Which drag radial tire is the best?

I've seen some work for some people and not others. I had BFGs (26x10)and couldn't hook for anything (on stock suspension); then went to Nittos and they were a little better. Haven't run the Nittos since suspension upgrades, though. Went straight to QTP's since I run an m20 and n2o.

Include vehicle power, trans, gears, tire size and psi, suspension setup, etc.

There are a lot of really fast street cars on this forum, and I wanted to see what people run and what works for them.

I have tried both Mickey's and BFG. The Mickeys are better for sure. The best DOT Street tire I ever used was the Hoosier Quick Time Pro's. If you are going to race use the real thing (slicks) unless your class rules tell you have to run a DOT tire.

Dave

I love the MT ET streets on the back of mine. These things are sticky at room temperature. I get em to break loose going into second when I hit it hard at a stop light, but they don't spin in first on an off idle launch, and I haven't had any problems at the track when a proper burnout is performed. Not to mention they don't track at all going down the highway at 70+ either. :thumbsup: Definately some of the best tires I've ever purchased.

i use bfg-drag radials not happy with the hook or 60'-times.
they are lots better than regular radials.
i'm going to be in the market soon as no tread is left showing.....

With a stick car, your asking a DR to do alot. Will this be a spaer set of wheels?

I had a set of BFG DR's, 26x10 and it was essentially a waste. Best '60 I could muster was a 2.0. Maybe a 28x10 woulda been a bit better, but how MUCH better could it of gotten 1.9's?

Couple of guys here withe the MT ET DR were able to get a 1.7, which I think is great for a street car that ocassionally races, and this is with a stick! Any lower than that, looks like your going to have to get the ET street. That's what I have now, and just farting around with 20psi, and can tell these SOB's are going to hook. But in hindsight, I probably shoulda got the ET DR's b/c I like to drive to the track with these on rather than swap them out there, and a 1.7 '60 is more than adequate for my OCASSIONAL strip visit. And, the radials drive nicer that these ET streets.

I have used the M/T radials. 1.50 60ft's.
I have been hearing lots of good things about the new Hoosier DOT
radials.

I have used the M/T radials. 1.50 60ft's.
I have been hearing lots of good things about the new Hoosier DOT
radials.
:confused:what size tire with what trans?

With a stick car, your asking a DR to do alot. Will this be a spaer set of wheels?

I had a set of BFG DR's, 26x10 and it was essentially a waste. Best '60 I could muster was a 2.0. Maybe a 28x10 woulda been a bit better, but how MUCH better could it of gotten 1.9's?

Couple of guys here withe the MT ET DR were able to get a 1.7, which I think is great for a street car that ocassionally races, and this is with a stick! Any lower than that, looks like your going to have to get the ET street. That's what I have now, and just farting around with 20psi, and can tell these SOB's are going to hook. But in hindsight, I probably shoulda got the ET DR's b/c I like to drive to the track with these on rather than swap them out there, and a 1.7 '60 is more than adequate for my OCASSIONAL strip visit. And, the radials drive nicer that these ET streets.

I got a 2.0 60' with 14"TA radials,thats not good for a DR.I got a set of 275/60/15 BFGoodrich DRs to use next year and Im sure I can beat the 2.0 I got with the stock street tire.

What do you mean by "Best"?

best for racing, best for street driving in the dry, best for street driving when wet, best/longest life, etc?

I've used BFG, M/t and now the new Hoosier DOT D/R.

For RACING ONLY, I like the Hoosier the best so far. It's much lighter than the M/T and has a softer sidewall than the M/T. Think of it as a hybrid of sorts between a radial and stiff sidewall bias ply slick...kinda using the best attributes of both.

'79 Malibu, 3400 lbs w/driver, N/A 461 bbc, th400, 8" ATI flashing to 6000 rpm, footbrake launched, bolt-on upgrades to the stock suspension, mid 9's @ 138-140 mph, best 60' of 1.28. 325/50-15 tire, 18 psi cold, 10" rim.

[quote=10secBu;1567535]What do you mean by "Best"?

best for racing, best for street driving in the dry, best for street driving when wet, best/longest life, etc?



Yo, this is the performance forum, right? (he he)

Yeah, for racing. I have a stick and I ran like 2.19 60s, which is downright painful. But like I said above, I've since upgraded my suspension all around. With the DRs, there was a window of about 200 rpms that I had to be in, otherwise I'd either bog (if too low) or spin (if too high). Tough going. I run the quick time pros at the track now, but want to go to another drag radial for the street.

Don't know if anyone's used them, but the Nittos work ok, but they kick up everything off the road when you're just driving around.

Good point though, 10secbu, the hoosier drag radials look like a track tire whereas the MT radials look like they'd be a little better for the street driving side.

Either way, with a stick you almost have to go with a DOT slick, like MT or Hoosier, unless you're a magician, like the guys noted above who pulled 1.70s with DRs. I can't do that with my QTPs (At least not yet, but I will next season. . .)

What trans are you running Brian (blue66. . .)?????? That's an awesome 60.

The best 60 ft I did with my Mickey Thompson Drag Radials was 1.74, put my Hoosier Quick Time Pro's back on 1.63. The Mickey's are for sale.

Dave

Launch pic
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p87/Dave427/IMG_00751.jpg

Although an automatic... I ran a borrowed set of about gone MT DR's (at 30psi cold) and with my homemade CalTracs went 1.64's. Tried 3000rpm launch , blew the tires off, tried 2500rpm launch and same thing. 2200rpm worked fine. Didn't remember to lower air pressure till I was ready to go home and swung by the air pump :clonk:

As I understand they don't work that great on stick cars. :confused:

Do you need/should run tubes with the Hoosier Quick Time Pros?

Thanks, Jeff

don't use radials with a stick, they don't recover from spinning well, and you don't want to dead hook with a stick

m/t et street radials 275-60-15 seem to work for my set up.1.61 60' stock sup ,foot brake to 1200-1500,i haven't tryed any others.

http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/data/500/medium/Wheels_Up_1.jpg

leon

Do you need/should run tubes with the Hoosier Quick Time Pros?

Thanks, Jeff
No , I didn't.

Dave

Sounds like nobody has been happy with the BFG drag radials. If I remember correctly however, they hold the world record 1/4 time for a drag radial. So what gives?

275-60/15 MT DR. 1.75 60' time with the car set up to leave soft. Dead hooked nontheless. Same car last time out three years ago on BFG street radials went 60' of 2.40 & 2.20. I think the DR's have a 1.70 or better in them - more than what I need for mid-high 11's.

It sounds like to me that alot depends on your suspension set up,trans RPM your leaving at.I bet if you have your car set up correctly,correct tire pressure,correct launch RPM you can make any of the DRs hook.

Sounds like nobody has been happy with the BFG drag radials. If I remember correctly however, they hold the world record 1/4 time for a drag radial. So what gives?

Yeah, I know. They must work, as someone noted, if you have everything dialed in. But with a stick? Tough going. The MT DR seem to be the tire that the most people get to work well.

For the hoosier quick time pros, Hoosier recomends tubes, but some people don't run them. If you plan to drive on the street with them, you need tubes, since they'll leak, from what I'm told (?????). I just run mine at the track, but I still run tubes in them. It would be intersting to know how many people on the forum run tubes. A new poll, maybe?

I ran no tubes in my Quick time Pro's no leaks and with my Quick Time Pros I didn't have to dial my car in to leave soft. I could leave as hard as I wanted. If you are going to race why run hybrid race tires. Buy the most sticky tire you can buy for you don't spin, why pussy foot with it and leave not as hard as your car can handle.

Dave

I ran P305/45/18 Nitto drag radials in my 4,200 LB (curb weight) daily driver, with 17 PSI, 4.56:1 gears, and an automatic trans with a 3,000 stall speed. The car dead hooked consistently with a 1.6 second 60' time (usually 1.65 seconds) and ran 12.2 ET's in the warm weather, and 12.0 ET's in the cold weather.That was just punching it from an idle. I usually didn't footbrake the car, because it just wouldn't hook like that. I have M/T drag radials on my Chevelle, but I haven't tried them yet.

Drag radials wont hook unless your suspension works. Ever gone to a heads up race and watched the drag radial class? Those guys can go bumper at any time, kinda like Todd ;) I think most of the guys with soft 60ft times just need more converter and more suspension work and power too. You can't mount a set of drag radials and expect a 1.5 or better 60ft time, lots more to it than that. I can go out on the street and roast my 30x10.5x15 slicks, turn around and go to the track and go 1.4 or better 60ft.

i run 275-60-15 bfg drag radials and with my 350 and th-350 the don't spin at all off the line. i would recommend them for a mild small block car. no tsure on how they would work on a big block though

There is no one best tire - your tires are but one component of your traction system. Sticky tires don't help much if you cant plant the tires on the launch. Most drag cars make for poor street driving, and most street cars launch poorly. Its all a compromise (Moroso drag springs are great on the track but they suck on the street), and depending on what makes you comfortable you choose your setup. I know of two street driven cars on regular non-drag street tires that could pull upper 11's. This forum's "69 Ratt Vett" (John) ran into the 11's on regular 245 street radials with a manual trans big block.

My '65 ElCamino has run 1.5x 60' times on M/T E.T. Streets 28 x 11.50 (8.9" actual tread width) at 16.5 psi with a 609 hp 496, 4.11 gears, TH 200 4R trans, 3,200 stall converter, stock style suspension with all aftermarket arms, 3,600 lb race weight with driver. I've driven everywhere on the E.T. Streets. When it is time for new tires I'm going to try the M.T. Street Radial.

Thomas

My last set of tires was 27X10.5-15 M/T E.T. Streets. I pulled a 1.65 best 60ft. They drove and handled like slinkys. My current tires are 255 60 -15 M/T E.T. Street Radials. Best 60ft is 1.63. They drive and handle like regular tires @16psi.

Auto, 3500#, 3200 stall, 385cid

Its pretty much down to M/T or Hoosier's.....Nitto and BFG appear to get the least attention and mainly the least grip at the track.

My buddy swears up and down his BFG 255/50R16's hook better than the M/T's he had. Honestly.....He's never taken his camaro to the track to verify so I keep telling him to do it and prove it!

I know of two street driven cars on regular non-drag street tires that could pull upper 11's. This forum's "69 Ratt Vett" (John) ran into the 11's on regular 245 street radials with a manual trans big block.

My best on a Wal-Mart Douglas "true radial" is 11.2x @ 125mph.

how69ss

Here is what i have found in slicks like the m/t et street tires, Drag radial m/t et street radials hook good on alot of cars at the track but all stick cars i have seen and ones we have built engines for use m/t et street slicks or goodyear or m/t all out slicks. They report that the 60' is better, you need a little stiffer sidewall than a m/t et drag {this is why they make stiff sidewall slicks} with a stick but from what we have seen the drag radials are on most automatic cars.

On the street almost everybody is going to the e/t street radial because they drive better than e/t streets

Is anyone running the M&H cheater slicks? I know they're not radials but wondered how they did on a stick car.

M/T ET STREET in a 4,080 pound car with 16psi has done a 1.681 60' with a converter that is too tight by 800rpm's,

ET street radials, i dont know.

It seems on an automatic or high rpm leaving stick car m/t or goodyear slicks, but on lower power race cars hoosier seems to do better.

Lower power cars? What do you mean? Hoosier radial slicks 10.5" wide= 1.376 with my car, 40Coupe just went 1.31 at KCIR last weekend with the same tire 9" wide. 40Coupe has also gone 1.34 with the "NEW" Hoosier drag radial.

mickey t's for sure....seen quiet a few cars on the street pull the wheels well off the street with them tires... at the track even better.....

I'm getting consistent 1.72-1.75 60' times with 275-60/15 MT DR's. Hard to tell, but I think I am getting a dead hook. I have ran 1.80 60' times on non-prepped track (Friday Night street racing), car spun out the hole but did recover enough for 1.80.

The m/t et radials 325/50 are working well for me. When running at Kansas city this fall at the tosto brothers event. I was leaving wheels up with a 1.48 60' , but I also had a 1.47 60' that 40 coupe video'd for me and wheels were not up, it just hooked and went. The sidewalls were wrinkled in a picture from the event and I did not spin any, so I think I can turn it up a little more and the tire will take it at a well prepared track like kansas city was that race. Bob West gave me a used set a Hooser radial slicks 30/10.5 that I will try for comparison later. There are lots of cars hooking on small tires, so I am with others on here saying that it has more to do with suspension than tire. The better the suspension, the smaller the tire will work.

Greg

mickey t's for sure....seen quiet a few cars on the street pull the wheels well off the street with them tires... at the track even better.....

Must be sticky streets :confused:

Lower power cars? What do you mean? Hoosier radial slicks 10.5" wide= 1.376 with my car, 40Coupe just went 1.31 at KCIR last weekend with the same tire 9" wide. 40Coupe has also gone 1.34 with the "NEW" Hoosier drag radial.

Is that the Hoosier "Slick" radial or the DOT radial? I am looking at a set of the Hoosier radial slicks, I like the 275x60x15 MTDR's(Dot's) that I have now(1.65-60's) but they are wearing out quick and I need a little taller tire. -Jim

The m/t et radials 325/50 are working well for me. When running at Kansas city this fall at the tosto brothers event. I was leaving wheels up with a 1.48 60' , but I also had a 1.47 60' that 40 coupe video'd for me and wheels were not up, it just hooked and went. The sidewalls were wrinkled in a picture from the event and I did not spin any, so I think I can turn it up a little more and the tire will take it at a well prepared track like kansas city was that race. Bob West gave me a used set a Hooser radial slicks 30/10.5 that I will try for comparison later. There are lots of cars hooking on small tires, so I am with others on here saying that it has more to do with suspension than tire. The better the suspension, the smaller the tire will work.

Greg

Me too! I will have to change my sig since im running some cheaper 325/50 BFG's for a while,they last longer but my M/T's did a better job. My car is low powered compaired to most of you guys but DR's work great for all the 500hp and below cars.

With 275/60-15 MT ET Street Radials, I have run a 60' best of 1.59. That is with 3.55 gears, mind you. As a matter of fact, that particular race is the link in my signature. This was on a Friday Night Midnight Mayhem (street cars). Prep might have been a little better on this particular night, as the PSCA was racing in Vegas that weekend and CarCraft had come that night with their AntiTour. Generally, prep is non existent on a street car night. With anything short of true slicks, anybody capable of low 11's or better will have a difficult time with traction. Not saying it can't happen, but it has been my experience that 1 out of every 4 or 5 races will hook and it will usually be only after an excessive burnout.

I tried the same size NITTO 555R's with less than stellar results. The NITTO's did last a bit longer on the street (MT DR's are past the wear bar within 2 months). Fortunately, it doesn't rain in Vegas, so I can drive DR's until I can practically see the air through the tire. Admittedly, a little wind (dust on the road) can make driving more like Disney on Ice.

We have one more track night (Nov. 30), I'm seriously contemplating a shorter tire. I may order a pair of 275/50-15 MT ET SR's, 26" tall, rather than 28", and an inch wider. It would have been nice to have tried them at ALL OUT, where good prep could offer a fair comparison. Several months ago, I tried 325/50-15's. Never got a good launch with them at all. Although this coresponded with my first rearend failure, prematurely wasting one tire more than the other. May try a little bribery/trickery to get some "unofficial" track attention on my lane.

Is that the Hoosier "Slick" radial or the DOT radial? I am looking at a set of the Hoosier radial slicks, I like the 275x60x15 MTDR's(Dot's) that I have now(1.65-60's) but they are wearing out quick and I need a little taller tire. -Jim

40Coupe and I both use the radial "slick" I have yet to use the new Hoosier drag radial but I will in the future as 40Coupe and Todd have hooked with them. I'm not sure what trmnatr meant by lower power cars seem to hook better with Hoosiers vs. Goodyear or MT's. I'm not running 9's but 1.3x 60ft with anything is pretty decent, especially at 3800lbs+