I have been looking for drag tires and the biggest tire size I can find is 16". Where can I go to get a bigger slick?

 

Tire Rack

315/35R17





[Modified by wallstAL, 6:28 PM 9/4/2001]

 

Nitto makes a 275/40/17 Drag Radial too. From what I understand, the BFG's hook better off of the line. The guys using Nitto's on LS1.com mostly leave them on the car because they get better mileage out of them than the BFG's do.

 

315-35-17 is available by Nitto and BFG...BUT the BFG's are nearly impossible to get
http://www.discounttiredirect.com has the Nittos

thanks

 

Tony,

Will that tire fit on my spare 17" front rims and then mounted on the rear? I'd like to change tires for the track. :confused:

 

Sure will. I did it last Saturday.

 

Thanks Crane. :cheers: I'll be shopping tomorrow.

 

275/40/17's is the biggest tire that you can fit on a stock C5 17x8.5" front wheel.

 

C5 YA. Thanks for the info, almost ordered the wrong size tire. I take it their are no Drag Radials that with fit the stock 18 " rear wheel? :crazy:

 

I believe there are some now. Seems like I saw it in another post that both BFG and Nitto were making 18's but there is very little sidewall so they may not perform the same.

I ran mine at 20 lbs and they hooked up well.

cc

 

There are no 18" drag radials, yet. Rumor has it that there may be some this fall. Don't hold your breath.

275's fit well on 8.5" wide (front) wheels or 9.5" wide (rear) wheels.

315's will fit on a 9.5" wheel but you are pushing it. They fit very well on 11" wide wheels.

AFS sells ZR1 style wheels in 11" width with the Grand Sport offset for $262.50 per wheel in silver painted finish. AFStires.com (I think)

Always a controversy about Nitto's and BFG's. Both are good tires. Nitto's respond well to a good burnout. A line lock helps.

 

Hey Buckmaster,

Drag radials are DOT approved tires that are designed and spec'ed for racing at the drag strip. They are usually low-mileage tires (don't last too long, except for the nittos which can last well into 15K miles) with fairly soft rubber compound. Therefore "stickier" and hook up better. BFG's don't require as much heating up as Nittos, but both are excellent tires.

They aren't meant for driving in wet conditions, but the nittos hold up better than most. They usually have very shallow tread...just enough to be DOT approved. This is where they are different from slicks as slicks have no tread, are not DOT approved, and have zero traction in the rain. However, slicks provide a hell of a lot more traction than drag radials on a dry track.

Most people buy smaller diameter rims when going with slicks. This allows the tire to have a taller side wall and still be able to fit on the car without tubbing. The idea being that the sidewall will flex and provide increased traction during a hard launch. For example, let's say the stock setup has an 18" rim and a 2" sidewall. If you go with a 16" rim, you can fit a tire with a 4" sidewall. To complicate matters further, slicks aren't made to fit 17" or larger rims, so you'd have to go with a 15 or 16".

For drag radials, I seriously doubt the sidewalls flex much at all relative to slicks. They probably don't flex any more than regular performance street tires. Drag radials are available in 17", but not 18". Nitto is suppose to release some 18" drag radials this fall, but the rep told me they were designed for the Lightning. :mad

So, if want to get drag radials, you can use a 17" rim. There will be no benefit going to a 16" rim. If you want slicks, I'd go with a 15 or 16" rim.

You do run the risk of breaking your rear end if you go with sticker tires, especially slicks. Hope this helps! :cheers:


[Modified by RajunCajun2001, 1:53 PM 9/5/2001]