These Tires = Garbage?

[Rider90]

Is it just me, or do these tires seem like a rotating mass of garbage when it gets the slightest bit moist on the road? They do pretty well when its dry out...but I was hoping that OEM tires with less than 8k on them would fare pretty well on the highway or even around a turn doing less than 10MPH when it rains. Is it just me?? My car's ass was all over the place last night

[Petrograde]

yup,.. unfortunatly these BFG's suck when the pavement is wet. My MM is a daily driver, but when it rains,.. I don't usually drive it for that reason alone.

[TripleTransAm]

Is it just me, or do these tires seem like a rotating mass of garbage when it gets the slightest bit moist on the road? They do pretty well when its dry out...but I was hoping that OEM tires with less than 8k on them would fare pretty well on the highway or even around a turn doing less than 10MPH when it rains. Is it just me?? My car's ass was all over the place last night


They're pretty bad, in my opinion. Summer of 2003, the tires were still fairly new and there was no way I felt comfortable letting the RPM climb above 3500 under power when the road surface was wet without having my traction control on. With TC off, if I survived the launch without fishtailing (which was easier to do before the engine loosened up with break-in mileage), by 3500 at WOT my back end would start drifting side to side in increasing radius arcs! Because the TC low-traction light only comes on when the TC really has to work at keeping the car in place, I never realized how many times it was working silently in the background keeping my rear end in check in the wet.

The only other tire I've ever been so unhappy with is the Goodyear Gatorback, which was on my GTA from brand new (also at 245mm wide). Ended up 180degrees to my intended direction one morning in 1993 on my way to work after taking a s-l-o-w right turn onto a highway and accelerating moderately, the first time I was out in rain with that car. GS-Cs have turned out to be somewhat better (although still a handful in the rain with all that low-end torque), but the F1s on my WS6 tended to behave quite nicely in the rain even with 275mm wide treads. The new Yokohama somethings-or-others (AVS Sport? Can't remember) that I replaced them with also seem to perform well in the rain... (I replaced the F1s at 40000 because occasionally I'd see the TC light flicker on when powering out of a corner in standing water, and with my son usually in the car with me, there's no sense in taking chances...)

[teamrope]

I have herd a lot of coplements on the B F Goodrich KDW's.

Linky (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=13955&highlight=rain+tire)

[BruteForce]

I have herd a lot of coplements on the B F Goodrich KDW's.

Linky (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=13955&highlight=rain+tire)

Its the KDW2 that's better. Your OEM tires are KDWs (no 2).

[teamrope]

Its the KDW2 that's better. Your OEM tires are KDWs (no 2).

My bad. They are the KDW2's. :)

I remember Todd posting that thread, and have not herd any negative feed back on those tires yet. When the set I have now need to be replaced, that's what I'm gonna swap to.

[TAF]

My bad. They are the KDW2's. :)

I remember Todd posting that thread, and have not herd any negative feed back on those tires yet. When the set I have now need to be replaced, that's what I'm gonna swap to.
That^^^would be a smart move B.J. The KDW2s are the finest wet traction tire I've ever driven. :up:

[Canadasvt]

I actually have no problems with my tires. I was up the Niagara escarpment yesterday (wet and just above freezing) and she was holding her line pretty well. Much better than my bike would have done:D . And these tires in the snow are the best semi-performance tire I've ever tried. I have less than 1000kms so far, but I am happy.

[wchain]

My bad. They are the KDW2's. :)

I remember Todd posting that thread, and have not herd any negative feed back on those tires yet. When the set I have now need to be replaced, that's what I'm gonna swap to.

I hear good things about KDW2s! The tread design looks AWESOME, I wonder how long they'll last though.....And you cant rotate 'cause theyre directional.....

The 255/55R18 KDW2s are about 0.4" Taller than the factory 245/55R18s and have a slightly taller sidewall, 5.5" vs 5.3"

[marauder307]

I haven't had any problems with mine---front tires lasted until around 26k, then had to be replaced with the inside inch of the tires completely slick due to factory misalignment. Multiple realignments since then have helped somewhat...at just over 27k, the rears are still somewhat okay, but I just ordered replacements from TireRack this morning. These tires have been from Daytona Beach to Montgomery to St. Louis, back and forth on daily duty in St. Louis where the roads are abominable, and then on the long haul down here to Pt. Arthur TX, and never given me a whimper. Well,....maybe a bark, once in awhile.... :o

[mcb26]

Its the KDW2 that's better. Your OEM tires are KDWs (no 2).
When Im do a search at the BFgoodrich site. Can't find the kdw2's, when I do a search on 2003 Marauder rear they say they don't make them?

[rookie1]

I agree the OEM tires suck. I had an Impala SS b4 the MM and I was hesitant to take it out when the road was a little damp. Not quite that bad with the MM but almost.