Estimate tread left on these tires

[Northstar]

I'm shopping for snow tires for the Camaro. I have a set of the 18" wheels (black heritage wheels on the LS) that I got for cheap to use for the winter. However, while searching for winter tires on ebay to see if there were any deals, I stumbled upon 19" tires that would fit the wheels I currently have on the car. If I can get them for cheap I may go this route instead.

The ad says they were on the vehicle for 3-4 months and have "no tread wear." Well of course that's pretty impossible unless they were only driven on for a few hundred miles.

The quarter makes it look like there's a good amount of tread left, but it's still hard to really tell for sure. Hard to measure based on the quarter because I don't know how exactly it is positioned/rotated.

What's everyone's guess? I was thinking 8-9/32nds.

[Blake Noble]

Eh, for the same price of a set of good winter tires and rims on a nice car, I'd rather buy a beater.

(Those Hertiage rims probably were a few hundred bucks and the tires probably will be too.)

Edited October 21, 2011 by black-knight

[Northstar]

Not an option. No where to store the Camaro, would have to pay insurance, and what am I supposed to do buy a beater each winter?

From what I have read on Camaro boards the Camaro does great in the snow with these tires.

[daves87rs]

Eh, for the same price of a set of good winter tires and rims on a nice car, I'd rather buy a beater.

(Those Hertiage rims probably were a few hundred bucks and the tires probably will be too.)

Agreed. MI kills cars here.

If I get a Cruze, that's exactly what the Cobalt will be for, if I keep it.

Back on subject, I'd say you should be good for the winter....

[David]

These look like goodyear tires, over all they have a ton of rubber on them still. It would be worth it for them to run through the winter with these tires. Good luck

[A Horse With No Name]

Eh, for the same price of a set of good winter tires and rims on a nice car, I'd rather buy a beater.

(Those Hertiage rims probably were a few hundred bucks and the tires probably will be too.)

Agreed. MI kills cars here.

If I get a Cruze, that's exactly what the Cobalt will be for, if I keep it.

Back on subject, I'd say you should be good for the winter....

Agreed...in Camino's own words, Ohio is a rolling junkyard...pretty much literally.

[67impss]

Don't know not leaving the state much it just seems normal

[Drew Dowdell]

You're better off with a narrower 18" wheel than the 19" wheel for snow.

[Northstar]

You're better off with a narrower 18" wheel than the 19" wheel for snow.

I don't know that the diameter of the wheel matters as much as the width of the tire. They are 235mm width, the stock tires are 245mm. The 18 inch wheels come with 245mm wide tires as well, but I would be putting 235s on them whether they are these or new on the 18 inch wheels.

I'm waiting until November either way. If Pirelli or Bridgestone puts any sort of rebate on their tires, that will make my decision because they're within $10 of each other for 4 tires mounted and installed. That is, unless I get these for really cheap.

[Northstar]

Ok, here's another question. What are these worth vs. new tires?

I already have the base Camaro steel wheels for winter use if I don't get these tires, so I only need tires one way or another.

I can get 18" Pirellis snow tires or Blizzaks for $736-$748. That's mounted and balanced. It's actually cheaper to do that at the local Tire Barn than order from TireRack and have the dealer install them by about $15.

These tires on eBay cost $124.40 to ship. The dealer would charge me $90 to take off my old tires and put these on the 19" rims. So I'm at $215 to get them shipping and put on alone. If I got them for $300 I'd only be saving $220ish. But at the same time I'd be at $425 on tires that I've never seen that aren't new, and $515 to have them put on the car. It would be more helpful if the person selling them could actually give me a tread depth measurement instead of using a quarter. If either Pirelli or Bridgestone comes out with a rebate in November, the savings diminish more.

It's like the $736 comes with insurance and the other price (whatever it would be) doesn't.

I'm thinking if I don't save at least $300 on these then they aren't worth the risk involved.