racerxrick

I currently have the Hankooks on the car (285/30/18 and 245/35/18). The rears are shot primarily due to a (now repaired) bent rim AND a heavy foot. The fronts still have some life (50%+).

Cheapest way to go is replace the rears for $208 each.

Or...I recently put a set of BFG's on a clients modified 335i manual coupe and they looked sharp and I assume are pretty sticky.

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/fin...fcb=&fsv=false

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/fin...fcb=&fsv=false

Any thoughts or experience?

Thanks!

onspeed

I've used the first gen KDW's before. Excellent grip/traction. Road noise is quite bad though, especially on the highway. Haven't put enough miles to check tread life, but it's looking good. This is on an f-body with a non-staggered fit though.

racerxrick

yeah I've read reviews equating the road noise to 4wd tires!

Thanks onspeed..

Dougs951

Yea I have a set of KD's and they definitely whine on the hwy...

pontifex4

I can't compare to the BFGs, but my V12s have been truly excellent.

Richgreenster

What are you going to be using the car for?
Daily driver?
Auto X ?
Track?
Mix?

AScholtes

I loved my BFG KDW's when I used to use them, but they are not an AS by any means... do not think of getting any traction in wet weather...

I currently am using a BFG Sport AS tire that ni am pleased with for DD conditions....

azbanks

Car and Driver did a test at Tire Rack and if I remember correctly, the Hankooks beat the BFG's in every category. Dry autocross, dry skidpad, dry braking, Wet autocross, wet skidpad, wet braking.
As you may have guessed the Hankooks beat the BFG's in noise too. There might have been one category that the BFG's won but I don't think that was the case. Go with the Hankooks.

Crackership

I've had both tires, on different cars... Hankook on my E39 M5, and the BFG's on my old 944... the BFG's are loud, and HORRIBLE at the slightest hint of moisture on the road, and if it's wet AND cold, forget it.

The Hankook have been great, I've been very impressed. My g/f says they're loud, but I don't notice them at all... but then again, the M5 is just way quieter than the 951...

The only complaint I've had about the Hankook is, I once ran over a baseball sized ball of ice on the road (heavy traffic, saw it too late, couldn't avoid it) and one of my rears blew catastrophically... there was about a 2" diameter hole in the tread... that doesn't seem right, but maybe I just had a faulty one...


Between the two, I'd recommend the Hankook all day, but I would buy them from here: OnlineTires.com
save you $20 or so per tire...

racerxrick

Hey all...thanks for the responses. I should have mentioned my intended use as Richgreenster asked. My 951 is mainly a driver with an occasional time trial thrown in. Of course as a driver she gets driven hard on back country ranch roads and the occasional ***** out high speed blast. Wet driving is avoided as much as posssible!

I'd like to find the comparison Tire Rack did? I'm thinking I'll stick with the Hankooks. The big block pattern on the BFG's looks bad ***...then again I am amused by bright shiny objects too

Billy W

I bought a set of first gen KDW and ran them for over a year, in the winter time when it was cold out side (30-40 degrees) they sucked. Even on 30 minute drives across town I don't think the tires ever got hot enough to stick.

azbanks

The BFG's did win the dry braking test.

Richgreenster

Grassrooms Motorsports autocross test
1. Kumho ECSTA XS = 34.170/34.030
2. Bridgestone RE-11 = 34.266/34.238
3. Bridgestone RE-01R = 34.478/34.430
4. Toyo Proxes R1R = 34.522/34.452
5. Dunlop Z1 Star Spec = 35.209/35.061
6. Falken Azenis RT-615 = 35.302/35.125

TireRacks results
0.98g-1.01 Kumho Ecsta XS Extreme Performance Summer
0.99 (+?) Bridgestone Potenza RE-11
0.98-0.99g BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KD
0.98g (=) Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD07
0.98g (-?) Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric
0.97g Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD08
0.96g-0.97 (+?) Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec
0.97g (-?) Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1
0.96-0.99g Bridgestone Potenza RE-01R
0.96g (-?) Michelin Pilot Sport PS2
0.95g (+?) Sumitomo HTR Z III
0.95g Hankook Ventus R-S2 Z212
0.94-0.96g Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Pole Position
0.94-0.97g Continental ContiSportContact 3
0.92g (+?) Yokohama ADVAN Sport
0.93g BFGoodrich g-Force Sport
Hankook Ventus R-S3

I am needing new tires as well. Here is some data that I have found on the web.
I am going to use the tires as 75% Auto X and Track 25% Street.
I want to get a tire that will be very competitive on the track but can be driven on the street.

I am leaning towards the Kumho Ecsta XS but they do not come in 285's but do in 275's. (Little bit taller) Plus the price is fairly cheap.
The Sumitomo HTR Z III is a lot of tire for the money.

I do not have any data on 245's. I could not fit 245's under my front fenders. I have no idea how you guys are pulling it off without rubbing.

racerxrick

Great info Rich. I can fit the 245's w/o spacers because the 18x9 CCW's are spot on. Fenders are not rolled.

I like the 285/30 and 245/35 combo as the diameter is virtually the same as the "S" wheel/tire combo that I took off the car.

Plus I am looking for reasonable economy!

I took a good hard look at the tires while on the rack earlier and there is a little more life in them. At least a little more than I thought. I had a bent rim in the back that chewed the inside of one. The fronts are cupped somewhat as the alignment wasn't quite right. That's all been handled and it appears a complete set will be in order later this summer.

Richgreenster

For the money the Sumitomo HTR Z III is a great tire.