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Kumho Tires

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Basil

Basil

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My Spitfire is needing new Tires and I was wondering if anyone has had experience with "Kumho" brand tires? I'm posting here because I'm interested in hearing from anyone who has experieice with this brand, not just on Triumph Spitfires.

Thanks,
Basil
 
Yes, I have the Kuhmos, but keep in mind these are the V700 performance tires intended for racing classes that require DOT approved tires. They don’t come with a warranty and many people shave them to 4/32s before use (I didn’t…too cheap!). These are pretty soft, so life span wouldn’t be great for street use. I’m not sure Kuhmo makes “normal” tires in the 13” size.

I also have Sumitomos for street use on the car. These are 175/50R-13s. They look slick, perform well (in autocross) and are pretty cheap. They also ride pretty rough and throw the speedo way off (both of these caused by the 50 aspect ratio).

I’m pretty sure Toyo, Michelin, Pirelli and Yokahama all make suitable tires for Spits. All are good products. Keep in mind the larger aspect ratio (for example “70”), will give a nicer ride but less response. Big aspect numbers are good for rough roads too….I have to be real careful with the Sumis on some of our local roads, due to pot-holes.

Also, I’d avoid “M&S” or “all-season” tires, unless you’re willing to sacrifice dry weather performance.

I install/balance my own tires, so mail order is no problem for me (“self installing” is a legacy from the MGA I had when I was 16….local gas stations wouldn’t touch it’s wire wheels, so I had to learn to do it myself). If I were getting tires installed, I’d probably go to my local Sears when there’s a tire sale (they have Michelins, etc.).

I’ve had good luck with TireRack.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirebran.htm
 
Hi Basil,

I have Kuhmo 771's on my Austin Healey BJ7. I had Michelin ZX and also considered the Dunlop SP20 but the Kuhmo's had a few things going for them. Newer tire construction technology (compared to Michelin), softer side walls (for a more comfortable ride) and dirt cheap price which means I won't mind replacing them more often. My theory is, unless you are racing or racking up high milage, the tires will go bad long before the tread wears out. I picked them up for $35/ea. !! at a local Goodyear (and just missed a sale when they were in the low $20's), had them mounted and balanced by a wirewheel expert. They hold the road much better than the Michelins (which had plenty of tread but were 10 years old and getting hard) and the ride is very smooth. More info on Kuhmo and the 771's at https://www.kumhotireusa.com/pages/pcr/771.htm Looks like they have some 13's listed.

Cheers, John
 
Thanks for the info guys. Since they are cheap and I've not heard any bad stuff about them, I think I will see if I can find some that will fit my Spit and give them a try.

Basil
 
My friend at school has Kumhos on his 2000 Mustang GT. He works in a tire shop and is quite pleased with them. He does autocrosses when the oppurtunity presents itself. Kumhos also got a good review in Grassroots Motorsports Magazine a few issues back.
 
Basil

I've gor Kuhmo's fitted to my Merc CLK....Nice cheap tyre but they do tend to "tramline", i.e. follow the road contours. They would probably be OK for a classic but Fulda's seem very popular in the UK, especially for Healeys. Not sure if they are available in the US.
Cheers
Alan
 
basil,
i've got kumho's on my jag. very satisfied.
nice road feel to them. cheaper than michelins,
and about the same if not a little better
performance.
 
I have Khumo Victoracers on my Seven. They are much grippier than the 008 RSII Yokohamas I had been using for a number of years, and maybe don't tramline (follow road irregularities) as badly. They certainly don't tramline as badly as the bias ply Hoosier Autocrossers I ran for a while on the 4 door Cortina. Victoracers are maybe not as fast as Hoosier autocross radials on the track, but they are cheaper, and longer lasting. They are also heavier, a concern on no-power cars like mine. They also seem well made, as they took little weight to balance, and are pretty round.

I'm going to buy another set for the 4 door Cortina.
 
I put Khumo Ecsta Supra 712's on my 85 Audi Quattro(+sized, lowered progressive springs, adj. shocks, bushings, yadda yadda yadda) and I love them. They are easy on the wallet, handle fantastic, are quiet, and great in the rain. The car tracks slightly, but I don't think thats all tire
wink.gif
I can't tell you about wear though, I have winter tires on now, but the 712's seemed to be holding up quite well considering what I have done to them on occasion. Last set was some Continentals, and I had the outer block of tread scrubbed off in 2 months, all 4 junk in under a year. A set of Michelins lasted longer, but they weren't performance tires.
 
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