I just figured i should let you all know about the tires i just got. I just installed a set of four 215/50R17 hankook k104 uhp tires on my srt. my car is close to stock i run a boost controler on a switch and a bov, thats about it. I live on vancover island (canada) and last weekend i had a trip about 1500mi round trip to alberta and back and man it was awsome, these tires kick ass! I had a chance to test them out in dry and wet, through turns and straits over 120mph in some spots and wow! I remember the stock tires and they cant touch these. I tried stoping in the pooring rain and i could stand on the brakes realy hard and the abs barely activated thats better than the stockers in the dry! And the corners dry and wet feel very planted, not like the stockers they always seemed to slide some! I even tried driving in the ruts and seeing if i could feel the water but nothing no hyroplaning nothing. These tires kick ass i asked for bang for buck and i got it. The best part is they were less than half the price of the stockers, i paid 584 canadain carrying them out i installed and ballanced them my self. I highly recomend any of you wanting to use the stock rims to try these.
Well, I just got them when I bought a set of rims (KMC Redline Hotwheel). The tires are used with about 1k miles on them. I was a little skeptical of going with such a large tire but decided to give them a try anyway.
The old tires were the stock KDW's that I stretched out to just over 19k miles. The first impression was WOW. I couldn't get over how quiet they are compared to the stockers. With the old tires I felt like I was driving a truck because of all the noise. The Kumho's seem to ride real nice. They do tend to feel maybe a little soft but that might be due to them being so much bigger. Today I leaned on them by taking onramps a little hard and was very pleased with the results.
really, so far so good. The only real difference I notice is that the car tends to track under hard takeoffs or stopping. It seems to pull to the right taking off and to the left when downshifting. I am unsure what that is. It could be being a 235 tire on uneven roads or alignment. I do plan to have it aligned again even though I just had it done a few months ago.
I don't have any racing baselines with the old to compare with the Kumhos. I am just talking about basic street driving. I was lookin for something that would ride not as harsh and have decent grip. So far so good. I'll try to repost when I get a few thousand miles on them.
Tire/Make Model: Hankook Ventus Rs2 Z212 Size: 215/45/17 Review: I purchased these for my daily driver SRT-4 mostly to see if I could improve my track 60' times over the Falken Ziex ZE-512's that I used the previous season. It made sense as the Z212's are very aggressive summer performance tires, use a fairly soft compound and were made to compete with the newest Azenis. The ZE-512's are all season tires and are made out of a harder compound, and last a lot longer.
After a few months with the Ventus Rs2 Z212's on, and one visit to the track, I'm not impressed. At the track, I barely scrounged out a single 2.1 60' (vs several 2.0 60's on the ZE-512's) so far. I plan on giving these tires a few more chances at the track, but I'm not too confident that they'll supercede the "all season" Ziex tires. It makes no sense, considering the all season, high treadwear, great wet grip, cheap tires did much better than the summer high performance, soft compound, low treadwear, hydroplaning more expensive tires at the track.
Another problem with the tires, is that their tread design appears to love to try to turn your steering wheel as they decide to follow any lump, bump, groove on the road. It's very pronounced. I thought I had some serious issues prior to noticing it was just the tires reacting to the road surfaces.
The Z212's also haven't done very well during heavy rain either. I've had to slow down a good bit on the highway during heavy rain due to the tires slipping while trying to cruise at a constant speed. (Again, something the ZE-512's excelled at avoiding).
So far, the ZE-512's have been a much better tire, but since I've only had the Z212's on for a few months now, and only one visit to the track, I'll give them some more time before I make a final decision on them.
Update 05/26/06: Today in moderate rain the Z212's proved to be rather dangerous, losing traction with ease during careful lane changes and various atempts to accelerate normally. Also had some slippage going uphill at a steady 60 mph. Definitely not a good wet tire.
I just rolled past 6k miles with these tires. The stock tires on my 05 ate themselfs in 13k and I can already tell these should last me around 20k. I bought these tires for $80 a piece from a local Americas Tires (great company). Honestly I will say that these are a budget tire, so keep that in mind, but I will say that these tires will hook up better and launch better then the kdw2's did. They are a quite, smooth tire, but they dont have the same turning response and handling compared to the kdw2's. Note: Bumping the PSI to around 41 all around gave me a much better response. I dont have too much wet driving with these but the month that it did rain here they where a better tire then the kdw2's.
Overall these are a great budget tire that wont let you down if you remember what you paid for them. They have better straight line traction then your stocks but not the handling. Would buy them agian if I needed to save some $$ and still drive hard.
Review: I was using the Azeni RT-615 before these so I was anxious to see how they would stack up grip wise. The major difference that I saw with these tires is that with the Azenis I would get scared before those tires would let go, however the FK451's you can push them nearly as far and they'll still hold on. The feedback I got from them was great I could tell just when the car was starting to understeer and if it was trying to snap back and oversteer. It was also raining earlier in the morning today and I had no problems at all. The car felt solid and I wasnt worried about skidding or hydroplaning. The ride is about 35% softer then the RT-615's and perhaps slightly more quiet I couldnt notice a big difference. Overall I'm very pleased with them for $96 I think they make a better everyday tire then the RT-615's did.
What can I said... The best " EXTREME PERFORMANCE " low budget tire you can buy! Awesome dry grip on Street/Road Race, very good on wet... This tire is actually a bargain compare to the top tire's g-Force T/A KD, ADVAN Neova AD07 or the new Potenza RE-01R!
I call the KUMHO ECSTA MX... " THE BEST GRIP FOR THE BUCK "
Review: Replaced my stock rims with 17x8 Flik's and put these tires on. This tire is used in Miami, Fl with mostly hot city driving and the sudden downpours that we get in the Summer. They will never see snow obviously.
Immediately I noticed how much more quiet these tires are from the stock BFG's. I mean, it's REALLY noticeable. That 40mph buzz is gone. My father used to think the car had bad axle bearings or something from the noise, but it's all done now. Second, the traction is great. My car is still stock (yes I know ) and I definitely notice more traction, both in acceleration and sideways grip. Probably also being influenced by the wider rim, but I think the tire works. Third, I was able to test them in the rain a few days after purchasing them and MAN what a difference. Car is much more assuring at highway speeds and it's easier to accelerate regularly from a light in the rain without spinning tires from giving it a little gas. And what really freaked me out and am totally pleased by it, MY MILEAGE IMPROVED. I commute about 30 miles a day in pretty much rush hour, city traffic. I'd say I averaged about 19-20mpg. My first week with the tires I filled up the tank and the mileage has jumped to about 22-23. I can only imagine what it will be like with highway miles. At first I doubted it and figured it might be a speedometer error because of the technically smaller tire to stock. But I tested it with my GPS, and after a 30 mile highway trip, the difference between the GPS and the Trip Odometer was only 0.2. So the speedometer is still accurate. Today I took the tires to an AutoX event and I was pleased. I played with pressures, albeit conservatively, but at 45psi in the front I did not roll the tire onto the sidewall. Stock tires needed to be at 47psi for me not to roll them. And traction was pretty solid. I was about 1.5 seconds faster than my former closest D-Stock competitor. This guy and I were always fighting each other for best time because we were so close, and he's in a WRX. I did spray the tires with water to cool them down after every run, and I think that helped reduce the wear a bit. After my runs I took a look at them, and they don't look as if they've been in an AutoX event. So I'm very pleased with the tire overall. I know the larger rim also helps, but I will definitely give this tire it's due. Definitely would recommend as an upgrade over the stock tire.
__________________
Quote: Originally Posted by DirtySid
Damn right...black is beautiful...and fast as hell, lets take a moment and look at other black things that kick ass:
1) Darth Vader
2) Mike Tyson
3) Ninjas
Now can you argue with that logic????
Review: Great Tire! The wet traction is unbelievable. The dry traction is as good as the Michelins (Pilot Sport - stock on my '03 SRT4) or BFGs (KDW-NT, which I am currently replacing with the Goodyears), and the handling as good as the Michelins, and better than the BFGs.
While they cost a few bucks more than the BFGs, it's money well spent. They also cost less than the Michelins, which in my experience had poor tread life, poor wet traction, bubbles, and blowouts.
Tire/Make Model: Hankook Ventus Rs2 Z212 Size: 215/45/17 Review: I purchased these for my daily driver SRT-4 mostly to see if I could improve my track 60' times over the Falken Ziex ZE-512's that I used the previous season. It made sense as the Z212's are very aggressive summer performance tires, use a fairly soft compound and were made to compete with the newest Azenis. The ZE-512's are all season tires and are made out of a harder compound, and last a lot longer.
After a few months with the Ventus Rs2 Z212's on, and one visit to the track, I'm not impressed. At the track, I barely scrounged out a single 2.1 60' (vs several 2.0 60's on the ZE-512's) so far. I plan on giving these tires a few more chances at the track, but I'm not too confident that they'll supercede the "all season" Ziex tires. It makes no sense, considering the all season, high treadwear, great wet grip, cheap tires did much better than the summer high performance, soft compound, low treadwear, hydroplaning more expensive tires at the track.
Another problem with the tires, is that their tread design appears to love to try to turn your steering wheel as they decide to follow any lump, bump, groove on the road. It's very pronounced. I thought I had some serious issues prior to noticing it was just the tires reacting to the road surfaces.
The Z212's also haven't done very well during heavy rain either. I've had to slow down a good bit on the highway during heavy rain due to the tires slipping while trying to cruise at a constant speed. (Again, something the ZE-512's excelled at avoiding).
So far, the ZE-512's have been a much better tire, but since I've only had the Z212's on for a few months now, and only one visit to the track, I'll give them some more time before I make a final decision on them.
Update 05/26/06: Today in moderate rain the Z212's proved to be rather dangerous, losing traction with ease during careful lane changes and various atempts to accelerate normally. Also had some slippage going uphill at a steady 60 mph. Definitely not a good wet tire.
ok to add to this review. i had the Hankooks 215/45 17 on my car for about 3700 miles and then they were gone. i have S3r, S3 coilovers, mopar sways, es bushing and a few other suspension/performance mods. i use my car as my daily driver. the first 1500-2000 miles was good/ way better than my old KDWs. but the treadwear on these tires SUCK. i will never again own a set of Hankook tires. i never took these tires to the track or anything like that. 90% was highway driving. i have Yokomamas on now til my new Falkens RT-615 come in.
Tire Make/Model: Falken Ziex ZE-512 Size: 235/40/18 on S3 coilovers.
so far i like them. i will find out this weekend for sure. i got on it in 2/3 and they did not spin. thats good for me. in the pass 3 months i have had a set of BFG kdw, Hankooks rs 212s, and a set of yokohamas es 100. the yoko had the best grip so far. but did not last that long.
Review: The very first thing I noticed with these was how much smoother the ride was compared to the stock tires. These tires are super quiet at highway speed. I haven't had very long with them, but the grip was outstanding and allowed me to launch a little bit harder without fear of hopping or spinning. These tires are rated to last for 40,000 miles. Last but not least, they have a cool tread pattern.
What can I said... The best " EXTREME PERFORMANCE " low budget tire you can buy! Awesome dry grip on Street/Road Race, very good on wet... This tire is actually a bargain compare to the top tire's g-Force T/A KD, ADVAN Neova AD07 or the new Potenza RE-01R!
I call the KUMHO ECSTA MX... " THE BEST GRIP FOR THE BUCK "
I had similarly excellent results with this tire. I thought ultimate dry grip and predictability was improved somewhat from the stock KDWs, and straight line traction has been MUCH improved. Wet traction was not as good and tread life has been terrible. Not the greatest tire on the market, be cannot be beat for the price. Hands down the best performing cheap tire.
Review: Bought these about 2 months ago as a replacement to the Avon's I reviewed earlier. Direct comparison isn't fair to either tire since they are not in the same class and have vastly different driving characteristics. The RT-615s show improved forward grip due to the large tread blocks and softer tread compound and dry cornering grip is better due to the large tread blocks, soft compound, and stiffer sidewall. On back to back testing I can now exit a certain corner at just over 50mph compared to just under 45 with the Avon's. This is a fairly tight right hander with a little bit of camber in the road to help mid-corner grip. The extra sidewall stiffness and large tread blocks communicate well and let me know when I'm close to the edge of adhesion. Once past that limit it is fairly easy to correct and get back in line, something the stock KDW2s didn't handle all that well but where the Avon's also shined due to it's stiff sidewall.
Wet grip is down a step or two from the Avon's, but then again the Avon's are one of the best wet weather tires on the market. Grip level is still high in damp conditions but with any standing water or wet paint you do need to be a little more cautious if you are driving aggressively. Tire noise is fairly well controlled but on certain road surfaces there is a distinct hum, not as bad as the KDW2 but not quite like the Avon's were. (I should note, the Avon's got pretty loud once worn down to the wear indicator, the RT-615s were quieter than the Avon's at this stage)
I did get a chance to autocross with these on a well maintained concrete pad. The car does handle differently than with the Avon's or the KDW2's. The KDW2 lacked rear end grip, the Avon's were fairly neutral, and the RT-615s tend to understeer a little bit. Even with the higher grip level the understeer isn't that bad and is easily controlled. Air pressure adjustments or at worst taking some camber out of the rear would help the overall balance but as it is these tires are going to be about 1.5-2 seconds faster than the Avon's and maybe 2.5-3 seconds faster than the stock KDW2's on the courses I run out here. Tire temp needs to be monitored and water sprayers should be used to keep tires below 120° or so. Once past 140° tires can become a tad greasy.
I know tire life is going to be considerably less than the Avon's but that's the price you pay for high grip levels.
Highs: dry traction, confident handling feel, price/grip ratio is unmatched.
Lows: tire life (price you pay for the grip), grip in anything other than dry/damp conditions, slight hum on certain road surfaces. Tire temp increases rapidly so if you autocross bring a garden sprayer with water to spray the tires down between runs.
Conclusion: Grip level is extremely high. You can crank in some steering, car will take a set, and you still have a reserve of grip for adjustments in line mid-corner. These tires LOVE camber, they don't roll over but will show slight outer edge wear/scuffing with heavy cornering. For someone looking for the best dry grip (cornering) on a streetable tire there is no better option than these tires.
Review: Of late my KDW were starting t break loose a little to easy for my liking. They werent even close to finished. The guy even asked why I was changing them. suffice it to say they were junk IMHO.
On the ride home I noticed that wheel hop was noticably reduced. I wouldnt go as far as to say significant, but definately noticable nonetheless.
The road noice on my KDW was worrying loud. I ready thought there was a problem with my car. The road noise ith the Kumho tire is; well, non-exisitent.
Driving in the middle lane is now a pleasurable ride. Before with the KDW it was a work out, because the car would pull left and right. now; straight.
I had a set of those great Falken Azenis RT 615's. They were good tires, the only thing that sucked was the tread life. I think I got like 2 months out of the fronts, and they were down to the tread marks. Anyway, so I put on these Fuzions. Dry grip was pretty good 7/10. Wet traction 8/10. Handling 7/10. Noise: 9/10, you can't even hear the tires hardly. Tire wear: 9/10 I have had these tires on since Feburary and I spin all through 2nd gear at least once a day if not more. They are just now getting to the tread marks. This is my second time owning these tires, and I would buy them again. Great tire for the money.
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) and I definitely notice more traction, both in acceleration and sideways grip. Probably also being influenced by the wider rim, but I think the tire works. Third, I was able to test them in the rain a few days after purchasing them and MAN what a difference. Car is much more assuring at highway speeds and it's easier to accelerate regularly from a light in the rain without spinning tires from giving it a little gas. And what really freaked me out and am totally pleased by it, MY MILEAGE IMPROVED. I commute about 30 miles a day in pretty much rush hour, city traffic. I'd say I averaged about 19-20mpg. My first week with the tires I filled up the tank and the mileage has jumped to about 22-23. I can only imagine what it will be like with highway miles. At first I doubted it and figured it might be a speedometer error because of the technically smaller tire to stock. But I tested it with my GPS, and after a 30 mile highway trip, the difference between the GPS and the Trip Odometer was only 0.2. So the speedometer is still accurate. Today I took the tires to an AutoX event and I was pleased. I played with pressures, albeit conservatively, but at 45psi in the front I did not roll the tire onto the sidewall. Stock tires needed to be at 47psi for me not to roll them. And traction was pretty solid. I was about 1.5 seconds faster than my former closest D-Stock competitor. This guy and I were always fighting each other for best time because we were so close, and he's in a WRX. I did spray the tires with water to cool them down after every run, and I think that helped reduce the wear a bit. After my runs I took a look at them, and they don't look as if they've been in an AutoX event. So I'm very pleased with the tire overall. I know the larger rim also helps, but I will definitely give this tire it's due. Definitely would recommend as an upgrade over the stock tire.
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