Remember those tires I was gonna put on?

[97stscaddy]

Royal pain in the ass to mount those :q:q:q:qers! 4 hours and got 2 of them on. Well sort of. Getting them on the wheels wasn't so hard, but getting the damn beads to seat is :q:q:q:qing impossible! I got one to work, and I think I just got lucky. I had to give up after 3 hours of screwing with the other one and throw the spare wheel on so I could drive home. I just did the fronts, I think I'm gonna pay someone else to do the rears. Maybe someone who has been mounting tires for ten years will know a trick or two to get them on! Ill try to get some pics tomorrow sometime. The one that's all the way on looks great! Wide as hell!

 

[Former Member]

depending on rims and tire combo's... sometimes you have to reverse mount them. meaning, mount them from the backside (heh that sounds like we arnt talking rims)

 

[97stscaddy]

now with pics...

Finally got the second tire properly mounted. Well, It's mounted. Was it done properly? probably not. About 80psi finally did the trick to seat the bead. I was tired of F'in with it and didn't care one way or the other if it blew up. Anyway, its cold, and dark, some cruddy quick pics for the time being. Yes it's dirty, don't remind me.

Now the screwed up thing is. These tires are tough as hell, they feel hard as rocks, but they ride BETTER than the old ones, which were much softer and much more pliable. Road noise is practically non-existent. And I thought the alignment was out, but with these on the car tracks straight as an arrow. Who knew?

 

[02LSE96LSC91SE84TC]

I ran kdws's on my MarkVII when I drove it.They were a very good all around tire. Even the few times they saw snow.

What size is that. The 255/45/17s I have still have some tread left.

 

[JWerner2]

Some tires are just like that, I seen it a few times before.

Now, lets hope with all the speculations they are a great tire.

 

[02LincLS]

the kdws was the first set of tires i bought for the LS. It took the tire machine, the mechanic, and myself to get them on. the tire laughed at the tire machine and stalled it. I had to help turn it while the guy pried it on. It also took about 80 psi to get the bead to sit, it sounded like a shotgun went off.
Those tires are really nice, and have a very stiff sidewall (an unofficial run flat). I wore them out prematurely since I was out of alignment after lowering, but please keep an eye on them as I had a bubble on one of my fronts (which was not effected by lowering or hitting anything) on the inside facing sidewall. This could have been a manufacturing defect. They were also hard to balance.

I replaced them with the g-force super sport all seasons and there's no detectable difference in performance. User ratings were actually higher. So don't worry about not finding those when they are worn. They were cheaper too! Compares to the Michelin at 2/3 the cost. It looks like the contact patch may not be as wide as the kdws so I may go to a 255-40-17 next time (unless I can get wheels by then! ) It has more of a rounded look while the kdws comes straight down to the tread and kind of hides the wheel lip. The super sports also have that funky wavy design on the sidewall that I don't care much for, but I dont mind it as much now.

 

[97stscaddy]

255/45/17. The "lip guard" is pressed tight up against the wheel all the way around. Looks pretty good that way IMO. I put one of them on the balance machine, and after adding about 4 weights and it telling me to add more and more each time I just said screw it and stripped them all off. The other wheel is bent slightly and doesn't really balance anyway. Feels exactly the same with no weights as it did on the old tires that had over 240 grams on one wheel, and about 65 grams on the other.

I managed to get them on the wheels by myself, but I had to use bead blocks that push the bead down inside the wheel and hold it (they work great until they fly out at you). And I also had to help the machine turn the wheel so they would go on. Then I had to use this inflatable hose to get the bead pressed tight enough to hold air before they would even inflate. These damn things wore me the hell out!
I may try the other two next week, but I'm just not too comfortable around a tire holding in 75 - 80 psi, when I can see right on the side where it says "Max Inflation Pressure 44psi"

Just drove the car about 35 miles on some country roads out to a friends place and back and these things feel great.

 

[02LincLS]

I have the same wheels as you, do your wheels have corrosion where the cap snaps in? That will surely cause issues when balancing. At least that was the scoop with mine. I also had to chisel off the chrome and draw file the face where it sits on the rotor. Then once i get a decent balance, I tighten all the lugs by hand until I can't go any more, then inch my way around about 5 times torquing a little more each time to make sure the wheel sits flat- otherwise you feel that too. Love the looks of the wheel but can't wait to get rid of them.
As for balancing, if you don't have corrosion, try remounting the wheel on the machine after you install each weight. You'll never get the same reading twice but as long as its close, you should be all set. My wheels also don't run quite true so I get a slight shake from 75-80, but is otherwise fine. You don't feel it on the stock tires because the sidewall absorbs it all. I run at least 35 psi in mine.

 

[NYC LS8]

The guys at my friend's shop had a bitch of a time getting one of my Pilot Sports on the Miglia wheels. It took 2 or 3 of them. lol

 

[Garbone]

the kdws was the first set of tires i bought for the LS. It took the tire machine, the mechanic, and myself to get them on. the tire laughed at the tire machine and stalled it. I had to help turn it while the guy pried it on. It also took about 80 psi to get the bead to sit, it sounded like a shotgun went off.
Those tires are really nice, and have a very stiff sidewall (an unofficial run flat). I wore them out prematurely since I was out of alignment after lowering, but please keep an eye on them as I had a bubble on one of my fronts (which was not effected by lowering or hitting anything) on the inside facing sidewall. This could have been a manufacturing defect. They were also hard to balance.

I replaced them with the g-force super sport all seasons and there's no detectable difference in performance. User ratings were actually higher. So don't worry about not finding those when they are worn. They were cheaper too! Compares to the Michelin at 2/3 the cost. It looks like the contact patch may not be as wide as the kdws so I may go to a 255-40-17 next time (unless I can get wheels by then! ) It has more of a rounded look while the kdws comes straight down to the tread and kind of hides the wheel lip. The super sports also have that funky wavy design on the sidewall that I don't care much for, but I dont mind it as much now.

...I love my g-force Super Sports! They run quiet, and stick.

 

[97stscaddy]

do your wheels have corrosion where the cap snaps in?

You know I didn't even think about that, so I didn't pay any attention to it. But that's a good point, I'll check that out a little later.