When it's time for new tires...

PeerBlock

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Been thinking about this in the back of my head...but those pirellis are going to wear out eventually and need replacing. There is no way in hell I'm taking my viper to any of the local shops so some dude who has a degree in counting to potato can install new tires. Any suggestions on where to take the viper when it's time for tires?
 

Nine Ball

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Now that I've had some experience with the Pirelli Corsa track pack tires, I can share some dismal information about them. They are nearly impossible to dismount without damaging the tire. I caught a nail in one of my rear tires, so I was dismounting it to patch the tiny nail hole. The tires grip like mad to the bead area of the wheel, which made them very difficult to remove. My bead breaker ended up hurting the sidewall on that tire, as the sidewalls are very soft and thin. It wasn't evident until I re-mounted it and aired it up. A 1" diameter bubble formed on the sidewall. One tire down. I had a set of Michelin Sport Cups here, so I decided to replace the rear Corsas with those. Upon dismounting the other good tire, the same thing happened. Sidewall got stretched when trying to break the bead - ruined the second tire.

I've mounted/dismounted many hundreds of tires, some with stiffer sidewalls, most with lower profile, and some that had me cussing. But, never have damaged a wheel or tire during the process. These sidewalls are too flimsy/soft, and the bead is too tight on the wheel. I was able to mount them without issue, but getting them off was nearly impossible. I used to think run-flats were the worst, since they were so stiff. Now I dislike these tires, because the sidewalls are too thin/soft.

Meanwhile, those Michelin tires have been on/off 3 sets of wheels now, and are much easier to install/remove.

So yes, be wary of who you have dismount the Corsa tires! They might get too aggressive with them and hit the wheel. Haven't tried the fronts yet, but the rears were brutal.

I'd say to just ask around other locals, see if they have recommendations. It usually isn't how fancy a shop is, but the operator of the machine, that makes the difference. Locals usually know some guys/shops.
 

Allan

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Yes.....................Nine Ball and myself are lucky guys.
We have our own shops with tire machines.
Most tire places have tire guys that aren't that adept at thinking and being careful.
That's how stuff gets damaged that shouldn't.

Find a tire place that has either the owner, or one of their 'A -techs' that will swap tires.
I have a 'tire guy' at my place, but anything that's special or expensive, I mount and balance them myself.

Those shops are out there, will take some searching to find in your area maybe.

I agree about the fact that some tires **** more than others to dismount.
I hate run-flats.
 

VIPER GTSR 91

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Make sure to call around your area and do a customer review search on shops before getting this done as many shops will ding your wheels etc. as you mention. Call your Dodge dealer too, hopefully one that services Vipers for their input on a good tire shop.
 

Jack B

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I am fortunate to have an excellent tire/wheel shop. IMHO I woulld always use a shop with a Hunter dynamic road force balancer. This allows them to match the tire to the wheel. I just had new hoosiers mounted on new factory wheels and neither was perfect.
 

AZTVR

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The way I found a shop was to go to Tire Rack's recommended installer's list. I found a very small shop that is a custom wheel seller. It's a family type business, a 3 person business where the guy doing the tire changes is there every day for years. You know what to expect every time you go in. (It definitely highlights to me what we have lost by frequenting chain stores for most things.)
 
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PeerBlock

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Thanks for the feedback...the things mentioned here are my main concerns. The wheels could easily be damaged by some guy who wants to get the job done as quick as possible - has happened before. Fortunately I still have decent tread on the stock tires so it should be awhile before I need to replace them.

Has anyone tested different tires on their viper? Are the track-pack pirellis "the best" or are there other ones that are worth considering?
 

Nine Ball

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I've had the Pirelli Corsa track pack tire, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup, and the Michelin Pilot Super Sport on my Gen 5. The Corsa is a good all-around tire, even in the rain. The Sport Cups are more suited to the track, being the ACR factory tire. The Pilot Super Sport would be my favorite "all-around" tire. They have a longer tread life and seem to handle excellent. Nobody else makes a 355 wide, the Michelins are both 345/30-19, but it is hard to tell the difference in their widths.
 
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