Drag Radials or Slicks
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 2,469
Likes: 6
From: Winchester Ontario
Drag Radials or Slicks
At what point do you transfer from the drag radials at the track and start using slicks. I have seen some people's posts with drag radials getting low 12's, maybe even lower. Obviously slicks would work better, but what are the lowest times seen with people running the drag radials? This will be a much cheaper option for me than buying slicks and rims to fit them.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 402
Likes: 0
From: Beaverton OR
Re: Drag Radials or Slicks (black_89_vette)
i've seen more people swear by the nitto 555R as being a far better tire than the BFG for a drag radial. a good friend of mine made a pass at 11.4@126mph on a 315 35 17 nitto 555R drag radial. this was a bolt on modified C5 with a fairly good wet shot of NOS. traction was absolutly NO problem for him. the other thing you should keep in mind with a full on slick, espessialy a wide sticky one is...what gives when you drop the clutch at 3000rpm? if the tires don't, all the strain is on the drivetrain. some tire slip taking off is a good thing in my oppinion.
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 4,724
Likes: 16
From: Little Elm TX
Re: Drag Radials or Slicks (importeater)
i've seen more people swear by the nitto 555R as being a far better tire than the BFG for a drag radial. a good friend of mine made a pass at 11.4@126mph on a 315 35 17 nitto 555R drag radial. this was a bolt on modified C5 with a fairly good wet shot of NOS. traction was absolutly NO problem for him. the other thing you should keep in mind with a full on slick, espessialy a wide sticky one is...what gives when you drop the clutch at 3000rpm? if the tires don't, all the strain is on the drivetrain. some tire slip taking off is a good thing in my oppinion.
From what I've noticed, based upon a fairly stock suspensioned vette.... 26" drag radials are good to 1.75 60 fts consistently. You can run them into the mid to high 1.6's, but your consistency is going to suffer when you're that quick, unless you're lucky enough to run on a perfect track all the time. It looks like with the 28" drag radials you can run another 1 tenth quicker before running into the same consistency problems. With your 383 SR motor, you're going to want to at least run the 28" drag radial or ET Street to have any type of consistency.... the traditional 26" bfg drag radial or Nitto drag radial are not going to deliver you consistent 60 foots...
good luck
Beach
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 4,870
Likes: 25
From: Long Island, NY
Re: Drag Radials or Slicks (Beach Bum)
From what I've noticed, based upon a fairly stock suspensioned vette.... 26" drag radials are good to 1.75 60 fts consistently. You can run them into the mid to high 1.6's, but your consistency is going to suffer when you're that quick, unless you're lucky enough to run on a perfect track all the time.
Beach
Beach
Vic
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,614
Likes: 0
From: Colleyville Texas
Re: Drag Radials or Slicks (Vic'89)
Beach is right. If you are driving to the track and just having fun go with the Nitto's or BFG's. If you want consistency and the best 60' in serious racing conditions, put on the ET Streets. Six speeds are more inconsistent with the DR's. A 1.7 60' with a six speed is not easy on DR's. Driving the 396 and 4.09 gears with the Nitto DR's is making a 1.7 even more of a dream.
[Modified by Red Rocket, 4:28 PM 11/30/2001]
[Modified by Red Rocket, 4:28 PM 11/30/2001]
Racer
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 402
Likes: 0
From: Beaverton OR
Re: Drag Radials or Slicks (Red Rocket)
totally agree with you guys on most of this. the C5 i was talking about still has the stock clutch in it & is slipping a tad on take off, i'd really hate to see this thing go on drag slicks. however the point is made the clutch is the problem & not the tires. if i remember right his 60ft time was in the 1.8-1.9 range most the season. nittos seriously are a track favorite around here but if your doing times like that on the BFG i might pick up a set as i have wholesale with tire rack. good to know :cheers:
Racer
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 336
Likes: 0
From: San Jose ca/ Menifee Ca
Re: Drag Radials or Slicks (black_89_vette)
I agree with Beach as well. I was using BFG Drag radials and had to baby the thing before I could hammer it. I tried a friends Nittos and they would go up in smoke as SOON as I hammered it. I like the BFG way better. I now have ET streets and they hook with out even so much as a chirp. No tire spin leads to lower ETs. If you need tire spin to save the clutch, buy a better clutch.
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
From: birmingham al
Re: Drag Radials or Slicks (11sec84)
nitto drag people here
turbovette has run the best of
1. 60ft 1.54 *ouch ouch
1/8 7.03 @ 98
1/4 11.01 @ 125 "New
this is with stock suspension
we run anywhere from 1.60-1.64 every pass unless the track is really slick http://www.meacham.pointclark.net
[Modified by meach13, 9:53 PM 11/30/2001]
turbovette has run the best of
1. 60ft 1.54 *ouch ouch
1/8 7.03 @ 98
1/4 11.01 @ 125 "New
this is with stock suspension
we run anywhere from 1.60-1.64 every pass unless the track is really slick http://www.meacham.pointclark.net
[Modified by meach13, 9:53 PM 11/30/2001]
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Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 3,014
Likes: 18
From: Raleigh, NC
Re: Drag Radials or Slicks (meach13)
I don't have any tire expirence on a vette, but with my T/A...
Nitto's suck unless you heat the shi+ outta them. Cold, they are worse than a regular street tire. They last longer than a BFG's, unless you go to the track alot. Then the HUGE burnout that is necessay to heat them up begins to take it's toll. BFG drag radials hook just as well (IMO) with a smaller burnout.
Unfortunately, ET streets are where its at. This is by far the best track option. Unfortunately if you like to street race, there are obvious drawbacks to taking out the ET streets and bolting them on infront of potential competitors. If you run them all the time, they will die REALLY fast.
Just my .02
Nitto's suck unless you heat the shi+ outta them. Cold, they are worse than a regular street tire. They last longer than a BFG's, unless you go to the track alot. Then the HUGE burnout that is necessay to heat them up begins to take it's toll. BFG drag radials hook just as well (IMO) with a smaller burnout.
Unfortunately, ET streets are where its at. This is by far the best track option. Unfortunately if you like to street race, there are obvious drawbacks to taking out the ET streets and bolting them on infront of potential competitors. If you run them all the time, they will die REALLY fast.
Just my .02
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 173
Likes: 0
From: west islip new york
Re: Drag Radials or Slicks (black_89_vette)
hi i have a very similar set up to you on a 91 with a good burn out i was able to do a1.57 60 and plenty of 160 60"s on bfg drag radials best run 11.880 with a trap speed of 113.62 one other thing my car is a automatic
[Modified by fioremike, 6:58 PM 12/8/2001]
[Modified by fioremike, 7:00 PM 12/8/2001]
[Modified by fioremike, 6:58 PM 12/8/2001]
[Modified by fioremike, 7:00 PM 12/8/2001]
