looking at are most likely made at either our plant (Lexington, SC) or the Greenville plant. Thost 2 plants make most of the high performance tires in the U.S. We are doing a good many machine modifications to run the Pilot Super Sport now. They have a asymetrical tread pattern and that causes some problems with the current way we guide product. The last tires I bought through work were made in Indonesia. First a set of Rikens and the other Uniroyals. Right now we are installing new equipment in an expansion and the stuff coming in from India shows really bad maching practices, craftsmanship, etc. - however that's actually job security for me! Clay

[SMOKEmUP]

Clay...I think Michelin makes a tire which is more expensive and suppose to better than the F1-DS3, the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2, but I can't image how because the F1's are fantastic.

I tried to get some good before an after pics to show the difference in the wheel tire combo. I washed the car and right when I finished it started to rain, pics aren't that great.

Here's a couple of pics:



Notice the inner rim is completely clean, these rims are mint. It's almost a shame to use them.


Old Wheels and Tires (16" Wheels)





New Wheels and Tires (17" Wheels)







I like the way the new wheels tires look. One thing to note is the 16" wheel tire combo weighed in at 41.6 - 43 lbs per tire. The 17" wheel tire combo weighed in at 50 lbs +/- 0.1 lbs. So I added I'd say 8 pounds of weight to the car in the worst possible place.

[Big Dave]

If you have adjustable shocks you would just twist the knob a click or two to compensate for the added unsprung weight. Something to consider if you do change shocks to handle the added weight.

Big Dave

[clay]

One thing I'm curious if you'll notice. I did the same upgrade to my wife's Mustang - factory 16" to an aftermarket 17". I didn't weigh everything before and after (I can weigh a 17" wheel / tire combo - 16's are long gone) but I could difinately notice the difference in braking. It takes a little more pedal pressure and the brakes have what I would call a slight "numb" feel - not quite as responsive as before. Not a tremendous difference but still noticable. Clay

[Paul P]

They look nice. Surprised there is that big of a difference in weight. Most of it might be tire. Wheels a little bit but not as much.

[SMOKEmUP]

Something worth pointing out is the width of the tire increased from 255 to 275.

I drove the car and it rides a bit stiffer and as Clay put it the brakes feel like a bit more pedal pressure is needed. These tires do not hook nearly as well as the Goodyears, but tolerable for the price.

Now I can get some tires for the drag strip and mount them on the old rims.

[Knarley Darley]

It is nice to have a set of wheels dedicated for track tires because they wear out fast on the street.

[SMOKEmUP]

[clay]

Was it one of the Rikens that blew out? It would be interesting if you looked at the date code on the sidewall and see how old they actually are. Rikens are somehow associated with Michelin. They are a private brand but I'm not 100% if they are Michelin, BFG, or Uniroyal private brand. I got a set about 2 years or so through work for my wife's Mustang but the tread pattern looks different than yours. Clay

[SMOKEmUP]

They are the Rikens and I just checked the date code, 41st week of 2003.

[Big Dave]

The tires should have been replaced in 2010; about two years before you bought them. So how did they manage to get old tires on those new wheels?

Big Dave

[Paul P]

Yikes! That is why I have new sneakers for the Chevelle. Just have to have some fun with them before taking them off....

[SMOKEmUP]