Slicks on the street
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Slicks on the street Hey guys,
I was just wondering about your experiences with using slicks on the street (or even DR's, ET streets). Obviously it's not recommended or DOT approved to use regular slicks on street (notedly highway or rain). My situation is that the vehicle I am using slicks on is not a daily driver (27x10x15), more of a couple days a week driver if the weather is real nice, and she wears a set of slicks but also I have a set of street tires (which dont hook worth crap).
Anyways I guess getting to the point.. I just want to know experience info like... Do cops seem to care? Ever heard of someone getting pulled over for having non-dot approved tires (mine stick out a bit)? Do they really handle bad on the road at speed or on the freeway or is this just a myth? I realize that if you're using wrinkle walls and not much PSI then it can wobble or be unstable around corners. Also, I have driven short distances in the rain and althoguh they are somewhat slippery, they don't seem very bad, infact not any worse than my street tires really.
Anyways, thoughts/comments appreciated. I really have no experience with slicks.
P.S. I forgot to mention this isn't on an F-bod, it's on my S-10, but I know you guys are very knowledgable.
I was just wondering about your experiences with using slicks on the street (or even DR's, ET streets). Obviously it's not recommended or DOT approved to use regular slicks on street (notedly highway or rain). My situation is that the vehicle I am using slicks on is not a daily driver (27x10x15), more of a couple days a week driver if the weather is real nice, and she wears a set of slicks but also I have a set of street tires (which dont hook worth crap).
Anyways I guess getting to the point.. I just want to know experience info like... Do cops seem to care? Ever heard of someone getting pulled over for having non-dot approved tires (mine stick out a bit)? Do they really handle bad on the road at speed or on the freeway or is this just a myth? I realize that if you're using wrinkle walls and not much PSI then it can wobble or be unstable around corners. Also, I have driven short distances in the rain and althoguh they are somewhat slippery, they don't seem very bad, infact not any worse than my street tires really.
Anyways, thoughts/comments appreciated. I really have no experience with slicks.
P.S. I forgot to mention this isn't on an F-bod, it's on my S-10, but I know you guys are very knowledgable.
DO NOT USE SLICKS OR DRAG RADIALS IN THE RAIN, I allready lost one race vehicle to this, and experemented with another, I wouldnt run them just to have better traction, maybe slap them on one night for a good street race if its not wet out but if it gets wet you better be prepared to park for a while, on the little experement I could feel the back end getting loose at 25mph on the wet roads, I pulled right over and changed them, not worth loosing the time and money you put in your vehicle, and no they dont handle the corners for s#&t,
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 9
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Well that's a straight up honest answer I can understand. Thanks for the advice. The nice thing is I can put both my slicks in the bed of my truck and drive around with them with me. I guess I'll just carry a jack as well so I can change.
Yeah, I agree, no tread sucks in the rain with any kind of power on tap. One of the times I got pulled over for speeding, the cop noticed I had non-DOT tires. Unfortunately he was on a power trip and said they were totally unsafe and wouldn't let me move the car. I had to call a tow truck and the cop wanted my car impounded. Luckily I knew the truck driver and he talked the cop out of the impound. I ended up with $390 in fines, a year of driving probation, court costs, and the tow bill. 
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TECH Resident
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 958
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From: Mentor, Ohio
I ran my 26x10.5x16 ET Streets for a few weeks and yes it did rain too. They were a BITCH when it was wet! BUT...it was damn fun being able to use 1/2 gear at full throttle on the street, occasionally. I wasn't bothered by the po pos either.
I used full slicks on my LPE 383 1990 vette all the time. 26 X 11 X 15, screws in the rim. it was fine as long as it didnt rain, f it did, you HAVE to stop immediately and let it get dry again! It wasn't at all on dry roads, BUT vettes handle a helluv a lot better then camaros.
everyone who's driven on e.t. streets in the rain, knows it's DOABLE, but not recommended. It sux. I stuck to city streets and a 25mph limit. As for e.t. drags in the rain, well, again, everyone is right. It SUCKS ***. I just pulled over and parked it.
As for the cops, results may vary. i was never pulled over specifically for that. I have been pulled over and the cop noticed them and just said, "nice tires" with a wink and then said to get it home or switch the tires back. Been given thumbs up from cops who maybe never noticed them? It's a risk. Depends on where you drive. Stick with an E.T. Street if only around town driving. Otherwise a drag radial would be best i think.
Chris
As for the cops, results may vary. i was never pulled over specifically for that. I have been pulled over and the cop noticed them and just said, "nice tires" with a wink and then said to get it home or switch the tires back. Been given thumbs up from cops who maybe never noticed them? It's a risk. Depends on where you drive. Stick with an E.T. Street if only around town driving. Otherwise a drag radial would be best i think.
Chris
TECH Veteran
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 349
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I got caught in the rain with my DragLites and ET Streets on my car. It was a downpour with 1" of standing water on the road. I had to do 30mph on the interstate. Other than that night, my ET Streets were awesome and I got 3,500 miles out of them.
It depends on the road when it gets wet with ET streets. I got caught in the rain 80 miles from home at Bristol dragway and when I left the track the car would be all over the place at like 5mph. I drove on the shoulder of a 4 lane road at 5-10mph a ways and then ventured out on the road. At 15mph I was going down a fairly large bridge and the back end started coming around, put the car in neutral, nothing I could do - slid across 5 lanes into the oncoming lane backwards. Seemed when I hit the brakes the car sped up, there was no standing water - it was the downhill side of the bridge. I have 25 years of driving experience in the snow/ice and there was nothing I could do, luckily the other cars seen me coming and got out of the way, it was a 55mph speed limit and I would have had a lot of fun explaining things to the insurance company if people didnt get out of the way in time.
Once I got to the expressway I felt pretty safe doing 25-30mph until I got out of the rain so you never know. I still leave my ET streets on all the time but now with the spool if there is a 1% chance of rain the car stays home. I'm getting a trailer in the spring for the long track hauls..
Bottom line is, just dont drive in the rain with ET streets..
Once I got to the expressway I felt pretty safe doing 25-30mph until I got out of the rain so you never know. I still leave my ET streets on all the time but now with the spool if there is a 1% chance of rain the car stays home. I'm getting a trailer in the spring for the long track hauls..
Bottom line is, just dont drive in the rain with ET streets..
TECH Veteran
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 349
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Originally Posted by SOM WS6
Eric didn't those ET's lose air alot? I remember you bitchin alot about that. Plus you blew one up going home one night I thought.
