Replacement Tire Suggestions

[Kwood]

I have a 1990 ZR-1 with original tires and wheels, 16K miles. I cannot find a recent post that suggests replacement tires for front and back. Suggestions? Mine are currently in good shape, but 26 years old, so.....


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[KPW]

Welcome!

Not a whole lot of choices last I looked, but there are some.

I'll probably go with Nitto when I replace mine next, since there's a member discount with our registry.

Goodyear GS D3's are tempting, but pricey.

My car came with Sumitomo tires on it when I bought it last, they don't seem to be the favorite for most around here, others may be able to speak to why, but they've been OK for me (maybe because I don't know much better?)

[rush91]

That's a nice looking Beast you have there......As stated above, there are not a lot of choices for our cars in the tire department. Mine had new Sumitomos on the back when I bought it, but the front had the original Goodyears. I couldn't afford new Goodyears at the time, so went Sumitomos at all 4 corners. In my opinion, they are a very quiet road tire, have good to pretty good grip, but just don't want to seem to hook up on launch.......

I would want to ride in, or hear from members about the road noise on the Nittos and Goodyears before I buy. I have been extremely happy with the Sumitomos, but I maybe in the minority lol......

[zr1eddy]

I was in the same situation with my 1990 when I bought it this past April. It only had 13k on it with Goodyears that were date stamped from 1994. They looked nice but I was sliding all over the place. I went by the many recommendations from forum members to go with the Nitto 555. Got the from discount tire online. Paid $600 for the set, that included delivery. So far I really like these tires great for street driving


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[efnfast]

I had Michelin pilot sports. Replaced the rears with Goodyear F1's. Boy, do I miss the Michelin's.

[RussMcB]

I've had Goodyear GS D3's for a little over a year and I'm very happy with them. It was a hard decision because of price, but at the time my checkbook balance was higher than usual (I had just sold something).

I have Nitto's now for race track use, but before I bought the Nittos, I took the Goodyears to the track once and they performed very well.

My experience (confirmed with this tire purchase) is, when you spend a little extra for quality, it usually works out well.

[GOLDCYLON]

I've had Goodyear GS D3's for a little over a year and I'm very happy with them. It was a hard decision because of price, but at the time my checkbook balance was higher than usual (I had just sold something).

I have Nitto's now for race track use, but before I bought the Nittos, I took the Goodyears to the track once and they performed very well.

My experience (confirmed with this tire purchase) is, when you spend a little extra for quality, it usually works out well.

I agree. The summo's are cheap and cheerful and they wear out real fast. Normally these show up on a car just before a sale so you can state hey the tires are new. If you looking for a real good cheap tire try the faulkins but sadly they only make the fronts for our car but they have phenomenal tire wear. I have heard the pilot sports are good too however I haven't tried those. I did not like the BFGs either. I run F1 GS D3s on both my rides. I am hesitant to run anything else besides those or the Pilot Sports in the future. GC

[Kwood]

Thanks all!


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[Hib Halverson]

(snip) The summo's are cheap and cheerful and they wear out real fast.

Wow.
Doesn't that make you want to run out and buy a set of Sumitomos then give them to someone you really hate?

In the last ten years I owned Barney, I had two sets of Goodyear F1 Supercars. That basic design was done for the 2001 Z06 and proved to be an outstanding choice on a ZR-1. They had better lateral grip that the F1 GS-D3 and, in the early-to-mid-'00s were about the best you could get for a street performance tire on a ZR-1. Sadly, Goodyear did not make the F1-SC in the C4 sizes for very long.

If I had to buy tires for that car now, I'd probably look at either the F1 GS-D3 or, if Michelin makes them in 275/40ZR17 and 315/34ZR17, the Michelin Pilot Super Sport.

[RICHARD TILL]

I bought Nitto 555`s for the rear and they were cheap for good reason. I got what i paid for. Before i had driven on them 5 miles i realized that they were`nt as stable as my worn out 14 year old GSC`s. I`ll be glad when they wear out and i would`nt cry if a railroad spike got one of them.

[Kwood]

Looks like it's going to be the F1 GS-D3's. I can't locate Michelin Pilots, even on the Michelin website


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[Bob Eyres]

It's probably too late to offer this advice, but I think the Toyo Proxes R888, (DOT approved), competition tires are a good choice for the ZR-1.
I've had them for less than a year, and they're great.
If you are like many ZR-1 owners, and don't use the car as a daily driver, or drive much in the wet, these might be for you.
Here's why I picked them:

-Very reasonably priced

- Soft R compound gives fantastic grip, both laterally and in a straight line.

- Look very badass, (totally subjective judgment:-D)

- Tread life is not long. But my theory is that most ZR-1 owners don't drive more than 5-7K miles a year anyway, so why spend the big bucks on Michelins, or Goodyear F1 Supercar tires if they are going to age out before they wear out, a waste of money.

So, with these tires, you're getting performance, and trading off longevity. As those guys still running Gatorbacks know all too well, old, hard, tires can be very dangerous.
My R8's are still looking new at a few thousand miles. I'll post to tell you guys if they burn off before they age out, (3-4 years).:thumbsup:

[Kwood]

Thanks, it's not too late and that is a great point. I have owned mine about a year and a half and only put about 1500 miles on it, so cheaper but good performance is an option


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[KILLSHOTS]

It's probably too late to offer this advice, but I think the Toyo Proxes R888, (DOT approved), competition tires are a good choice for the ZR-1.
I've had them for less than a year, and they're great.
If you are like many ZR-1 owners, and don't use the car as a daily driver, or drive much in the wet, these might be for you.
Here's why I picked them:

-Very reasonably priced

- Soft R compound gives fantastic grip, both laterally and in a straight line.

- Look very badass, (totally subjective judgment:-D)

- Tread life is not long. But my theory is that most ZR-1 owners don't drive more than 5-7K miles a year anyway, so why spend the big bucks on Michelins, or Goodyear F1 Supercar tires if they are going to age out before they wear out, a waste of money.

So, with these tires, you're getting performance, and trading off longevity. As those guys still running Gatorbacks know all too well, old, hard, tires can be very dangerous.
My R8's are still looking new at a few thousand miles. I'll post to tell you guys if they burn off before they age out, (3-4 years).:thumbsup:
Loved my R888s. In addition to these points, they were also fairly wide 315s, unlike Sumitomos or Nittos, for instance.

[CamP]

I saw a previous post dogging the Nitto 555's, but I have a new set that grip very well with my 500+hp ZR-1. For $700 a set, I think they are hard to beat.

[rush91]

How is the road noise on the Toyo's??

[KILLSHOTS]

How is the road noise on the Toyo's??
I can only tell you that with headers and no cats into a Corsa system, they are whisper-quiet.

[Bob Eyres]

I agree.
Take a look at them. I'm no tire expert, but I think you'll find that the more aggressive the grooving on a tire, the noisier they are. The grooves on these are minimal. That's why they're not great in the rain.

My car has headers, no cats, and 3"B&B exhaust. I wouldn't hear them if I had snow tires on there.

[rush91]

I can only tell you that with headers and no cats into a Corsa system, they are whisper-quiet.


:-D well said

[rush91]

I agree.
Take a look at them. I'm no tire expert, but I think you'll find that the more aggressive the grooving on a tire, the noisier they are. The grooves on these are minimal. That's why they're not great in the rain.

My car has headers, no cats, and 3"B&B exhaust. I wouldn't hear them if I had snow tires on there.


The reason I ask is because my Sumitomos just don't hook up on a launch. I'm running 100% stock, and love the how quiet the car is. The ladies love it on date nights as well, as they can just gab away and away ( Hmmmmmm maybe I need to start looking at new exhaust systems :) )

Your right thought, if I ever do upgrade to header / exhaust, tire noise becomes a mute point. The road noise on my Sumis is next to nothing, but launch grip is not really there.

[KILLSHOTS]

As I stated, definitely can't speak to road noise, but they hook better than most anything else that fits a Z. As far as lateral grip is concerned, it's just silly with these things...they stick so well that they will accentuate any slop that exists in a vehicle's chassis, which may or not be a good thing. Plus, they look cool and they're a real 315 (as opposed to a Sumi, which seemed more like a 285 to me.) Highly recommended, especially considering they cost less than the Goodyears.

I searched for a rear pic of my car but I guess I deleted them all. This won't really show you the width very well but maybe you can tell somewhat. They definitely fill the wheelwells better than Sumis or Nittos.

http://www.zr1.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3947&d=1418485690

[Kwood]

That is one bad *** looking Z. This leads me to another question. Everyone seems to get different rims. Mine is all original stock, too, and I like the razor blades. Is there a reason I can't use them with new tires?


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[KILLSHOTS]

That is one bad *** looking Z. This leads me to another question. Everyone seems to get different rims. Mine is all original stock, too, and I like the razor blades. Is there a reason I can't use them with new tires?


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Thanks. I do miss that car.

All OEM ZR-1 wheels, be they '90 cuisinarts, '91-'93 sawblades or '94-'95 A-molds, were manufactured in identical sizes and offsets. Furthermore, all ZR-1s were fitted with 275/40/17 front tires and 315/35/17 rear tires. Does this answer your question?

[Kwood]

Think so. I get the sizing, just was not sure why EVERYONE seems to get custom.


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[KILLSHOTS]

Think so. I get the sizing, just was not sure why EVERYONE seems to get custom.


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Just like any other car, guys like to have something unique. But it's very difficult with a ZR-1, due to the age of the cars and how odd the sizes and offsets are. If you want to do it right, you either have to have expensive wheels custom-made, or buy some other guy's custom-made wheels.

[Bob Eyres]

They get them primarily because they want to "upgrade" to larger size rims to accommodate the lower profile tires developed in the years since the original ZR-1 sizes were established. Some think it makes the car look more modern.

I'm probably in the minority, because I like to use the original size wheels, and design, because they look "right" for that car. Maybe you can get away with (Plus one), which is 18". But larger than that looks goofy to me on a car designed more that thirty years ago. And the worst is big a** wheels and low profile tires on an early Corvette resto-mod. Many people differ on this, of course, but that's what gives the hobby variety.
One mod that I've wanted to do on my ZR-1 is widen the rear rims to 12" and use 335x35x17' tires. To me, "wider IS cool".

Sorry for the long winded opinion, but IMHO, the older these cars get, the more we should leave them alone, design wise......power mods, that's another story.:dancing

[CamP]

I'm probably in the minority, because I like to use the original size wheels, and design, because they look "right" for that car. Maybe you can get away with (Plus one), which is 18". But larger than that looks goofy to me on a car designed more that thirty years ago. And the worst is big a** wheels and low profile tires on an early Corvette resto-mod. Many people differ on this, of course, but that's what gives the hobby variety.
One mod that I've wanted to do on my ZR-1 is widen the rear rims to 12" and use 335x35x17' tires. To me, "wider IS cool".

Sorry for the long winded opinion, but IMHO, the older these cars get, the more we should leave them alone, design wise......power mods, that's another story.:dancing

I agree Bob. I had 95 wheels on my 90 and I sold them and put the stock 90 wheels back on because it just looks "right". The car has a Corey Henderson built, fully ported top end and I love that it's a sleeper.

[Kwood]

All great info, what a great forum. I agree with original, and the 90 is the only with salad shooter or whatever you want to call them. I love them. Still not sure which tires to buy but I have a lot more info now!


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[henryr]

what about the mickey thompson street comps.... ?

[Bob Eyres]

what about the mickey thompson street comps.... ?

They look like they'd be better in the wet than the Toyos. They are relatively cheap @ less than $150 (fronts), and come in the right sizes.

Is anybody here running them?

[KILLSHOTS]

what about the mickey thompson street comps.... ?
FYI, it's a rebranded Cooper Zeon RS3-S.

[henryr]

FYI, it's a rebranded Cooper Zeon RS3-S.

i have what looks to be a new set on my new to me zr1.....

[lfalzarano]

Try the Michelin 335’s or Pirelli makes the best 335’s but they cost over $600 at Tire Rack.


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