26" vs 28" tire
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 141
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From: Michigan
26" vs 28" tire Guys educate me please.
I have 275-50-15 MT Street R's at the end of their life. Best I have done is 11.0 at 126 with a 1.65 sixty foot.
Car is a 6 speed supercharged 99 Z28 with 550 whp.
Should I stay with a 26" tire or go up? I have 3.50 gears as it is more of a street car.
Thanks!
I have 275-50-15 MT Street R's at the end of their life. Best I have done is 11.0 at 126 with a 1.65 sixty foot.
Car is a 6 speed supercharged 99 Z28 with 550 whp.
Should I stay with a 26" tire or go up? I have 3.50 gears as it is more of a street car.
Thanks!
Last edited by BALBI; Oct 17, 2016 at 03:09 PM.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 141
Likes: 1
From: Michigan
you do not need a 28 inch tall tire if your not running out of gear, if you have 3.50 gears and plan to keep them then DEFINETLY do not go 28. I run 3.90s with a 26 inch tire and I run mid 10s and still do not run out of 4th gear. you want to run the smalllest tire possible that will keep traction and run the to the top of your 1 to 1 gear at the traps. a 28 inch tire would most likely slow you down especially with a 3.50 gear set. I have same Horsepower than you and most likely I have more off the line since I am all motor and cut 1.50 sixtys with a 6 spd. you can get it done with 26s
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 141
Likes: 1
From: Michigan
you do not need a 28 inch tall tire if your not running out of gear, if you have 3.50 gears and plan to keep them then DEFINETLY do not go 28. I run 3.90s with a 26 inch tire and I run mid 10s and still do not run out of 4th gear. you want to run the smalllest tire possible that will keep traction and run the to the top of your 1 to 1 gear at the traps. a 28 inch tire would most likely slow you down especially with a 3.50 gear set. I have same Horsepower than you and most likely I have more off the line since I am all motor and cut 1.50 sixtys with a 6 spd. you can get it done with 26s
OK, next question.
I drive the car to the track 60 miles each way. I am running the street tires up front still because of that reason. I want to try a plias in back and I understand is a no no to do so with radials up front. Any watch outs if I put skinnies and plias on that 60 mile trip?
I use to drive skicks and skinnies about 30 miles to the track, I never had any issues just make sure you put the right amount of air pressure in for the trip. I ran about 28 psi in the back and about 40 in the front to help stop the BOAT feeling you get with bias ply. you will wear out your tires quicker however. my rears were already ready for replacing after a season anyways. On a side note keep in mind you can fit all 4 slicks and skinnis in the car along with a full size jack and change them at track. I use to do that sometimes too. also bear in mind your track day can be ruined by running over a nail or a pothole, i got lucky one time when I hit a bad pothole and destroyed my 2 passenger side rims, luckally i drove street tires to track and had the slicks and skinnis in back to change over to and still got to have my track day.
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You will absolutely benefit from a 28 inch tire, and if need be regear the car. 28 bias tire will grow to 29 or so, you likely could get away with a 4.10, possibly may need a couple hundred more rpm
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Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 141
Likes: 1
From: Michigan
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 141
Likes: 1
From: Michigan
If you dead hooked a radial with a stick setup you likely didn't leave that hard.
If you want a 6 speed car to ET you're going to be leaving at 6500 and side stepping it... Racial will not hook with that and if it does it bogs the motor so bad it won't 60 for crap.
You want a slick, and want it to actually spin a couple revolutions to prevent from bogging the motor down.
If you want a 6 speed car to ET you're going to be leaving at 6500 and side stepping it... Racial will not hook with that and if it does it bogs the motor so bad it won't 60 for crap.
You want a slick, and want it to actually spin a couple revolutions to prevent from bogging the motor down.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 141
Likes: 1
From: Michigan
If you dead hooked a radial with a stick setup you likely didn't leave that hard.
If you want a 6 speed car to ET you're going to be leaving at 6500 and side stepping it... Racial will not hook with that and if it does it bogs the motor so bad it won't 60 for crap.
You want a slick, and want it to actually spin a couple revolutions to prevent from bogging the motor down.
If you want a 6 speed car to ET you're going to be leaving at 6500 and side stepping it... Racial will not hook with that and if it does it bogs the motor so bad it won't 60 for crap.
You want a slick, and want it to actually spin a couple revolutions to prevent from bogging the motor down.
You may want to put a 2 step in the car so you can put it to the floor, set the 2 step off a clutch switch so as soon as you dump it the 2 step turns off and it will go to the regular limiter.
You do that and I guarantee that it's not going to dead hook that radial. I 1/2 wonder if when you dropped it at 6000 there, that your foot could have come up off the gas pedal. It's not a personal thing that's a very common thing that people do and you don't even realize you do it.
Hence why a 2 step would be helpful, bury that gas pedal and hold your foot to the floor when you dump the clutch, have a good solid mounted seat with very little give so that you don't have to worry about your body shifting back causing you to lift as well.
Couple changes like this, and a set of 28 inch stiff sidewall tires, and I'd be willing to bet you could see that car run a solid .7 faster than you are now maybe even more than that, mph will likely come up a bunch too, that bog absolutely kills the the whole run. I bet that alone is killing .6 and 5 mph off what the car can do. Nevermind a 2 step and a good tire, which should get the car into the 1.4 60 foot range easily.
You do that and I guarantee that it's not going to dead hook that radial. I 1/2 wonder if when you dropped it at 6000 there, that your foot could have come up off the gas pedal. It's not a personal thing that's a very common thing that people do and you don't even realize you do it.
Hence why a 2 step would be helpful, bury that gas pedal and hold your foot to the floor when you dump the clutch, have a good solid mounted seat with very little give so that you don't have to worry about your body shifting back causing you to lift as well.
Couple changes like this, and a set of 28 inch stiff sidewall tires, and I'd be willing to bet you could see that car run a solid .7 faster than you are now maybe even more than that, mph will likely come up a bunch too, that bog absolutely kills the the whole run. I bet that alone is killing .6 and 5 mph off what the car can do. Nevermind a 2 step and a good tire, which should get the car into the 1.4 60 foot range easily.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 141
Likes: 1
From: Michigan
You may want to put a 2 step in the car so you can put it to the floor, set the 2 step off a clutch switch so as soon as you dump it the 2 step turns off and it will go to the regular limiter.
You do that and I guarantee that it's not going to dead hook that radial. I 1/2 wonder if when you dropped it at 6000 there, that your foot could have come up off the gas pedal. It's not a personal thing that's a very common thing that people do and you don't even realize you do it.
Hence why a 2 step would be helpful, bury that gas pedal and hold your foot to the floor when you dump the clutch, have a good solid mounted seat with very little give so that you don't have to worry about your body shifting back causing you to lift as well.
Couple changes like this, and a set of 28 inch stiff sidewall tires, and I'd be willing to bet you could see that car run a solid .7 faster than you are now maybe even more than that, mph will likely come up a bunch too, that bog absolutely kills the the whole run. I bet that alone is killing .6 and 5 mph off what the car can do. Nevermind a 2 step and a good tire, which should get the car into the 1.4 60 foot range easily.
You do that and I guarantee that it's not going to dead hook that radial. I 1/2 wonder if when you dropped it at 6000 there, that your foot could have come up off the gas pedal. It's not a personal thing that's a very common thing that people do and you don't even realize you do it.
Hence why a 2 step would be helpful, bury that gas pedal and hold your foot to the floor when you dump the clutch, have a good solid mounted seat with very little give so that you don't have to worry about your body shifting back causing you to lift as well.
Couple changes like this, and a set of 28 inch stiff sidewall tires, and I'd be willing to bet you could see that car run a solid .7 faster than you are now maybe even more than that, mph will likely come up a bunch too, that bog absolutely kills the the whole run. I bet that alone is killing .6 and 5 mph off what the car can do. Nevermind a 2 step and a good tire, which should get the car into the 1.4 60 foot range easily.
Last edited by BALBI; Jul 20, 2016 at 10:37 AM.