Tire review kumo ast [in 225/45/ 17]
Addendum
After 1500 miles with tien basics at recommended height [12.8in from wheel center line to fender edge] and a Travis built v6

The tires actually do better in this situation then they did in the stock configuration
With 40 lbs of air pressure up front and 33 rear [hot]
The turn in is way better there is less understeer
Tire will still roll under on hard cornering but much better
Tires are useless for acceleration runs as they break lose above 4500rpm
Amazingly the 60ft times still register 2.3-2.4 sec on the g-tech

It is my opinion the tiens have vastly improved the performance of these tires
A little neg camber may do wonders

Right now in the cold pouring rain I’m glad to have them
They do make good southern winter tires
Not a performance tire

I have had a love hate relationship with these tires since I got them about 8000 miles ago
I have used them for touring, daily transport, at the drags and on mountain runs

Here is what I love about them

They are tough as nails and wear like iron
During a very violent storm [tornado] I ran over multiple tree limbs and even one small tree trunk at “speed” they didn’t blow out go flat or damage my expensive rims
They survived a drag racing season [7 major races and 6 or so test and tunes] with very little wear [and were consistent if slow on the track]
My wife enjoys riding in the car more because of their much softer ride
Absolutely quiet
They look good
Excellent in standing water, high resistance to hydroplaning
They do work in very light snow
And the colder it gets the better they grip
They were easy to balance [not many weights necessary] and keep their balance
The ride is excellent in the comfort dept making it easy to cover long distances

What I hate about them

They make the car all squishy like a caddy
The turn in is so bad I run 40 lb/sq/in in the fronts just to get it to turn
The outer edge of the tire even at higher pressures rolls under at the slightest provocation
At the track,     hmmm,     well,     
Just stay home [applies to any track]
[They worked for bracket racing because they were consistently bad and long wearing]
Sudden breakaway in the wet both cornering and breaking
They are made of lead [24lb tire wt]
Did I mention I hate them?

Overall not a bad winter tire in the south where you may encounter some light snow; but the usual winter storm is a cold rain


Useless as a performance tire

All this is of course imo

Last edited by Yogi B (2008-12-17 08:12:37)