2camaros6702

iTrader: (2)

What is the difference between a specific tube for a drag tire and a tube for a conventional every day street tire?? I can get a tube for my ET-Streets for $15.00 but it is not a drag specific tube and the drag tubes are 50 to 60 dollars. I am thinking about trying a regular tube if I don’t get any real reasons not to. I would run them with no tubes at all but I don’t want to be filling them back up all the time.

mrdragster1970

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You have to have the metal screw in stem. Once they are in there, tech can't tell what the label says.

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2camaros6702

iTrader: (2)

I dont run my car were it is ever put through tech so that would not be a big deal for me unless the metal screw in stem serves for other reasons.


Also would I need to glue or screw the tire to the rim if I ran tubes?

kp

iTrader: (34)

Its mostly the material, pick up a 15.00 tube and then pick up a M/T tube and the difference is obvious. Especially the area around the valve stem.

Metal valve stem NHRA rule applies to tubeless tires, not tubes.

That being said I have run cheap tubes on 10-11 second cars with no problems, but depending on the wheel it may be a bitch to get the valve stem to sit right. Race tubes also require you to drill the valve stem hole to 5/8, that will make some rims unusable with tubeless valve stems.

With either tube the tires need to be screwed to the rim.

kierstyn

iTrader: (5)

They also say if you dont screw them you can put baby powder inside so if the tire slips it wont break the valve steam.

kp

iTrader: (34)

Dont know where you heard that, the baby powder is to make sure the tube doesnt stick to the inside of the tire when mounting it/airing it up.

If you dont use screws and have a fair amount of power you will rip the valve stem off the tube.

mrdragster1970

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If you will NEVER run at a track, then running the screw in stem tubes are not an issue.
I didn't mean the separate metal stem. I meant the screw in stem with a metal nut, sorry.
As mentioned, screw anything that is sticky. Especially with a tube!!
I know a few guys come on here saying they never screw their bad *** cars & never have an issue.
I am not that lucky, so screw it, even if you only do 6 per side. If you're making big power, go more 10-12.
Good luck.

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zoom918

I can't figure out the 5/8" thing, MT tubes seem to fit fine with a 1/2" hole?

kp

iTrader: (34)

Tubes do not require metel stems or screw on retainers. Thats only for tubeless tires. You can just as easily rip out a screw on tube stem from the tube as a regular one so its moot. The metal screw on valve stems on tubeless tires came from people using 20 year old stock pull in valve stems that fell apart at the worst time plus they dont fit well on a lot of aftermarket aluminum wheels. Its possible a tech guy might bounce them on tubes because they dont know why the rule is there to begin with and/or has his own interpretation of it.

Page 270 in the '09 NHRA rulebook sums it up.

You can put them in a slightly enlarged standard hole (.453 hole is the SAE standard I believe and the m/t stem thread size is .500) but they wont go all the way to the bottom of the stem. An M/T tube will not go through a standard .453 hole at all, its not a big deal on most wheels to open it up to .625 like M/T recommends and since 5/8 is a standard truck size for stems and they are easy to get. But on wheels like mine a 5/8 tubeless stem wont work after they are opened up. Some wheels may already have 5/8 holes, lot of the older 'real' race wheels had them when everyone used tubes but not so much these days.

This is right from M/T, like I said hoosier tubes may be different but I'm pretty sure they are exactly the same as M/T tubes.

http://www.mickeythompsontires.com/faqpage.php?faq=21

Its hard to tell in the pic but the rubber that surrounds the stem is fairly snug in the 5/8 hole and it actually protrudes a little from the wheel, thats why the retaining nut is shaped like a 'U,' so it goes around that rubber section. As you can also tell in the pic a 5/8 tubeless stem will no longer work. Some wheels its not an issue at all using a 5/8 stem, depends where the hole is.

mrdragster1970

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It's been many years, so the rule might be out dated. You had to use tubes with a nut.
That page only mentions the tubeless requirement, unless I missed it.
Didn't mean to pass out wrong info. I hope it's not changed, I had much better luck with the screw in tubes.
The cheap tubes we used before we had to go through tech, were way too fragile.

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kierstyn

iTrader: (5)

I was told the baby powder would keep them from sticking to the tire if it sliped a tire store down here told me that but I would run the tubes they say to run for the tires. If the tire slips and breaks the valve steam and it starts to leak by the end of the track it will be flat at over 100mph. I wouldnt want to be in that situation!

DJ's 02' Z28

iTrader: (2)

I coated the insides of my M/T's with dish soap and they don't leak anymore. Do a quick search and you should be able to find a little more info on the subject.

mrdragster1970

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With the low pressure we run, my tubes were moving around & tearing up the stems.
After getting thrown out of RT 66 for not having a screw in tube stem. I never had a issue again.
The tubes lasted for years & my buddy used them for many more years, after I went tubeless.
Like I said, if they changed the rule, I don't like it. If you run tubes, use the screw in stem.

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2camaros6702

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for the response and info. I mounted them without tubes and they seem fine.

kp

iTrader: (34)

Thats what rim screws are for, baby powder is for mounting them, nothing more..

If you think about it screwing the valve stem to the ril will actually HELP rip it off if the tire moves

The reason for screw on stems on drag tubes is so you dont push the valve stem into the wheel when adding air at 5psi, nothing more.

That is easily solved with a small hose clamp on a cheapo tube valve stem.

The NHRA rule states tubeless tires because tubes dont apply

I wouldnt use the cheap tubes myself, but 30 years ago when 10.00 vs 50.00 a tube was the difference between going racing or not damn straight I used the 10.00 tubes. As long as the tires are screwed you will be fine..

mrdragster1970

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I was only going by being thrown out of the track. They said it's a nhra rule.
I had no reason to argue with them, but as I said. My stems did look much better when screwed.
Could have been better material than the farm & fleet cheapy tube??
The tech guy is coming to my shop this week, if I remember, I will ask him to look it up.

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kp

iTrader: (34)

It may be HIS rule and thats fine, its his way or the highway, but its not an NHRA rule and certainly not worth arguing about