Fellow Clevelanders: tire question - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

E.T. · 07-30-2010, 09:58 PM

I'm sure there are some 5th gen owners here in Cleveland or the Ohio area. I've read several posts on here about tires, so it seems I'm in the same boat as many others.

Here's the dilemma: I paid extra for the RS package, got the nice rims, so I'd like to use 'em all year. The problem is, the Pirelli summer tires aren't going to cut it here in winter. So option 1 is, I can get new rims and winter tires, or option 2 is just get some good all season tires for my original rims (and maybe sell the Zeros). I would really prefer the 2nd choice.

For those of you who drive their Camaro year round, what did you do? I know I'm not going to be rocketing around in the snow—I just want to stay on the road and get where I'm going without getting stuck. Will all seasons do the job? Also, which ones would you recommend. I've read quite a few good things about the Continental DWS Extremes. Anyone around Cleveland use these in the winter?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Eric

OHIOSS · 07-30-2010, 11:05 PM

Eric
I live near Toledo but I store my Camaro for the winter, however I used to have a Trans Am w/ the gold honeycomb style rims. I found that the salt and the always present winter chuck holes that we get after the first couple of snow plows rip up the asphalt. Between the salt and chuck holes they basically will destroy your very expensive 20" rims. If you are less concerned about how your car looks in the winter I would go to a local tire shop and see what kind of rims and tires they can set you up with. Put on the "winter" tires and wheels and store your 20" Camaro rims & tires for better weather.

After one season my Trans Am rims took a beating and I wished I would have put on a set of winter tires and rims from the very first season. One of my best friends owns a tire shop and he set me up with a set of used cheap rims with a set of Cooper Discover tires for my winter driving.

Just my opinion for what it's worth.

Russ

Plainfield · 07-30-2010, 11:50 PM

I bought a pair of stock 18 inch tires/rims from someone selling them on this forum. They are all-season tires. I plan on using them in the winter. Then when they get old I'll buy winter tires for them.

I'd prefer keep my 20 inch rims as nice as possible, so using them in the winter on the salted roads just isn't a good idea in my book.

Plus I find the ride to be smoother with a thicker tire, which is good for the winter around here, because in many areas they don't use salt and instead pack the snow down or put sand piles down.

Kurushio · 07-31-2010, 12:16 AM

Last year wasnt fun in my 95 but i do know a woman who had a V6 camaro with the summer tires and she really hated the car till like march. Though she didnt even realize she had summer tires on lol.

It might be a better investment overall to find a used jeep for the winter. Ive got a 97 Cherokee 4x4 that will be WAY better than anything else ive driven in the winter.

oachalon · 07-31-2010, 12:27 AM

My camaro sits in the garage for winter. My saturn aura XR is for winter.

E.T. do you live right in cleveland or westside or eastside. If you are on the westside you guys dont seem to get that much snow, so some decent winter tires and you should be good to go. I live on the eastside, mentor, and we are always pounded with snow. I hate lake effect. Might be a different story then. Both my brother and father drive around 2wd s10s all year long. They seem to make it, but not fun.

E.T. · 07-31-2010, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oachalon

My camaro sits in the garage for winter. My saturn aura XR is for winter.

E.T. do you live right in cleveland or westside or eastside. If you are on the westside you guys dont seem to get that much snow, so some decent winter tires and you should be good to go. I live on the eastside, mentor, and we are always pounded with snow. I hate lake effect. Might be a different story then. Both my brother and father drive around 2wd s10s all year long. They seem to make it, but not fun.

I'm on the west side, so we usually don't get nailed as badly as the east. Even if we get a big storm, it's usually cleared in a day or two. Aside from being extra hassle, I'm not sure if dedicated winter tires are really necessary. Won't they wear faster if I drive around on them a lot on clear roads?

chain777 · 07-31-2010, 10:46 AM

You're much better off going with both. You'll get the best performance in the summer, and good traction in the winter. All seasons are a compromise. They're OK in the summer and OK in the winter, but won't perform as well as dedicated tires in either condition.

And the extra cost is really only an extra set of rims for the winter tires. Since you'll only be using each set for half of the year, the tires will last twice as long.

The main difference is temperature, summer tires don't perform well in cold conditions (less than 45 or so), and winter tires wear fast once temperatures rise above that figure.

E.T. · 07-31-2010, 02:41 PM

Here's another question:

I looked at Tirerack.com and they only list 4 different kinds of tires available for the Camaro w/rs package (245/45 and 275/40 20"). It doesn't appear that Goodyear or Michelin even make tires in this size. So if I want to keep my 20" rims, I only have a choice of 4 tires (one of which is the Pzero summers)?

07-30-2010, 09:58 PM	#1
E.T. Drives: 2012 Camaro 2SS/RS Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 3,273	Fellow Clevelanders: tire question I'm sure there are some 5th gen owners here in Cleveland or the Ohio area. I've read several posts on here about tires, so it seems I'm in the same boat as many others. Here's the dilemma: I paid extra for the RS package, got the nice rims, so I'd like to use 'em all year. The problem is, the Pirelli summer tires aren't going to cut it here in winter. So option 1 is, I can get new rims and winter tires, or option 2 is just get some good all season tires for my original rims (and maybe sell the Zeros). I would really prefer the 2nd choice. For those of you who drive their Camaro year round, what did you do? I know I'm not going to be rocketing around in the snow—I just want to stay on the road and get where I'm going without getting stuck. Will all seasons do the job? Also, which ones would you recommend. I've read quite a few good things about the Continental DWS Extremes. Anyone around Cleveland use these in the winter? Thanks in advance for any advice! Eric

07-30-2010, 11:50 PM	#3
Plainfield 2010, 2LT RS Transformer Drives: '10 2LT Camaro & '70 Challenger R/T Join Date: May 2010 Location: Cybertron Posts: 86 View My Garage	I bought a pair of stock 18 inch tires/rims from someone selling them on this forum. They are all-season tires. I plan on using them in the winter. Then when they get old I'll buy winter tires for them. I'd prefer keep my 20 inch rims as nice as possible, so using them in the winter on the salted roads just isn't a good idea in my book. Plus I find the ride to be smoother with a thicker tire, which is good for the winter around here, because in many areas they don't use salt and instead pack the snow down or put sand piles down. __________________ Cars and Baseball --- What else is there???

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07-30-2010, 11:05 PM	#2
OHIOSS Russ Drives: Yukon Denali, Charger, CamaroSS Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 2,811	Eric I live near Toledo but I store my Camaro for the winter, however I used to have a Trans Am w/ the gold honeycomb style rims. I found that the salt and the always present winter chuck holes that we get after the first couple of snow plows rip up the asphalt. Between the salt and chuck holes they basically will destroy your very expensive 20" rims. If you are less concerned about how your car looks in the winter I would go to a local tire shop and see what kind of rims and tires they can set you up with. Put on the "winter" tires and wheels and store your 20" Camaro rims & tires for better weather. After one season my Trans Am rims took a beating and I wished I would have put on a set of winter tires and rims from the very first season. One of my best friends owns a tire shop and he set me up with a set of used cheap rims with a set of Cooper Discover tires for my winter driving. Just my opinion for what it's worth. Russ

07-31-2010, 12:16 AM	#4
Kurushio Drives: 2011 CGM 1LT RS (M6) Join Date: May 2010 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 703	Last year wasnt fun in my 95 but i do know a woman who had a V6 camaro with the summer tires and she really hated the car till like march. Though she didnt even realize she had summer tires on lol. It might be a better investment overall to find a used jeep for the winter. Ive got a 97 Cherokee 4x4 that will be WAY better than anything else ive driven in the winter.

07-31-2010, 12:27 AM	#5
oachalon Drives: 2010 Camaro 1SS Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Mentor, Ohio Posts: 999 View My Garage	My camaro sits in the garage for winter. My saturn aura XR is for winter. E.T. do you live right in cleveland or westside or eastside. If you are on the westside you guys dont seem to get that much snow, so some decent winter tires and you should be good to go. I live on the eastside, mentor, and we are always pounded with snow. I hate lake effect. Might be a different story then. Both my brother and father drive around 2wd s10s all year long. They seem to make it, but not fun.

07-31-2010, 10:46 AM	#7
chain777 Drives: Slow Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Metro Chicago,Illinois Posts: 560	You're much better off going with both. You'll get the best performance in the summer, and good traction in the winter. All seasons are a compromise. They're OK in the summer and OK in the winter, but won't perform as well as dedicated tires in either condition. And the extra cost is really only an extra set of rims for the winter tires. Since you'll only be using each set for half of the year, the tires will last twice as long. The main difference is temperature, summer tires don't perform well in cold conditions (less than 45 or so), and winter tires wear fast once temperatures rise above that figure.

07-31-2010, 02:41 PM	#8
E.T. Drives: 2012 Camaro 2SS/RS Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 3,273	Here's another question: I looked at Tirerack.com and they only list 4 different kinds of tires available for the Camaro w/rs package (245/45 and 275/40 20"). It doesn't appear that Goodyear or Michelin even make tires in this size. So if I want to keep my 20" rims, I only have a choice of 4 tires (one of which is the Pzero summers)?