Wow - the Kumho V700 are effectively run-flats (found out by accident).

[PhoenixGTS]

Learned something about Kumho V700. Was doing errands and the differential was making extra noises. Clutch popping kind of noises like when you go around a turn, but more often than usual. My guess was I had a tire going down so it was effectively smaller diameter than the other side. Next stop I checked and the passenger side looked slightly low, but did not feel mushy at all when I kicked it/pushed on it. On the way home I did some side-to-side/tire warming kind of movements and the rear did feel a little mushier than normal, but so little if you had not driven the car a bunch of miles before you would never know. After the car cooled down I checked all the tire pressures. Rear passenger = 1 pound of pressure. Yep it was flat. I wouldn't race on them with no air, but as far as I am concerned, for around-town driving the Kumho V700 are run flats. Good news is the tire held air over night so it must have been a shrader valve issue. Whew! Dodged a "broken on the side of the road in 100F temperatures without a spare" bullet. I LOVE THESE TIRES!

 

[TOOOFST]

Hey Michael,That's awesome,i'll be getting those next change.I wonder if its just the side wall strengh,and if Pilots would react similar.

 

[diabolos88]

Pilots dont react same way, I found that out the hard way....

 

[PhoenixGTS]

Pilots dont react same way, I found that out the hard way....

The Kumhos must have incredibly stiff sidewalls.

 

[Gerald]

Kumho's simply rule. Why there isn't another tire like that, I don't know....
If you buy them, you won't buy anything else. Having STOCK 450HP and Pilots is actually pretty DANGEROUS.. Kuhmo's will stick like G L U E and then some... :thumb:

 

[AG98RT10]

Thanks mucho! That's good to know.
I'll never run anything else on my snake than Kumhos.
About time to order another set...

 

[GTS Jeff]

Pilot sport cups react the same way. I drove on a flat at 70+ mph for about 10 min, tire still held air when plugged to get home. I would dismount the tire an check it out as the next day when I unmounted mine it had about 2 cups of sidewall rubber inside the tire and was garbage.

 

[slaughterj]

I've found Pilots to be pretty stiff, as I've had my share of nails, etc. with massive air loss - but sounds like the Kumho is more stiff.

 

[Warfang]

do kumhos come in 18"?

 

[PhoenixGTS]

do kumhos come in 18"?

That is what I have. 335-30-18 in rear but they do not make a V700 that is as tall as the stock front tire.

 

[VENOMAHOLIC]

Do the Kumhos get sticky and throw rocks on your paint? I am considering them next.

 

[AG98RT10]

Yes, get the 3M clear tape...

 

[PhoenixGTS]

Do the Kumhos get sticky and throw rocks on your paint? I am considering them next.

I'm lucky because obviously we don't put any sand on the road here in the desert to help with snow-ice traction and our streets are very clean. When I am coasting with the clutch in and the car is quiet enough to hear, sometimes if you go "off-line" you can hear some grit being picked up by the tires but no paint damage yet. But yeah do the Clearbra of 3M or similar because a 4k launch on a 3.55 geared modded Gen II with little or no wheelspin is something that would break the heart of every modded AWD Scubie and Mitsu driver out there. Sub 4-second 0-60 without even thinking about it. "I don't need no stinking traction control."

 

[viper spray]

Great news , I have been running Kumhos since they first came out , and since I don't carry a spare this is really good to hear.

 

[TOOOFST]

Micheal,have you dyno'd yet?

 

[v10kingsnake]

i have been giving my thumbs up now for the kuhmos for over 3 years since my michelins went bald. 700ish for all new rubber that sticks better, looks great, and now is a proven "run-flat" type tire. how can you go wrong. and yes you will pick up alot of road sand and stuff driving, but i have never used the 3m clear protective junk and my panels look as good as new. i am saying that its junk because my porshe came from the factory with it on the rear quarters and they turned yellow from the heat and sun weathering them. this was one a white car so it was easy to see them change color, but i am sure on my red gts they would do the same making the paint look strange underneath.

 

[AG98RT10]

i have been giving my thumbs up now for the kuhmos for over 3 years since my michelins went bald. 700ish for all new rubber that sticks better, looks great, and now is a proven "run-flat" type tire. how can you go wrong. and yes you will pick up alot of road sand and stuff driving, but i have never used the 3m clear protective junk and my panels look as good as new....

Sorry, but I don't agree: if you've put more than 3K miles on a set driving on real world roads, you are definitely going to have some sand-blasting, at minimum... Even the 3M I put on doesn't stop it all. Worst areas are the undersides of the panels covering the cats and muffs, and painted inside edges of the rear wheel wells.

The Kumhos are well worth having to do a little paint work every few years and yellowing tape can be replaced (mine hasn't yellowed)...

 

[PhoenixGTS]

Micheal,have you dyno'd yet?

I have, but of course there are many qualifications to justify my low numbers:

1) I run stock cats with enlarged intake/exit.
2) found out after the dyno session that I had one very and one not so loose spark plug. Small seat of the pants difference and gained two mpg in regular driving after fixing issue so obviously had an effect.
3) dyno was Dyno Dynamics AWD unit that notoriously gives lower numbers than either a Dynojet or Mustang.

Given all that I did 415 rwhp and 475 rwtq. To give a sense of calibration, one week later a bone stock Gen III did 384 rwhp and low 400s rwtq on the same machine with same settings. So best way to look at it is that with spark plug problem I made 31 rwhp and 50+ pounds rwtq more than a stock Gen III. Maybe this winter I'll take a road trip to LA and have DC burn me a real tuned PCM and run on a more accepted dyno so I can get some Stugots/Internet/Bench Racing dyno numbers to put in my sig.

 

[v10kingsnake]

look you can disagree all your little heart wants to but the simple fact is my paint is in great shape. ALL DRIVEN VIPERS HAVE MARKS ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE SILL!!! it is from the ground clearance on the car not the sand that hits it. I understand your point of view is you have had good luck with the tape, but i have not. let the people interested in the issue make there own decisions on what they would want to do. personally i would think that if you had pitted chips in the wells and you covered i with tape, then had my yellowing issues and wanted to change it, i would hate to see your face, peeling back the tape and watching your paint peel off along with the sticker, because that sh*t sticks like a mo fo.

 

[syclone1157]

Do the khumos come in 17" tires?

 

[PhoenixGTS]

Do the khumos come in 17" tires?

Yes. They only somewhat recently became available in 18" but have been available in 17" for awhile.

 

[viper spray]

I have had them on 2 vipers , side sills on both were/are fine , I do watch where I drive.