I'm sure many here have went back and forth over what tires to purchase when that inevitable time comes. I've read my fair share of commentary and reviews. Do you go with Toyos because they are lighter, S-03s because of their good dry & wet weather ratings, and so forth.

Well, after much deliberation, I decided to take a chance on the BFG T/A KDs. I could not find anyone on this forum who had posted their experience with these... so I felt like I was moving into unknown territory. All I knew for sure was that their wear rate was poor, they had questionable wet weather traction, but were supposed to be the bomb on dry pavement (based on reviews I found at other sites)... oh, and cost was comparable to other "highend" tires (S-03s, GoodYear G3-DS, Michelin PS/PS2)

So, my car was equipped with a fresh set of T/A KDs just before I went up to the infamous Hwy129 - Tail of the Dragon in the NC mountains. Now, I previously had Potenza S-03s which I thought were pretty darn good. Also, I've heard very good things about the Nitto 555s and the Kuhmo MXs.

Based on my own experience and what I have heard from others, all I can say is, if it is street rubber, My Z will never ride on anything other than T/A KDs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The roads we hit last weekend were very taxing on brakes, suspension, and tires. Can you say 318 turns in 11 miles?

Well, the T/A KDs did not even flinch! I swear, I tried ... yes... tried to break those puppies loose. Nope... not a chance. I pushed my car through corners harder than I ever dared before... not even a squeek.

On one set of high speed curves on the Cherohala Parkway, our group of cars was doing 80+ mph through many turns. In some curves, I could hear the squeel of tires on the cars in front of and behind me, but mine never budged. Later, one driver (BigSexZ) told me he could actually feel his car sliding through the curves... The T/A KDs never budged.

On straights, I hammered the throttle and quick shifted to see how the T/A KDs would grab (remember I'm putting 420hp down to the rear wheels). In the past, on the Potenza S-03s, I could get sideways hitting second, get a respectible squeel out of third, and a tiny chirp out of 4th. Not anymore! bump all those descriptions down a gear. The T/A KDs just grab and grab AND GRAB!!!

I cannot imagine getting more traction short of going to a full competition or drag radial type tire.

I only have two reservations at this point... first, still haven't driven the new tires on a wet road. My Z is my second car and this wasn't really a consideration for me. But wet weather traction is supposed to be subpar with these tires. If you need tires for a daily driver, you might now want them.

Second, the T/A KDs grab soooo good, I still do not know their limits. I don't think I pushed them to their limit this past weekend. So, I still have a question as to how they will break when you exceed that limit... do they start to slip gradually or just go from glued to "Oh my god I'm going a$$ first into the curve!" in an instant.

Nonetheless, these are minor concerns. I don't think I'll ever push the car hard enough on the street for the second item to be a concern and I rarely drive in the rain.

So, my bottom line... for a tire used on my "toy" car the BFG G-Force T/A KDs rank a blistering 10 out of 10! Those who know me know this is high praise coming from me... I can be very critical. Now... must find local dealer for BFGoodrich to start working my frequent buyer discount on tires.

 

Thanks for the info. I have heard many good things about the KDs of their superior dry traction and there's no doubt they are one of the best. How's the stiffness of the sidewall compare with the S-03s?
My old car has Pilot Sports and the stiff side wall really make a difference in handling.
How about road noises on those KD? I guess they are loud since they are stickier?

 

mcduck-
do they come in 245/40/18?

How is the C6 treating ya?!

 

mcduck, what size of tires are you using? I was running the KD's in 245/40/18 and they were ok but they still didn't grip enough for me.

 

Thanks STX you answered my question by mistake
how much did those 245/40/18 run ya $

mcduck: any pics? taken them to any events yet?

 

I paid almost a thousand for all four mounted at discount tire. I think it as actually about $235 a tire.

 

see if I can address all comments above in one post...

I would say the sidewall stiffness is better. To me, it seems the car had less push and more snap when the wheel is turned now, if that makes sense. I would think this means more sidewall stiffness.... though, that comparison is a little tougher since I paid more attention to traction than sidewall stiffness when my S-03s were new. I'm sure about the traction comparison. I'd like to get a hold of fresh S-03s before I'd say the KDs are better or worse in the sidewall stiffness comparison.

Go to this page for a quick view (in the drop window) of what sizes the KDs come in...
http://www.ec-securehost.com/OnlineT...rce_TA_KD.html

What C6? Must have me mixed up with someone else. I wish I could afford a C6, but I've been modding my Z too much!


stx... I'm running 245/40/18 in front and 275/40/18 in back... same sizes I ran in S-03s. I'm curious what brand you moved to since the KDs were not sticky enough for you. I can't imagine a stickier non-competition tire, but I'm willing to check it out if you have another contender.


EnthuZiast... 245/40/18 should run you arount $210/tire. No pics yet, though I guess I could take a few. I had the rubber put on just before the Tail of the Dragon weekend this past week. The roads we hit were as intense as the best road course you could muster.

Biggest differences: well, you don't hit super high speeds as often on the street and we didn't do lap after lap. The tires were pushed at length tho, over long stretches of road with many different types of turns and performed stupendously!

The best description I can give of the stickiness of the KDs was in my review above. With the tires warmed up, my straight line traction at 2nd gear now is like it used to be at 3rd gear on the s-03s and like wise for the other gears. I couldn't be happier with this purchase!

 

mc350z has the C6.

 

How does the wear rating of these compare to toyos and S03's if you know?

 

Thanks mcduck
oh yeah about the C6....

 

I'm going to try these on the fronts. $140/tire.

 

$140/tire? damn good price!! what size are you running?
gotta hook us up

 

This is for stock fronts, I'll be running 225 40 18 because I'm keeping my 245 40 18 rears. They should be 45s but the rear Toyos didn't come in that size.

The price is a hook-up because I know Tire Rack are selling the same tires for about $35 more per tire.

Tires Buy Mark
710 Topanga Cyn. Blvd.
Canoga Park, CA 91303
818.992.0580

Call, ask for Mark, let them know that Dan with the blue 350Z referred you and he'll get you a comparable price plus shipping.

If you need other sizes, it shouldn't be a problem, the prices will be adjusted but I doubt you'll easily find a lower price regardless of size.

 

Thanks Dan!!!
I will definitely give Mark a call and pick up some tires after i've gotten new wheels~~
Let us know how you like them!!

 

Nice review mcduck, thanks.

$210 mounted? shipped? I'm about to get some Kumho MX's 245/40/18 on my oem track wheels for tracking @ $180/tire mounted & balanced. These at $210ea mounted, i'd definitely be willing to pay the extra $120, unless that price doesn't include shipping costs.

HFM ---> where you getting these at $140??

 

Look up two posts. Hey you going to make Santa Barbara?

 

Not sure, haven't checked the gtg event dates recently. I'll check it out right now.

Tires buy mark, I've bought tires there before for my Z32. Mark's a good guy. I'll drop by there this weekend and see if he can get me a deal on the kumhos. Thanks dan

 

I'm sure he'll get you a deal. I ordered today, I'm going tomorrow morning to get them mounted. Give me a call if you want to grab some coffee and head over together.

 

I need to post a correction.

I bought the g-force KDWs for $140. KDs run $201.

The KDWs are ZR rated, AA traction 300 treadwear vs. the 200 treadwear for the KDs. The KDs are stickier but these will run longer.

Sorry for any confusion.

 

Nice review mcduck. I'd like to add a couple comments about my personal experience with these tires.

First, the KD's have tremendous grip after they have some heat in them. They tend to slip when cold, either from a standing start or in turns, but the slide is very progressive. On the road course they performed extremely well displaying excellent grip over eight 20 minute sessions.

Second, these tires were built for street / circuit duty and have stiff sidewalls as mentioned above. The stiff sidewalls do not help a dragstrip style launch and will usually spin more than OEM RE-040s until they build heat.

Finally, they are a little dodgy in the rain. Try to avoid standing pools of water on the road. Another suggestion is to drive in the tracks left by a car in front of you.

I really like these tires and will purchase the matching fronts in the near future. My OEM fronts were replaced under warranty and still have some life left in them. Currently I am running 265/40/18 on stock Ray's 8.5in rears and the plan is to match them with 245/40/18 fronts on the stock Ray's 8.0in wheel.

One final note, I have seen the KD's confused for KDW's and KDW2's. They do not have nearly the amount of grip as the KD's and should not be compared directly.

As usual, your experience may vary, this is my personal opinion, caveat emptor, E Pluribus Unum, In Vino Veritas, etc, etc.