Justin79-L-82

I want to get a set of better tires for the rear so i can get better traction at the track, but still want to have a city crusier thats street legal. What kind of tires should i get? Bfg drag radials 275/60r15? COuld i mount those on my stock rims and still be able to drive in the city of highway once in a while? Or should i get some ralley wheels and mount some drag radials on them and just use them at the track? ANyOne have any info of street slicks or drag radials?

Justin79-L-82

What would be the idea size if i have 3.55 gears?

Gordonm

I would go with the 275 50 15. These are a little shorter so it will give you more gear for a better 1/4 mile. I think the 275 60 15 looks to big in the wheel well but that is my opinion. If or when I get the drag radials I am going to have an extra set of rims and just mount them for drags. Put the other tires on for normal cruising. If it does rain these can be tough to drive with. The 275 50 15 are 10 inches wide at the tread and the 275 60 15 are 8.8 inches. So the shorter tire is also wider.

fireball

...but the difference in top end between the 26" vs 28" tire at 5000 rpm in 4th gear will be 109mph vs 117mph. So I guess it's okay to use the shorter tire as long as you're not gonna run out of gear in fourth.

RatRacer

I run BFG Drag Radials full time on my ZR-1. They are fine around town except when it's wet. They are very dangerous in the rain.

The Nitto Drag Radials offer less grip on the track but they are better in wet conditions. They are also harder so they last longer than the soft BFG's.

With your car's power level I would suggest the Nitto's. They'll last longer and are more forgiving in the rain.

GrandSportC3

It all depends on your rear gears.. If you have 3.08's and a stock M-21 - you want to go with the 275/50's.. However - with 3.70 or 4.11 gears - it would be better going with the 60's series.. I have 3.55 gears and a Tremec TKO with a 3.27 :eek: first gear... I need to use the tallest tire that I can get under my fenders with my kind of final gear ratio!!!

:cheers:

Olivier

Justin79-L-82

Well i have 3.55 gears and a 3 speed th350. I'm comming close to redlining at the end of the quartermile (around 4900) and hit about 96 mph's. Would it be better to get the 275/50's? Or the 275/60's?

RatRacer

You want to be near red line in third when you cross the traps. Go with the 275/50/15's to maintain you current final gearing.

Justin79-L-82

If i got the Bfg drag radials, how long do you think they would last if i used them around the city? I usually only drive the car about 2 days a week and have to drive on the highway to get to the track for about an hour each way and maybe do that 4 times a year. Would it be a better idea to mount them on a set of corvette ralleys and just use them at the track?

GrandSportC3

If you don't want to redline your Vette. - 275/60's otherwise 275/50's.. If the engine is in good condition - you should be able to rev to 5500 without any problems... But don't blame me if you blow your engine at 5500...

:cheers:

Olivier

RatRacer

As long as you don't do big, smokey burnouts, they will last about 8-10k miles. The Nittos last longer and are probably a better tire for your power level. I would just mount them up and leave them on full time. I run them at 35psi around town and lower the pressure to 18psi at the track. Just try not to get caught in the rain.

Justin79-L-82

Blowing my engine? Now you got me worried :nonod: haha. How much of a difference is there between my stock 255/60's and the bfg 275/50's hight wise and how much of a difference in rpm's would it make at the end of the quarter mile?

RatRacer

Don't worry about blowing up your engine. If it blows just because you took it to redline, then the engine was on borrowed time anyway.

Back on topic, you'll be lucky with your current combo if you trap 100mph. Here's the breakdown of the various tire sizes and the rpm that the engine will see at 100mph:

25.8" tall 275/50/15 - 4625rpm @ 100mph
27.6" tall 255/60/15 - 4323rpm @ 100mph
28.0" tall 275/60/15 - 4262rpm @ 100mph

Any of these tire sizes will keep you rpm at a safe level for the drag strip. I still suggest the 275/50/15. It's shorter than your current tire so if you can afford it you'll want to put a shorter tire like a 235/60/15 in front so it looks balanced. That's the tire sizes I use on my '71 and it looks very good. It's also good for 1.80 second 60' times with a set of 275/50/15 BFG Radial T/A's.



[Modified by RatRacer, 2:32 PM 9/4/2002]

Justin79-L-82

Ratracer - Do you like the drag radials or the radial t/a's more? Yeah i was also thinking of 235/60's for the front. Thanks alot for the info :cheers:

RatRacer

You may be better off with the BFG Radial T/A's considering the level of power and torque your car makes. A Drag Radial may be overkill until you start making a lot more power. The 275/50/15 T/A's actually stick very well when they are new. The best part is they are cheap.

Justin79-L-82

Awesome. I'm sure the t/a's will be better then the ten year old tires i've got on now :D :seeya

MY63Z11

I just got brand new 255/60R/15 BFGs and my stock L48 can still spin them at the drags and no I didnt drive though the water box 2.1 60' If you want the best 60' times go with the drag radials

Walt

GrandSportC3

I managed to get 1.83 60' time with my BFG 255/60/15 Radial T/A's...
Well - the track was in great condition...

:cheers:

Olivier

MY63Z11

I managed to get 1.83 60' time with my BFG 255/60/15 Radial T/A's...
Well - the track was in great condition...

Olivier
:cheers:

Have you run your car with the drag radials yet. Didnt you just buy some

Walt

Justin79-L-82

My best 60 foot time with the tires i have on is 2.122. My average ones have been around 2.23-2.4 but thats with alot of tire spinning. Hopefully i can break 2.0 with new tires.