Cracks in Michelin "Summer" tires.....

C7Driver · 03-21-2014, 01:17 AM

I know this issue has been reported on other Corvette Forums but I thought I'd post here as well. My Z51 Stingray has 125 miles on it. The day I drove it home from the dealer the temp was 28 degrees.
During an inspection of the driver's side wheels and tires I found small cracks in the tread area of both tires. The front tire had the most noticeable crack. I have not inspected the passenger side tires yet. You really need to remove the tires to inspect them.
Not sure if this is a serious problem but I'll send photos to a friend who knows engineers at Bowling Green. I'll be guided by what he finds out.
Just wanted to give people a heads up.

Track · 03-21-2014, 01:15 PM

I read enough about these summer tires that before I had delivery of my Z51in January I went ahead and bought all-season tires for cold weather use back in December. The summer tires are the greatest tires in the world for performance in temperatures above 40 degrees. In freezing temperatures they are not only dangerous to drive on but will crack due to temperature fluctuations.

If you decide to do the same I recommend storing the summer tires in a heated environment.

C7Driver · 03-21-2014, 05:02 PM

Thanks for the info. The car is currently stored in a heated garage. I plan to inspect the passenger side tires soon. If I find cracks in those tires I may just buy a good "all season" set of run flats and sell the summer tires to someone who tracks their Stingray.
Still waiting to hear from a friend regarding how serious a few, small cracks are to the safety of these tires.
Cheers

C7Driver · 03-24-2014, 11:52 AM

Still waiting for a "warm" day to remove the passenger side wheels and inspect the tires for cracks. It's 27 degrees right now and a snow storm is forecast for Tuesday evening into Wednesday. So much for Spring.

hotwheels65 · 03-24-2014, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by C7Driver

I know this issue has been reported on other Corvette Forums but I thought I'd post here as well. My Z51 Stingray has 125 miles on it. The day I drove it home from the dealer the temp was 28 degrees.
During an inspection of the driver's side wheels and tires I found small cracks in the tread area of both tires. The front tire had the most noticeable crack. I have not inspected the passenger side tires yet. You really need to remove the tires to inspect them.
Not sure if this is a serious problem but I'll send photos to a friend who knows engineers at Bowling Green. I'll be guided by what he finds out.
Just wanted to give people a heads up.

Here is a link to the February issue of Tech Link that has a good article [page 8] about UHP Summer only tires. You can also find a couple of articles on UHP tires in the Q&A section of the Tire Rack web site.I had my dealer put Michelin A/S 3 tires on before we took delivery back in December.

http://sandyblogs.com/techlink/wp-co...ink-2014-F.pdf

C7Driver · 03-24-2014, 11:51 PM

HotWheels65,
The tires your dealer installed, were they in exchange for the summer tires or an extra set that you paid for?
I've been in touch with a GM Customer Service Rep who offered to assist me with this issue.
The problem I have is I can't find run flat tires that are "all season" in the 19 & 20 inch sizes I need for my Z51 option. I may have to consider non run flats at some point.
Cheers

hotwheels65 · 03-25-2014, 10:15 PM

C7Driver,
Given the limitations of the UHP summer only tires in the Buffalo climate [ten months of winter] and no plans to track the car I did not want the UHP summer tires. My dealer and I arranged a tire swap with a local tire dealer for 40% of the cost of the A/S 3 tires including mounting and road force balancing.
Saved me the hassle of storing and trying to sell the takeoffs. The tire dealer said in his experience a ZP tire that has a flat and is driven more than a few miles usually has to be replaced.
The A/S 3 ride better because of a more flexible sidewall than the ZP tires. Hope your tires are OK. Good Luck!

C7Driver · 03-26-2014, 04:11 PM

Thanks. I'll report on what I find when I can get the passenger side tires off. Just finishing up with a snow storm and near hurricane winds here.

purpleRac3r · 03-26-2014, 09:56 PM

I agree with Hotwheels65. I don't feel a non-runflat to be a problem. Near any metro area a flatbed wrecker is a cell call away, and in most cases a non-runflat will be easier to repair. I've run non-runflat performance tires on my midified '74 Stingray for 15 or more years with only one flat total. It was less than a mile from the house, limped it home,. Took it off to the tire shop and found it was a utility knife blade an a 2" cut that couldn't be fixed. A run-flat would've been no benefit, just cost more to replace. For long trips I pack a small compressor and a plug kit.

I'm running the same A/S3s for the winter here in Missouri and have no complaints at all!

C7Driver · 03-26-2014, 10:30 PM

Thanks for that info. Looks like Friday will be a warm enough day to get the passenger side tires off, cleaned and inspected for cracks.
I'm in touch with GM Customer Service to see if there are options for me if I find cracks in all four tires. I'll keep this Forum posted.

C7Driver · 04-05-2014, 04:53 PM

Got a chance to remove the passenger side tires and found very small cracks on both tires. The cracks where in the treads. No cracking on the sidewalls. I have to say they appear cosmetic.
That said, I drove to my local Michelin dealer last Thursday. The person I needed to speak with wasn't there. The person I did speak with said he can tell me what the other guy would say. Basically, this tire dealer says I have to BUY a new set of the Michelin Super Sport Summer tires. The dealer will then ship my factory tires (now with 217 miles on them) back to Michelin and they will decide if the tires have defects. If so, I would get a refund for the new tires I bought. That's NOT going to happen.
I told the tire guy this was not acceptable. He agreed with me but said that's the way it would have to be.
I have the option of going back to my dealer or trying a 2nd Michelin tire dealer for a 2nd opinion.
The driver side front tire has the most noticeable crack. (Photo attached.) During a 91 mile drive earlier this week, with temps in the mid-50's, the tires were quiet and the car drove like it was on rails.
That's it for now.

03-21-2014, 01:17 AM	#1
C7Driver Drives: 2014 Z51 Lime Rock Green Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: New England Posts: 148	Cracks in Michelin "Summer" tires..... I know this issue has been reported on other Corvette Forums but I thought I'd post here as well. My Z51 Stingray has 125 miles on it. The day I drove it home from the dealer the temp was 28 degrees. During an inspection of the driver's side wheels and tires I found small cracks in the tread area of both tires. The front tire had the most noticeable crack. I have not inspected the passenger side tires yet. You really need to remove the tires to inspect them. Not sure if this is a serious problem but I'll send photos to a friend who knows engineers at Bowling Green. I'll be guided by what he finds out. Just wanted to give people a heads up. Attached Images

03-26-2014, 09:56 PM	#9
purpleRac3r Drives: 1974 & 2014 Corvette Stingrays Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Troy, Mo Posts: 623	I agree with Hotwheels65. I don't feel a non-runflat to be a problem. Near any metro area a flatbed wrecker is a cell call away, and in most cases a non-runflat will be easier to repair. I've run non-runflat performance tires on my midified '74 Stingray for 15 or more years with only one flat total. It was less than a mile from the house, limped it home,. Took it off to the tire shop and found it was a utility knife blade an a 2" cut that couldn't be fixed. A run-flat would've been no benefit, just cost more to replace. For long trips I pack a small compressor and a plug kit. I'm running the same A/S3s for the winter here in Missouri and have no complaints at all! __________________ '74 Stingray coupe, heavily modified, as seen in August 2011 VETTE magazine, 2014 Stingray Z51 #196, ordered 02/11/13, built 08/29/13, Museum Delivery 10/04/13, driven daily!

04-05-2014, 04:53 PM	#11
C7Driver Drives: 2014 Z51 Lime Rock Green Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: New England Posts: 148	Got a chance to remove the passenger side tires and found very small cracks on both tires. The cracks where in the treads. No cracking on the sidewalls. I have to say they appear cosmetic. That said, I drove to my local Michelin dealer last Thursday. The person I needed to speak with wasn't there. The person I did speak with said he can tell me what the other guy would say. Basically, this tire dealer says I have to BUY a new set of the Michelin Super Sport Summer tires. The dealer will then ship my factory tires (now with 217 miles on them) back to Michelin and they will decide if the tires have defects. If so, I would get a refund for the new tires I bought. That's NOT going to happen. I told the tire guy this was not acceptable. He agreed with me but said that's the way it would have to be. I have the option of going back to my dealer or trying a 2nd Michelin tire dealer for a 2nd opinion. The driver side front tire has the most noticeable crack. (Photo attached.) During a 91 mile drive earlier this week, with temps in the mid-50's, the tires were quiet and the car drove like it was on rails. That's it for now. Attached Images

03-21-2014, 01:15 PM	#2
Track Drives: Z51 Corvette Convertible Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Luray, va Posts: 34	I read enough about these summer tires that before I had delivery of my Z51in January I went ahead and bought all-season tires for cold weather use back in December. The summer tires are the greatest tires in the world for performance in temperatures above 40 degrees. In freezing temperatures they are not only dangerous to drive on but will crack due to temperature fluctuations. If you decide to do the same I recommend storing the summer tires in a heated environment.

03-21-2014, 05:02 PM	#3
C7Driver Drives: 2014 Z51 Lime Rock Green Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: New England Posts: 148	Thanks for the info. The car is currently stored in a heated garage. I plan to inspect the passenger side tires soon. If I find cracks in those tires I may just buy a good "all season" set of run flats and sell the summer tires to someone who tracks their Stingray. Still waiting to hear from a friend regarding how serious a few, small cracks are to the safety of these tires. Cheers

03-24-2014, 11:52 AM	#4
C7Driver Drives: 2014 Z51 Lime Rock Green Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: New England Posts: 148	Still waiting for a "warm" day to remove the passenger side wheels and inspect the tires for cracks. It's 27 degrees right now and a snow storm is forecast for Tuesday evening into Wednesday. So much for Spring.

03-24-2014, 11:51 PM	#6
C7Driver Drives: 2014 Z51 Lime Rock Green Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: New England Posts: 148	HotWheels65, The tires your dealer installed, were they in exchange for the summer tires or an extra set that you paid for? I've been in touch with a GM Customer Service Rep who offered to assist me with this issue. The problem I have is I can't find run flat tires that are "all season" in the 19 & 20 inch sizes I need for my Z51 option. I may have to consider non run flats at some point. Cheers

03-25-2014, 10:15 PM	#7
hotwheels65 Drives: 2014 Limerock Green Z51 Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Clarence, NY Posts: 35	C7Driver, Given the limitations of the UHP summer only tires in the Buffalo climate [ten months of winter] and no plans to track the car I did not want the UHP summer tires. My dealer and I arranged a tire swap with a local tire dealer for 40% of the cost of the A/S 3 tires including mounting and road force balancing. Saved me the hassle of storing and trying to sell the takeoffs. The tire dealer said in his experience a ZP tire that has a flat and is driven more than a few miles usually has to be replaced. The A/S 3 ride better because of a more flexible sidewall than the ZP tires. Hope your tires are OK. Good Luck!

03-26-2014, 04:11 PM	#8
C7Driver Drives: 2014 Z51 Lime Rock Green Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: New England Posts: 148	Thanks. I'll report on what I find when I can get the passenger side tires off. Just finishing up with a snow storm and near hurricane winds here.

03-26-2014, 10:30 PM	#10
C7Driver Drives: 2014 Z51 Lime Rock Green Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: New England Posts: 148	Thanks for that info. Looks like Friday will be a warm enough day to get the passenger side tires off, cleaned and inspected for cracks. I'm in touch with GM Customer Service to see if there are options for me if I find cracks in all four tires. I'll keep this Forum posted.