I am trying to find good 18" OEM G35 alloys on winter tires, as my 04 coupe with brembos did not come with a set of winters when purchased. I found a deal on Craigslist for 18" oem alloys with Michelin Pilot Alpine tires 80% tread left, When I went to check them I noticed two of the tires have camber wear the first inch on the outside of the tire has completely no tread left just a slick surface.

My question is should I still get them with this issue. He wanted 800$ for the entire set, but I talked him down to 700$, I could just:

1. drive with them for one winter and replace two back tires next winter season.

2. swap the tires in the rear so that the camber wear is now on the inside. Does anyone know if tires in the rear of the coupe with a stock setup tread more on the inside of the tire or outside? I could just check my summer tires in the rear and see on which side of the tire is the rubber more worn out.

3. Forget about the deal and keep searching on craigslist, although 18" oem alloys on winters with at least 80% treat left for 800$ is hard to find, who knows how long it could take to find another pair.

Any reply will be much appreciated thanks

 

This isn't a bad deal. Always assume tires may need to be replaced.

 

The coupe has a bit of negative rear camber, so insides tend to wear first in my experience, though not excessively so. Sounds like perhaps they were already swapped side to side or something else was going on with the owner's suspension. Still, not a bad deal overall. I'd probably swap them side to side and test them out in the rain/light snow this season. If it's problematic, then change them out now, and if not, wait till next season.

 

he said the tires were used on a rx8 maybe it had positive camber in the rear or he swapped the sides of the tires before selling, either way I think I might get it because I found a deal on matching tires same brand for 95$ a piece with 80% tread left. does 245 45 18 for all four tires fit good on the G35? or would you recommend 225 45 18 for the front?

 

No you don't want 245 45 all around. That's too tall for the fronts. Stick with 225 45. Narrower is also better for the winter as you get less aqua (snow) planing.

 

Wrong...^...most of us run 245s on the front winter and summer, allows a more stable controled ride...Gary

 

It's not "Wrong". It may be fine to run 245 over the summer, but in the snow and slush, narrower is definitely better. Coming from California, I wouldn't expect you to have a good understanding of this, but those of us who live and drive in snow every year can speak from experience. And, I certaily didn't make that up: http://www.tirerack.com/winter/tech/...jsp?techid=126

And while you may have success running 245's all around, running 245/45 profile up front on the coupe can screw with the VDC.

 

I am going to go with 245s on all fours since it is already included in this craigslist deal. If the camber wear becomes a problem in the winter, I shall scavenge a pair of 225 45s for the front. I think you both gave correct answers 225 or 245 will do, thanks for the input guys.

 

OK, good luck. just realize your speedo will be off by about 3%, and it could affect VDC and ABS operation. Some never have issues and some do. Hard to predict