trans_am7935

iTrader: (15)

i am getting 275/40 17 BF Goodrich T/A drag radials and am wondering how long if only driven at the track will these last? how many passes can i make before i need to replace them?

SilverBullet73

iTrader: (2)

Depends alot on how much you warm them up in the water box. I had a set that I burned through in 1 day at a track rental, lol. Keep the burnout some what short and they should last at least 25 passes, maybe more. I have some Mickey Thompson drag radials on my car right now and I have over 25 passes on them and over 5,000 street miles on them! I still have some tire left but it's pretty much on the wear mark right now, lol

Detroitmuscle

iTrader: (16)

dunno what the hell you guys are doing to your tires but I have MT drag radials and I've had them for 3 years now. Granted I only hit the track a few times a year but I drive on them to and from the track and they have a good amount of passes on them with plenty of tread left.

custm2500

iTrader: (11)

When I asked this question a year ago plenty of people said they have gotten 50+ on both radials and bias. I bought bias for my truck and with 10 passes they look brand new still. Short burnouts will obviously let your tires live longer.

trans_am7935

iTrader: (15)

are these the best Drag radials i can use for my car that will keep the rear end in tack? should i do anything else to run a better 60' with out adding any more power? i ran a 2.34 60' and 8.86@85.3mph in the 1/8th mile, i was told i should be in the 1.6-1.7 range on my 60', does this sound right, and will these tires fix that?

Chris05ssTruck

iTrader: (9)

10 bolts will break with a street tire. Some last awhile, some break 1st pass. Rock it till it breaks (which it will), put a real rear end in it and start launching the **** outta it.

kdavis

iTrader: (14)

i have well over 50 passes on my et street radials and they just hit the wear bars. also have some street miles on them.

Bizzles

iTrader: (3)

Mine is an a4 and i have 245 BFG DRs but i cut a 1.764

NightmareTA

iTrader: (20)

Just a curious question for ya....if these are ONLY going to be used at the strip as you stated, why waste the money on drag radials when you could get a set of M/T ET street bias plys for the same price basically? I mean, unless you are running in an actual class that requires a radial, the ET streets are a MUCH stickier tire IMO. They should also last just as long if your not crazy on the burnouts. Good luck with whatever you decide to go with though!

Chris05ssTruck

iTrader: (9)

Simple. A DR is faster/quicker WHEN it works; and feel a LOT more stable going down the track that a slick.

custm2500

iTrader: (11)

There is no proof of this. Also I have never ran into to talked to someone who actually lost stability at the top end of the track on a bias on a car set up worth a damn.

The radial is faster is a generally agreed upon idea but I have found absolutely nothing that points to this anywhere. I don't have any scientific proof either way. Since I have never seen it proven radial is faster, but it is a well known fact that bias hook easier and better in most situations I say bias unless a class dictates is the superior tire.

Chris05ssTruck

iTrader: (9)

I can show you various time slips. It's a well known thing. Esp. for MPH. I promise you my car is set up right. Common knowledge will tell you a soft wrinkle wall tire with 11-15 PSI will be less stable than a DR with a siffer wall at 15-18 PSI.
Have you ever made a pass in something fast on the big end? Hell my truck ran 11's and it felt a LOT better goin through the traps with a radial than a slick. Slicks hook better and easier no doubt. It is harder to get a radial to work. No doubt. I have a 6sp on a lil 275/15 MT DR....i can tell you. Most 6sp. guys just can't get them to work and throw a slick back there for a quick fix to get it to hook. Takes time but it's worth it.
ALL the guys i know that get their stuff to work on a radial are faster on them than a slick. A slick recovers from spin a lot better than a DR as well. Which is a big reason for 6sp. sucess as they shock the tires so damn hard.
But no doubt tho if you can't get them to work, they suck.

NightmareTA

iTrader: (20)

Huh, I've never heard that. I guess it can make some sense because they are a more stable tire, but slicks just take the guesswork out of launches, and they WORK. My brother runs 18-19 PSI in his ET streets and has never had a hooking problem and he says they feel fine up top at his 110 mph trap speed. I think it's really just preference but I do still beleive that if they are only going to be a DEDICATED track tire, slicks are the way to go. The only drag radial I've ever tried was the nitto 555R and they sucked for me big time. Never had any experience with the M/T's but I hear it's a world of difference.

Chris05ssTruck

iTrader: (9)

And you just said why yourself....no experience. A Nitto is the worst DR...period.

custm2500

iTrader: (11)

I would like to see side by side time slips of proof that the radial is faster. I am not saying they certainly aren't but I have found no actual proof that you take off a bias and put on a radial and it will be any faster. Given you obviously get your best pass possible on both tires.

You logic is the generally agreed upon idea but I have looked all over and found no proof. Not looking to fight just looking for proof because I can't find any myself.

Detroitmuscle

iTrader: (16)

The logic is simple, if you can cut the same 60' on the Dr as you can on a slick then you will trap higher on the radial. The increased tire pressure in the radial creates less drag than a less inflated slick. Next time your at the track drop your tire pressure and watch how you mph goes down.

custm2500

iTrader: (11)

Radials also have less rolling resistance regardless of pressure, therefore why your mph can go up. It seems neglegable in the 1/4 mile.

I am not trying to be a pain in the *** but everyone is saying what everyone always says."radial is faster", what I am saying is prove it. Because I can't find any proof.

Chris05ssTruck

iTrader: (9)

It will take me forever to find slips, as i have too damn many.
MY car always is about .10-.15 SLOWER and loses around 1-2MPH in the 1/8 mile over a DR. Same day, etc. Testing has been done as well.

Villain281H

iTrader: (5)

I've run M/T 275/60/15 radials to a M/T ET Drag 28 x 10.5 tire. There are similar in height, but a bias-ply slick or street slick will grow with speed versus a DR that won't. Drag radials as a general rule also have more cords in the sidewall versus a bias-ply slick or street slick, so that will help a little with stability. Of course stability is directly related to the weight of the car, the amount of air you run and the track prep.

For example, I've run my Novca on the same day with both set-ups.

on a slick pass (15.5 lbs of air) runs:
1.527 60 foot, 7.066 at 96.40 mph 1/8, 11.175 @ 118.45 1/4 mile

on a radial pass (18 lbs of air) runs:
1.542 60 foot, 7.044 at 97.29 mph 1/8, 11.121 @ 119.77 1/4 mile

The radials don't wrinkle if much at all versus the slick which will. The car traps 400-500 rpm higher on the radials than the slicks on the bottle.

I also noticed a distinct difference in the way the car drives with the radials versus the slicks (and my slicks are stiff sidewall design).

Just my $.02


Derek

Villain281H

iTrader: (5)

Oh, on the original topic:

I get about 1000-1500 miles and about 60-75 passes from a set of M/T drag radials on my Nova. Granted the spool doesn't help on the street, but a buddy with a 95 Formula gets about 5000-6000 miles and about 50-60 runs for a set.

Derek