I have a few people trying to tell me that going from my stock 16s to (c6) 18s on the front and 19s on the back will give me less traction while turning.. what do you guys think?

Don't listen to them.

Traction depends on the contact patch,the tires and compound used,you can usually tell weather the compound is soft or hard by the tread wear rating.

Soft for a street tire would be 100/200.

Hockey pucks would be a tread wear of 500 or more.

Your increase in contact patch alone will result in more grip.

Nice, that's what I thought. Could they be right in snow or rainy conditions?

They are right when it comes to rain and especially snow. Also with dry you can have too big of a contact patch if you can't get enough weight on the tire. But that would take a really wide tire.

To a small degree,in the snow a narrower tire will work slightly better but if your talking summer only tires it won't matter they will both suck.

If a tire is designed for wet use and can evacuate water effectively from the tread face it will work great in the rain.

Just look at a F1 full wet race tire as an extreme example.

Tire companies learn from racing and pass on compound and tread designs to their high performance street tires.

You wanna know what we think? Dangerous question....

Seriously though with tires its pretty simple. In dry conditions you want as big and fat a tire as you can fit/use. Meaning you want a tire that can hold the power and/or cornering speed that your car can deliver. Soon as you push past the limits the easiest remedy is to increase tire size. There are some important considerations on choosing size though. Cost is the main one, followed by power output which kinda ties into cost. Then weight is the next hurdle. Some tires are wayyyyyy too heavy and will slow you down or just wont fit your vehicle.

In the winter you want skinny diggers. I like the Bridestone Blizzak for ultimate winter bite, but these tires are practically dangerous in warm conditions ( read that as squirrely ) yet awesome in the cold and slick.


But whoever is telling you that smaller tires will work better is misleading you. Tire type and design are the biggest factor. A tire like a Nitto R compound doesnt need to be overly big to perform VERY well.

Thanks again people. I know very little about cars but if anyone needs any flooring tips or advice I am the person to ask.

We can suggest some tires that will perform well for you if your interested. Do you have wheels already or are you looking to upgrade the tire/wheel package at once?

I bought the rims and tires already after a lot of help from you guys. I wont need tires til next year but I always have time for good advice lol

What size wheels?

2006 c6 corvette rims 18s on the front 19s on the back(with a 1.25) spacer.

For a performance experience that will turn knuckles white. The Nitto NTO5 rear and NT555 front combo is brilliant.

Kumho ecsta XS is also a brilliant performing tire, well above its price point.

Right now these are my favs for tires that hook HARD from a dig, yet corner at very high levels of grip.


If you want top ride/comfort/longevity the Micheline Pilot sport Sport cup are really, really sweet tires. Pricey, but excellent.



I run the Kumho's on my car. Very pleased

I recommend BFG G-Force Sport tires. They are great for summer use. These BFGoodrich tires hook very well and are great in the rain. They are a good tire for the money. imho