redbird555

Ok guys so here's the deal currently my car is just bolt ons and it'll likely stay that way for a while. It's wearing a set of PS cup tires outback which are right up there with some of the worst tires I have owned for the money. Anyway what is everyone here using to hook under 550whp?

I'm looking to be able to dead hook from a 1st gear roll or dig. So far my options are either a toyo r888 or r888r or a MT ET street SS. Ultimately I know the Mickey will hook better but I can get the toyo in a little shorter height than stock to help get a little better overall gearing as well as not be as scared in the rain or at higher speeds... but I don't know if the 888 will be enough traction for what I want

Tech

You probably already know that R888s (or R888R) are not drag radials. They are DOT legal road race tires. With that being said, your subject is totally wrong if you want to know if road race tires will hold 550rwhp.

You used the phrase "dead hook", so I'd suggest you skip road race tires. If you have almost no tolerance for throttle/clutch modulation, a drag radial is your best bet.

At about 650 rwhp, my car hooks very well in first gear even in 30* ambient temps with the MT ET Street S/S in stock sizes.

redbird555

Yes I understand the r888 is not a true drag radial. But the r compound isn't far off and they are commonly used in the same thought sentence as a dr.

I'm also not saying I'm going to dump the clutch and pray but as of now a 2500rpm clutch slip and then digging into the pedal in 1st results in a big smoke show. Just looking for something that can handle 1st gear pulls and do ok at the track.

I know lots use those r888 for that purpose so I was looking for feedback on then

Unreal

NT05R should be thrown in there too. I think they are a good in between from the ET street and R888.

redbird555

Ideally thats what I think too, the nt05r is it... however they only make it in 2 sizes on 19's and both of which are taller than stock. A c6z is already undergeared, no need to make it worse lol

Unreal

Make more power

The gear drop will also help hooking in 1st

redbird555

but it will also put me into 4th later which is no bueno for the 1/4. I know the mickey will hook if I really want the traction, but they dont handle as ell at higher speeds.. just not sure if I can have my cake and eat it with the toyo.

HOXXOH

You might consider getting 17" wheels for the rear, since the tire selection is greater and the taller sidewall makes for better launches. The MT's have thicker tread than M&H or Hoosiers, which means more life on the street.

TheSenator

NT05R for 19" rear wheels. They dead hook in 1st in a roll when heated up, and no sway at high speed. The very slight decrease in gearing was worth the very large increase in traction. 600rwhp here. Biggest drawback is they are terrible in any rain scenario.

Unreal

Any drag radial is crap in any rain.

Then again I drove out to 1/2 mile in rain on the 15" DRs. Just kept it to ~55 on highway.

TheSenator

M/T or Nittos? I've only gotten caught once on my NT05R's and it was terrible compared to several sets of 555R's on other cars. I've never been on a set of M/T, but the tread design looks like it could handle a bit of water better.

Unreal

325 15" ET streets. The basically zero tread ones.

HOXXOH

Assuming you opt to go with 17" MT, the better size choice for traction with your HP is 275/40x17. Keep in mind that drag radials work best at lower pressures than you normally run on the street, so if you run 18-20 psi you may not be as stable as speed increases. Also remember that wider tires require even lower pressure to work best, which increases high speed instability.

Drag radials are designed for the dragstrip. So when you use them on the street where conditions are not like the track, you won't get the same results.

lt1z

I wouldn't drive a Hoosier or ET Street R in the rain but the ET Street SS and Nittos do ok in rain if you don't drive like an idiot on them. At least as well or better then Cup tires.

Millenium Z06

No sway at high speeds?
My car was all over the place above 130 mph and you better not be doing anything but a straight line. Hard braking, same thing, car moved around in the rear on the soft NT05r sidewalls (which is what this tire is supposed to do). Ive switched to R888r's and all that secondary motion is completely gone, car still hooks as good as it did on NT05r's but without the drama.

Completely stable at 130+ and under braking and tires were the only change, even still using the same shock settings I had on the NT05r's

lt1z

Tire pressure has a lot to to with high speed stability on DR. If I was running 1/2 mile or 1 mile or even highway pulls I would air them up a bit more then they would get for a standing start on a drag strip.

AzDave47

I recently ran the Omega 1/2 mile roll races at Gila Bend., first time ever on drag radials, MT ET SS 325/30-19 at 30 PSI on OEM rims. They were not planted steady at 140 to 165, but were OK. It made me think that they may not be good to run at Mojave 1 1/2 mile for a mile in 5th gear though.

At Omega they hooked great nailing 1st gear at 40 MPH and on the 1-2 and all other shifts. I drove down to the Valley in light rain for 40 miles and they were OK.

lt1z

For 1.5 miles I would run an R888 or similar since hooking up in the lower gears isn't as important as high speed stability at that distance. Even lower power cars will hit 200+ in 1.5 miles.

AzDave47

I have a set of R888's but they may not pass inspection for the next Mojave event, oh well.

Millenium Z06

Some events dont allow DR's so you may want to check