Any trick to using these at the track?? Whats the best way to launch the car with them??

 

My uncle has them on his 34 chevy. I will ask him how he launches. I know he used the brake and hits the gas hard but I dont think that will help.

 

quick burn out then use the pedal on the right they will hook good

 

Whats your setup? Auto with converter you usually have 3 options on how to launch.

1. Off idle, just floor it on third yellow light and let it rip.
2. Off part throttle brake hold...stall it only part throttle, not a full brake stall.
3. Full brake stall as high as you can get before car starts to either push through the brakes or start to spin. Usually push through brakes before spinning.

3 has always produced the best times for me except for 1 time at the track with bolt ons. For some reason that day, number 2 worked best.


Tires, you have to experiment with pressures and burnout. Usually dont need alot of burnout. Tire pressure anywhere from 15 to 25 psi can be tried. I ran nitto 555R's which are no where near the tire a MT drag radial is, but best times so far were with 28-30psi and launching sorta number 3 style but not full throttle mat on starting line. They couldnt hold a full stall launch so i had to pedal it abit.

I'll be trying NT05R's this week and I think at 25-28psi they will dead hook a full stall launch.


Stick shift you will have to vary launch rpms and clutch slippage.

 

I run the BFG drag radials, I doa part throttle stalled launch. running 17 PSI on them. I cut 1.9 60's with my tbi, burnout I didnt do a huge one, someone told me I should do more but I was not breaking loose. They also said on thier MT DR's they did less of a burnout than the BFG's. So just do a standard burnout and be fine with it. The less rubber you waste during the burnout the more runs you can make!

 

My setup: MT 255/50/16 ET Streets, SPEC Stage 4 clutch, T56, 5500-6000 rpm launch, ~330whp, quite a bit into the suspension

The video shows exactly what I do with my setup including launches from inside and outside the car:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA90Gc8XOqI

 

but ET streets arent MT drag radials, but if you think they work the same then it is useful info.

 

Just figured it may help to figure out a technique that may work for him.

 

those are not mickey thompson drag radials.

 

Yeah, im going to try it a couple of different ways...I have ran plain old slicks before, but I was told to avoid the water box on the drag radials..I also know the sidewalls are much stiffer than my wrinkle walls were.Thanks everyone..you guys are great..Got the 325 50R 15's today.............Man they were way to big for my car, so I am trading them for 275 50R 15's...Should be a better fit...That 325 is one huge *** tire...They will be mounted on 15x10 Centerlines..

 

When I am on drag radials on the Ram and previously in the Van, lower the pressure to about 15-20 psi, heat them up with a good 2nd gear burn out, don't be afraid to let out a little smoke, then I always cut my best 60' times launching at idle. Flashing the converter seems to load the suspension better and give it a better hook. The Van would go run a 2.02s 60' (3.08 gear), the Ram has gone 1.91 as its best 60'.

 

Thanks fast will give it a try real soon...My 305 car has a 2500, and my 350 car has a stock, or vette converter...Thats a good 60'

 

dang you probably could have gotten by with some 235/60/15 thats the size I am running

 

Well the 92 is real traction challenged..The 89 is under powered so it bites good even on regular tires.....PLUS they look so damn good.lol.....Should be going to the Baytown track Friday night...Sure hope to bust some good deep 13's...........These are 11 inches wide, and 26, or 27 inches tall IIRC......

 

Anyone know if it will hurt them to go on a 60 mile trip??? Do they wear out real easy??

 

It won't hurt them , I did powerTour on a set, they suck in the rain,though. They do wear out quickly....

 

Hey J91, do you know about how many miles you got on yours??? Just got them on the car, they sure look good..I was worried about the rims clearing the back brakes, but it was no problem, I could have went one size larger, I believe..It still lights them up pretty good..Am going to Houston Race way park in Baytown tomorrow night...

 

Probably about 7-8,000 mi before they were completely bald. My car and me were very hard on them though, between hotrodding around on the streets, drag racing, and autocrossing. Not to mention I've got a very healthy 385 w/ 3.73's out back. Definitely a good race tire, for the streets not the best, traction yes, longevity no. In the rain they are dangerous....

 

ok, cool...I am going to leave them on, and drive, it is about 60 miles round trip...Thanks for the info....

 

Look like Sporsmans? Had those on a BB 5.0 yrs ago. Not super impressed but stickier than the avg street tire and wore well.

 

i heart e\t streets, but they killed my clutch!

 

They worked out well at the track..ran a 14.17 @ 97 MPH, Was running out of fuel..did no tuning at all..There is a 13 in the car like it sits....

 

On the 236/60 comment a drag radial that size will handle some serious power, LOTS more than any 305 will put out. Dont need to go huge on those to hook

 

I had them on my 350 car...My 305 car hooks good anyway even with the stall, but the Z just blows the tires away..It will not go anywhere on regular tires because of all the low end torque...I bet it would run a high 15 on street tires....I like to be over tired anyway....

 

When they/road is cold you can still spin a DR as you know-they do catch up quicker to the car than a street tire does, heat them up then get better results

 

ha

 

Buddy of mine used to run the m/t DRs on his 8 second Chevy powered fox body. He switched to Hoosier drag radials, says they're way better. If that car hooks in sure us third gen can! He runs 275 drag radial

 

the 275 has been 1.1x to the 60' in the x275 classes. you should have no problem hooking on these tires unless something is broken or severely worn out.

 

Or if the suspension geometry and shock settings/spring rates are off It takes more than tire alone to do those 1.1x 60's on radial cars


How long are these tires lasting for you guys? I have a set of Nitto NT05R's that I've been impressed with. For a 315/35/17 radial, its been mid 1.6x 60's and more left in it. I've daily drove around 6-7K miles and they stilll work. I'm talking every day, rain or shine, 30-40 miles a day sometimes. Sometimes more.

 

don't take it out of context justin, i didn't say "put these tires on your car and you'll go 1.1x 60's", or "put these tires on your car and it's instantly 1.1x 60' capable". i merely said that the tire is capable of handling it, and will take anything his car will throw at it. the tire starts getting unpredictable anything faster than 1.55 without adjustable suspension/shocks. but i didn't figure that would be necessary to say in this case.

they last different amounts of time depending on the setup. on my car, with a spool, i feel like i wear them out in under 2k on the street, but i'm putting a lot of stress on the tires with that spool. when i was running a posi still i could get 4-5k out of them. they're not a "street" tire like the nitto's. they're a DOT approved race tire that's a radial.