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Balancing a Drag Radial??

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Old 03-07-2012, 06:22 AM
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Default Balancing a Drag Radial??

Is there a DR that will balance out better than a M/T. I have run the ET-Streets and now the drag radials and every M/T I have ever owned takes a crap load of weight to balance and then after a burnout it's F-ed again. I know some people do not balance them but I drive my car every day and like it to at least ride somewhat nice on my way to work. Is it just M/T's or all drag tires?
Old 03-07-2012, 07:20 AM
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I ran a bunch of Drag Radials through out the years, M/T always had a spongy feeling regardless of tire pressure and balancing. Nitto seemed to me the most stable. It was not horrible but definitly noticable @ highway speeds. But at the time the compound was the one of the best ones out there for a street tire.
Old 03-07-2012, 08:29 AM
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I also run the nitto DR's and my shop had no problem balancing them, they do great for me... I've had them on the car about 3000 miles now and they still look ok. (that's just DD type driving though... the track has been closed since I got them lol). Highway feels good, but like BSM said, it is noticeable that you have DR's on the rear, doesn't really feel comfortable over 90.. and 70 on a windy day is a bit rough just because the rear-end can shift quite a bit with the sidewall flex. I doubt I would try any other D/R for partial DD use... but this is gonna be my go-to tire for that purpose now
Old 03-07-2012, 08:38 AM
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I agree about Nitto's being a good street tire but I am way beyond a Nitto at the track. I have run the Nitto's to mid 10's but I need more tire now so the Nitto's are out of the equation.
Old 03-07-2012, 08:44 AM
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Let me put this another way. I want a DR that I can drive to the track and not vibrate the crap out of the car and still cut 1.3-1.4 60' times. I have a set of ZO6 wheels with street tires but I don't always have time to change them back before work the next day and may drive on my race wheels a week or so.
Old 03-07-2012, 09:20 AM
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I've never had any problems with drag radial tires being balanced. I have run them all. I would look at your rims for the problem. I street drive my car alot. I'm currently running the NTO5's with stick on weights on 18" SSR wheels. I have also run 16" M/T's , BFG and 555 r's on stock firebird take off wheels. These tire and wheel set ups required very little weight.

The M/T ET streets needed alot of weight.
Old 03-07-2012, 10:01 AM
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Originally Posted by 1lejohn
I've never had any problems with drag radial tires being balanced. I have run them all. I would look at your rims for the problem. I street drive my car alot. I'm currently running the NTO5's with stick on weights on 18" SSR wheels. I have also run 16" M/T's , BFG and 555 r's on stock firebird take off wheels. These tire and wheel set ups required very little weight.

The M/T ET streets needed alot of weight.
Wheels were my first thought but I have now had three differant sets and when I did have Nittos they drove great. I have run three sets of ET-Street and five sets of M/T DR's. Mounted and balanced at differant shops and only had one set of 275-60-15 DR's run good. Maybe I am just having a good long string of bad luck.
Old 03-07-2012, 10:10 AM
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Have you checked to see if the tire is spinning on the rim? A crayon would tell you that. Are you losing weights?
Old 03-07-2012, 10:20 AM
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Originally Posted by sweetbmxrider
Have you checked to see if the tire is spinning on the rim? A crayon would tell you that. Are you losing weights?
Not losing weights but I never thought to see if the tier was spinning on the rim. I never thought I made enough power to spin the tire on the rim. LOL. I will be sure to check this next time at the track.
Old 03-09-2012, 08:18 AM
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My slicks will spin on the rim some, haven't seen a drag radial move yet.

How about the rotors being warped and causing some pad chatter ??? Drive shaft out of balance?
Old 03-09-2012, 10:05 AM
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On a few cars I have seen DR move, but depends on the setup, suspension, power. I had a pair of rims that were screwed on the inside lip for M/T ET Street Radials. I never made enough power off line to worry but would serve a function on the street.
Old 03-09-2012, 11:58 AM
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I can 100% guarantee you can spin a DR inside the wheel....ALOT
Old 03-09-2012, 12:57 PM
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Originally Posted by tim99ws6
I can 100% guarantee you can spin a DR inside the wheel....ALOT
Like said before, I agree 100%.

Most people never will make the power or have the car setup to even make it spin, but it can!

Old 03-13-2012, 12:17 AM
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Have a shop check the force variance of the wheel/tire assembly. I returned two sets of M/T drag radials for being out of force variance and causing excessive vibrations. They finally got me a set that weren't so bad but they still sucked. The first two sets were over 50lbs of force variance and the last set was right at 25lbs. Normal force variance for a passenger car is somewhere below 20lbs and the lower the number the better. Also, if the tire isn't that bad the shop might be able to force match them meaning put the low spot of the tire with the high spot on the wheel. No tire and wheel is perfectly round so if two high spots get matched together you will get a vibration.
Old 03-16-2012, 10:35 AM
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When the shop mounts the tires, make sure they don't use any lube...

Forgot to tell them that one time and the tire was spinning on the rim big time.
Old 03-16-2012, 10:40 AM
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i've never had problems with my mickeys.
Old 03-16-2012, 01:08 PM
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I run the mickey thompson dr 325 et street,I was spinning the rim on the tire screwed them that went away.I always balanced my tires this last set I got needed 5oz's of weight so i decided to not balance them since what i was told that your first burnout and they will be out of balance again



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