My new/used car needs tires. turns out that they are an odd-ball size. The tire place orders some Kumho and puts them on the car.
Here is where it gets weird. When I called the tire shop, I specifically asked for "all season" tires. When I get home, tires mounted, I look at the tires and say to my self, those aren't all season, they are summer tires. (Ecsta 711). I call the tire place and he says they are listed as all season tires in my book. I say they are called "summer performance" tires on the Tire Rack site. Then he says I have the Kumho rep here and I'll put him on speaker phone. So "Joe" comes on and says that they are all season tires. I say Tire Rack says summer and he says they have a problem with Tire Rack mis-listing tires, and they are dealing with it. So I go to the Kumho -USA web site and sure as $HIT they are listed as summer performance tires.
At this point I say to the Kumho rep, "will you take these back in January if I find that they work poorly in the snow and winter weather? And he says, "I can't make any guarantees". He also says that they need to “fix” the web page because it is wrong.
So here is the help part, I called the Kumho -USA headquarters, and got voicemail of a guy in technical services, and then went to customer service and sales, where I was informed that all the tech support people are at ......You guessed it....SEMA!.
Can someone there ask directly at the Kumho booth about this specific tire and its applicability to cold weather and snow driving. I was talking about compounding for cold and such and the guys at the tire place were poo-pooing the concept as if it was a myth or I had made it up...I am a scientist and I know that compounding of tires has a lot to do with grip at lower temperatures.
QUOTED FROM THE KUMHO USA WEB PAGE
"ECSTA 711
40/45/50/55 Series, 'H' Speed Rated, BSW
Race proven technology has inspired the development of a summer directional tread design. Together with the latest high performance tread compound technology, they combine to give the ECSTA 711 excellent dry traction and stability at high speeds. Wide circumferential grooves channel water away, resulting in superior wet traction.
UTQG: HR 320 AA
Click Here For More Info. "
SO.... If any one in Vegas this week can help a fellow teener out, PM me. If you want you can get my cell number and hand the phone directly to a Kumho guy there even.
TIA
since I forgot to PUT NPC or OT in the title, and I am too impaired evidently to edit my own post title, I have to add that I knew these were summer tires, because I have these in 245/50 16 size on the rears of my 914!!!