racerxrick

I've been searching and discussing with the local guys...I want a max effort drag combo as the 345/19 NT05R's are great for around town but a bear to hook at the strip.

Supercharged 675/580 car with a McLeod RXT just installed.

I'm buying the rims this week from a local owner.

so...starting to lean towards bias ply for consistency and since its a clutch car MORE FORGIVING. The rims come with new M&H front runners (radials) so it was tempting to just add some M/T ET Street Radial II's 315/35/17. However I am leaning towards bias ply.

Discussion and advice is MUCH appreciated.

(background, I do know what bias ply slicks "feel" like as I have put miles on them at the strip and um, uh...the street in the past) Would rather run radials BUT not at the expense of the drive line and performance.

THANK YOU!

BIGMAC

I will be watching this post with interest. I have an 2012 GS A6 with an ECS Kit and all the goodies on a 416 ci stoker motor and 3.42 Z06 rear nearing completion that should make close to 800 RWHP. Vengeance Racing has recommended I go with Weld S71 17x10 wheels with 295/45/17 Mickey Thompson ET Street II DR's. The 295's are recommended as they have a 27" diameter than is close to the stock spec. Since I plan to stay with the stock fronts (for now) I need to stay close to the stock spec to keep from triggering TCS / AH hell.

BIGMAC

racerxrick

your auto car will have a slightly different requirement. Vengeance actually suggested the 26" tire for me and said the 28" would probably ET the same but I'd likely lose MPH.

secrt0007agt

How many lbs. are you running with the NT's?

dev1360

I went with 26x11.50x17 ET Street Bias plies with 185/55-17 M&H front runners on GTO spares.

I fought with radials for too long. Bias plies are the way to go with a stick car. I'm cutting consistent 1.5x 60s without drama at 500whp.

secrt0007agt

Nice, I see a lot of folks using GTO spares & 17's

DO THE GTO's CLEAR THE BRAKES ON A C6 GS?

dev1360

I should have clarified that my setup is on a base coupe. I don't know about the spares clearing GS brakes. CTS-V 18" spares are another good option that will clear your brakes.

secrt0007agt

Thanks much

robz

It's best to run bias ply tires with a conventional manual setup. You will have so much more fun with the launches with them over a drag radial. I can't tell you how many people I've convinced to switch that say this.

Like mentioned above a 26x11.5x17 will work.
A better tire is the 26x11.5x16.
I'd run them on a 10-11" rim.

There are other bias ply tires out there too b ut I'd start out with 26".
We have fit a 16 on a c6 by machining the control arm and some other minor adjustments.

secrt0007agt

This is my setup so far;

2011 Grand Sport Corvette
Built by Stingray Chevrolet, Faster Proms and Jeremy Formato
Brian Crower Pro Series H-Beam Connecting Rods
Wiseco LS3/L92 Forged Pistons
Stock/Ported Heads
APR Main Stud Kit
Clevite Coated H-Series Rod Bearings
ZR1 Head Gaskets
APR Head Bolts
Blower Cam Spec’d by Jeremy Formato of Faster Proms
Brian Tooley Valve Springs
Comp Push Rods
Meiling Oil Pump
Custom Crank Case Breather Kit/Tank
1 7/8’s KOOKS Headers and X Pipe
Modified Stock Dual Mode Mufflers
Tuned by Chuck COW
COW Booster
Convertor Spec’d by Jeremy Formato
Ported Throttle Body
Cold Air Intake
Dewitt’s Double Core Radiator
Dual Spal Fans
160 Degree Thermostat
Aeromotive A1000 Fuel Pump and Pump Speed Controller
95 lb. Fuel Injectors.

I am pretty satisfied with my NT05r's for now (since I just bought a new pair) but there is always room for improvement. The car has run a 10.0 sec 135 mph, but I am running 1/8 for fun sometimes

robz

Looks great and you're running well. The slicks will allow you to launch hard and stay in it when it spins. The drag radial can be your street tire.

secrt0007agt

Where the hell do you find 17" wheels to work with Grand Sport?

LS1LT1

As mentioned in the other thread, stock C5 Z06 front 17x9.5s will clear the stock rear brakes of a C6 Grand Sport/C6 Z06. They sit 'in' a tiny bit of course but they do work.

secrt0007agt

I finally found a couple of 17 x 11 C4 ZR1 wheels from a very nice gentleman. Now my search begins for a set of 17" slicks that will give me a great "footprint" on the track and get my times down where they should be. Thanks for all the help.

racerxrick

man I've had a number of PM discussions on this, it's a shame they aren't in the thread. The problem is finding a bias ply slick or street legal bias ply tire in a 17" size for our wide body cars.

Are you running MN6?

secrt0007agt

I am running A6. I will be running my 19 x 12's with NT05r's on the street and just use the 17's for the track, so track (only) slicks will work for me.

racerxrick

UPDATE


1. M&H makes a 17" true drag slick available in 26" height (retains your factory gearing) HOWEVER here's the specs:
Tread Width: 8.5"
Section Width: 9.5"
Diameter: 26.0"
Circumference: 82.0"
Rim Size: 8.0".

(pretty narrow for a GS/Z though I am sure they'd hook)

2. Hoosier makes a 28.0/10.0-17 C 9.5" tread width intended for a 8-10" rim. (HOWEVER many sources suggest that 28" diameter is not the best option with stock 3.42 gearing)

3. Maybe the best option is the M/T ET Street bias play sized at:
26X11.50-17LT 23 M5 Tubeless 11" rim 11.1 section width 9.5 tread width 26.5" diameter
(I keep hearing they are hard to come by, Summit currently shows a ship date of 5/28 so that may not be true)

What I chose:

I have ordered a drag radial, the all new M/T Street R 315/35/17 (should ship soon) though still feel like I've compromised on what I really "need" for the strip. I am concerned the radial Street R will be hard on my diff, etc. being a drag radial on a clutch car. However road manners will of course be better. Plus if I run an event like Street Car Takeover I can use my drag pack comfortably in the 30mph start roll race.

Still concerned I should have ordered bias ply's...

racerxrick

Running the A6 I'd run the Hoosier 26" drag radial...serious. You don't need the slip/recovery characteristics of a wrinkle wall bias ply slick.

I have a local friend with a auto converted C6z that runs 9.8's NA all day and even bracket races it VERY consistently!

Heck he drove the car from Dallas to Houston, bolted the drag pack on, ran 9.8's and then drove home twice this spring.

secrt0007agt

All good info...thanks much for all the help.

Joe_G

I have a little different opinion than RobZ and I'm nowhere near as fast as him so take that into consideration as you consider my thoughts.

I've had both bias and Mickey Thompson drag radials and I like the short M/T's a lot more. RobZ is of course very correct that if you spin the bias ply will catch, but I've become pretty adept at launching a drag radial, not spinning, and let the clutch absorb the slip and thus not bog. I never got such good 60 foots from the bias ply but that's likely because I hadn't learned to launch as well back in those days.

Avoiding the bog is the key to a good 60 foot.

I drive my car to/from the track and that's not possible with the bias ply. I got caught once in the rain...15 mph and you are swapping ends. With the M/T drag radials you can drive in the rain, just slow down a bit. I used to trailer up my bias ply but I don't like bothering with that anymore....I changed tires one too many times in the rain.

So I prefer the drag radials for their short height and thus more gear, the fact you can street drive on them, and they last twice about twice as long.