I am lowered on KWv3 which provide absolutely no height adjustment in the rear and the local tire place could not get the front in alignment so I went through a set of Pilot Super Sports in record time. I'm now on my second set and decided to go with a full SPL treatment of:

front upper control arm
rear camber arms
front and rear end links (Hotchki sways)
toe bolts

If this doesn't get the car within specs, I'm either moving on from the Volk Re30 or the coilovers. I don't think the wheels are overly aggressive at 19x10 +35 (275/35/19 tire) but maybe that is too much for the 4 door. but I'm not too pleased with the KWs either.

 

Define "eating through"? How many miles did you get on the first set of PSS?

 

PSS are not exactly long lasting tires. They are made of super soft compound which gives you a little bit more traction at the cost of longevity. But the problem you are having is not with the tires being soft but with the fact that lowering the car will get your camber out of whack and it can only be fixed with adjustable camber kits, front and rear. Also, even with those adjustable kitsm it's a good idea to get alignment done on a yearly basis at least.

 

I disagree. PSS should last EASILY 25k miles or more. They are indeed long lasting tires. If youre not getting 20K or more out of your PSS, your alignment is off.

Also, getting an alignment every year is a waste of money and time. On all my vehicles, only time I did an alignment was when I modified the suspension. Once its dialed in to spec, unless your car was in an accident or you hit a curb at 35mph, theres no need to touch it. Even after getting brand new tires on all 4 wheels, alignment stayed in spec.

Had the OP not done these suspension modifications backa.sswards, and gotten his camber-kits in place WITH the KW's, he would still be on his FIRST bad *** set of Pilot Sports, period.

 

Your alignment specs have everything to do with this. How much are you lowered? Have you never had an alignment since lowering? Was it in spec?

Also, what do you mean that the KW provides no rear height adjustment?

 

PSS are some of the softest and quickest wearing tires available, I cannot even think of a street summer tire that would last less than PSS.

As far as alignment goes, this is my 4th lowered car, none of them were able to hold alignment in spec for a year, much less more than a year and I've never ran into a curb as far back as I can remember. With lowered cars you either get aligmnets on a regular basis or you replace tires on a regular basis, at least that's been my experience.

 

PSS are rated for 15K, better than most summer tires.

Have your alignment guy paint index the final settings and you can visually verify any deviations. Yearly alignments are a waste unless you hit a curb or something.

 

lol idk what PSS youve been riding on.....mine have outlasted any Bridgestone ive ever had.

The OEM Potenzas have a treadrating of 140 and I could never surpass 13,000 miles on those things.

I currently have 22,000 on my PSS and still have 45% tread life...

In fact, Michelin guarantees 30K miles on the PSS if you have a square setup, Im not bullsh*ttin ya either.

 

That's a good idea, never thought of it, my alignment issue may have something to do with what seems like 8128731 speedbumps in my neighborhood.

 

If you had a coupe the +35s would be an easier fit, the 10" +35 on a sedan is real tight (as I'm sure you've seen firsthand). To keep camber/toe in spec you might have to roll the front fender edge since it isn't flat-rolled like the rear fender. You will also probably rub the inner felt fender liner for a while (it eventually wears enough that the rubbing stops).
This is assuming you're running a square 10" +35 setup w/ 275 tires. If you get rubbing at the fender you'll need to align the closest to spec while tucking into the fenders, it shouldn't be too bad, and more than likely much better than what you're currently aligned to. The PSS are a soft compound but wear much better than most summer tires. They have a non-staggered tread warranty of 30k miles, so expecting 25k miles would be reasonable.
G/L

 

Only the rears are 19X10 +35. The fronts are 19X9 + 38 with a 245/40/19 tire.

I got about 20K from a staggered setup so I guess that isn't too bad. The tires looked like they had some more life except for the inner parts. I looked at the post-alignment specs and they seemed to be close for camber and within specs for the toe.

I had the rear camber arms and I will have the rest of the items installed this week and them get an alignment from a specialty shop that deals with lowered cars and adjustable suspensions.

edit: as far as the KW not being height adjustable; I have the rears as high as possible and the tires are tucked in rubbing.

 

If you want your rear coils a bit higher you might check this thread on the Z board. I've seen other posts doing the same thing but can't find them.
how to raise the rear of my megan coilovers.... - Nissan 370Z Forum

 

Thanks for the link. I know that another G owner has used the upper cone to lift his rear KWs as well. I also purchased some KW spacers because other car owners (Audi) complained about the available height adjustments in the rear but if you use their spacers or any modification; they void the warranty.

 

Guess you'd have to keep a secret

 

I used 10 inch long 65mm ID 10KG/mm Swift springs in the rear of my KW3 with an adapter piece that fit down into the spring bucket. The KW adjuster goes into the top. This spring is linear and better handling than the progressive KW springs which tend to sag over time and coil slap under duress.