I'm going to pick up some KDWs for the back in Houston on Monday! 285/30/20!

 

I have the KDW 2's and jst like those that have posted so far, they have great dry/wet traction. The only downside is the road noise which isn't super bad but, it's noticeable.

 

I got my 555s on Friday, and they work great! Very small road noise, lots of grip, and an aggressive looking tire.

 

Had the 555s on my old 05 and loved them

Have a set of BFG KDW NTs on the way for install asap on the 06...


(gonna have to change my posting handle..... )

 

I have the KDWs 255X45 18s in front and 285X40 18's in back. Great tire and amazing look. Alittle to expensive for me though. about 8XX.00 for all tires..

 

I am liking the kdw2's after 1k miles,but my only comparison was the kdws's and these blow those away as far i'm concerned.Can corner on a dime.I only had one chance to try them at the track,but it was a miserable day for traction(cold and wet).Anyone else tried them at the track?,i am just curious.

 

I've been running the kdw2's for about 1 1/2 year. They seem to be holding up better than expected. I have been very pleased with the tires performance, although they do require a little warming up before they really stick. I've run them in heavy rain, even with 285's out back had no problems and actually think they resist hydroplaning better than the stock perelli's.

The one and only complaint I have, they are noisy and get louder as you put more miles on them. It's not unbearable but it is noticable. I have to admit that some pavement can make them pretty bad, but thats not typical.

I probably won't buy them again just because of the noise. I have slp loudmouths and I should not be able to hear my tire's over them.

 

Are the Nitto 555's an all weather/ wet tire, or are they only a summer tire?

 

Perhaps the Nittos sing magical songs just for the Mustang or something, because I had them on my previous car, an Audi A4, and I was not impressed.

They would absolutely SING if you put any load on them in a corner...which is ok if you're into that but I prefer not to look like a hooligan if I'm taking a corner at 60% maximum attack.

They would also let go on me all the time in the wet when cornering or stopping somewhat fast. Perhaps they are meant more for straight line performance but I don't think I would buy them again.

K

 

I had the KDW2s, 255s in front and 285s in the back. I expected more (straight line) traction from them, but maybe my expectations were too high considering my mods. My car has always had a floaty, disconnected from the road feeling... I don't know if that is as result of the tires, but maybe cuz my friend had the same car and suspension (Roush), but different tires and his car felt a lot better. Oh, he has 275s all around.

 

Hmmm..... floaty/disconnected feeling when driving has always pointed toward shocks issues if I remember correctly....

 

I love my Nitto's!! I have had them for about a year and they still stick great!!

 

That very well possibly could be it. I have no real hard evidence of anything other than my subjective feeling. One thing to note though is that it's always had this feeling, both before and after the Roush suspension. I want to say it all in my head though...

 

I have had my KDW's for about a year and have put 7,000+ miles on them. Here are my thoughts on them. Most has already been posted by others but wha the heck...

• They have held up better than I expected.
• They perform much better in the wet than I expected.
• They perform very well on dry pavement.
• They corner very well.
• They do not hook very well at the drag strip but they are not really made for that purpose. They don't have enough sidewall and they are stiff. This is what makes them great for cornering though.
• They are much more noisy than I expected. It has gotten substantially worse with more miles.

I may buy another set of these someday but not as a direct replacement. I want to try some of the other tires first. I will probably go with the Nitto 555's next to see how they compare. It came down to them and the BFG's last time.

BTW, I have a pair of MT drag radials for the drag strip now. This solved the only performance related complaint I had with these tires.

 

Anyone compare either of these with the Goodyear GS D3s?

Do wish Nitto made the 295/35/18 that the other do.

What about Hoosier R6s?

 

I heard the 555's dont make any noise if you do a burnout, can anyone comment on this? How about smoke? I am considering 255 50 17 tires at the moment, can someone who has had these tires for awhile give an honest review? traction? Handling?> wet and dry/ etc, etc...

Thanks

 

Yes, they smoke and make noise if you do a burnout. I supposed on the right time of pavement like very pebbley concrete or if it was very cold outsid they might not make noise.

Traction is pretty good, even in the wet. I'd say on par are better than any other tire I've owned. Handling is also great, much better than the stock Pirelli's for sure. In the wet I still have really good traction on the Lightning and the Mustang even with over 400 at the wheel. Another great part about them is they are really quite on the highway, no road noise at all for a big sticky tire. Wear is pretty good too, I get over 20K miles easy without any burnouts, but hard to say for sure, because I rotate them around and the fronts always end up on the back, where the burnouts begin.

I have had over a dozen 555's in the past on my two vehicles, and I've been satisfied enough with them that I keep buying them. Not the best tire in the world by far, but pretty darn good for what you pay for them.

 

I had the Eagle GS, Not GSD3 on my 97 GT. They were the best tires I ever put on that car. I wanted the GSD3s but got a great price on the GS so I went with them with no regrets.
How many miles do you get out of the 555s?

 

Thanks Hatchman,
The reviews I am reading on line so far, are really heavy on poor wet performance, especially after 10000 miles. I now have 20000 on the the original P zero's, in the rain they have turned into a nightmare, especially at take off going into a turn...YIKES!
Come guys, chime in on this thread, I want to make a great choice on my upgrade to 255 50 17's...What is a real good tire..... price , looks, and performance!

 

The Kumho Ecsta ASX tire comes in 255/50/17 and is rated high for wet traction and quiet ride.

I don't have any experience with them but am very interested in a set.

Maybe someone has some input on these?