Ok so i have these on my z
255/35r19 and 285/35r19

These have been on my z for a fair ammount of time.

i've used toyo t1r / Falken FK 452 / Falken ST115 / Federal SS595 / Michelin PS2

So...
On with the review!!!

#1 these tires are fairly cheap for their size and give a decent tread rating.

I picked these up for approx 1000 dollars for all four not a bad price for 19's

So the dry weather grip is pretty good in a straight line.
the sidewall is a little soft so they would prob be a street/strip tire

However, for those that love to carve corners this may not be the tire for you.. the sidewall is tooo soft when you take a turn there is an initial lag and then a secondary response. it feels a lil unnerving. in the rain however this isnt very noticeable it is actually pretty good in terms of not hydroplaning. traction in rain is good even for corners it feels better in the rain than it does in the dry in terms of handling characteristic

Would i buy this tire again
no . Only because i am more track than drag.

The tread is definitely agressive and it is a pretty square tire.
the front tire is 10.6 inches wide while the rear is 11.6 inches wide i believe.

 

...you're making KDW's out to be drag tires....K stands for CORNERING...they have g-force drag radials for a reason..

 

I would think out of the group of tires you have tried the Federal and Toyos were the softest on the sidewalls. Both I would never buy again. Have you ever tried Yokohamas? If so what do you think of them such as the AVS line. I would also stay away from Dunlops.

 

i feel that the kdw is not a good cornering tire. their sidewall is just as soft as the old t1r.

They flex to much and initial turn in is definitely unsettling.
i am not running low psi right now they are at 40 to try and prevent the flexing from happening.

i have yet to try any yokohamas.
i would have to say the federal's were stiff sidewall but their grip was very lacking

i keep hearing some good stuff from dumlop.

as i said these are my 2 cents on the kdw's
i personally would not buy them again.

but they are quiet and comfortable for a 19 inch low profile tire

 

If you want hard tirewalls, get bridgestones. The stock tires, although they suck in straight acceleration, weren't bad in terms of response and stiffness. Lateral acceleration on stock tires wasn't bad at all.

 

KDW ftmfw

 

any other impressions on the Federal tires on the Z? I was quoted on $520 installed on the SS595.

 

So is this review on the KDW or the KDW2's? There's a big difference.

KDW


KDW 2


If you wanted real cornering grip from BFG you should have tried the KD but it's not availabe in 19":


It's too bad there aren't better 19" tires available.

 

i am sorry this is for the kdw2
with the agressive tread.

and sorry but i hate soft sidewalls..
they make me feel unsafe when i drive the car. it handles unpredictable just not a good combo. also another factor is with the squirmy sidewall confidence goes down..

the federals i would have to say are one of the best bang for buck..
however they do not offer proper tire sizes so you are stuck turning tcs off.
They are decent in grip , stiff sidewall. however they tend to be very harsh and loud tire noise.

 

I would concur that KDW2's have a point where the sidewall gives in. It can be unsettling, but I've never had it put me in any dangerous situation. Nor have I read of anyone having control issues. Sure, alot of comments about a squishy feel, but no control issues.

Honestly, I've been thrashing around with this tire all 4 seasons and it hasnt let me down. Loud as heck, but still grippy. The sidewall may not instill confidence, but the 15k miles I've put on mine have proven they are a good tire in many conditions.

I'm probably going to try another tire next set tho

 

I haven't driven on KDW2's, but I appreciate the feedback, especially about the sidewalls, which most people don't seem to pick up on and notice, but IMO that's just as important as sheer grip

I'm so sick of people reviewing tires and saying "OMG!! these tires roxors!!!! they are perfect!! and have soooo much grip and comfort and cornering and anything else you'd ever need in a tire. etc etc"

 

I have the kdw2s... I'll admit to just getting them but I still haven't experienced this 'soft' sidewall you speak off. I've had the stockers, t1r and these and I think the kdw2s shine compared to the others. If you want a soft sidewall that's toyo, I have been very impressed with the cornering stability and responsiveness, especially for the price.

 

around a long on/off ramp, dry of course.. and after they are broken in... nothing crazy, just push them and you'll most likely feel it. You will probably feel alittle nudge. VDC wont even kick in. Just like somebody pushed on your rear bumper or a crosswind.

 

you know you can always add air to stiffen the sidewalls, i run my setup at 37 psi with no issues...and im running 255 front and 295 rears

 

im running 40 psi cold..
andthey still do it
yes not as bad at t1r but still not as good as say a rt615.

and believe you me.. on track or etc..
when you are pushing it near triple digits and you have to set the car up feeling the car twitch in the rear while still accelerating for a high speed banked turn
feels very scary

 

how do these compare to the Falken FK452?

 

I had KDW2 for 2 track days. The first day was raining, and surprisingly it was holding very well and very predictable. I saw car spinning around all over the track and I did not spin out once. Although there were some oversteers, but I managed to save it very easily with these tires. I was also very confident to pass as many cars as I could.

The second day was dry, the traction on these tires are pretty good before they got very hot. I was managed to do 80-90mph for a fast sweeper without a problem. Once they got heated up, I could feel the traction are decreased. A little bit but not a lot. I did notice the soft sidewall, the tires were hopping during tight turns. However, I do believe the -0.5 to -1.0 cambers are also the reason.

After 2 full track days, I still had 50% left on treads. (First day was a rainy day, but I did a lot drifting on skid pads too lol) I would say the performance for this tire is very decent, and you cant beat the price and tread life. For street driving, these tires are loud, probably due to the tread design.

Bottom Line: Superb traction in wet as a high performance summer tire, very good dry traction compared to the other same tread life/price tires. Louder than normal tread noise on freeway. Soft sidewall.

Nothing scientific here, all of them just based on my butt. :P

 

I'll agree with this. I've had KDW2s on my car for the past two years... road noise is a little high, but I don't necessarily care and i have experienced what tware said about the long on/off ramps pushing out a bit. Overall it is a good tire for the price. I have them on my 18'' track wheels.

 

Do the KDW's run wide or narrow compared to other tires?

 

soft sidewall?? kdw2's are known to have very stiff sidewalls..