Drag Radials squirrelly?
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,587
Likes: 0
From: Colorado Springs CO
Drag Radials squirrelly?
I have a 2003 ZO6 and recently installed the BFG drag radials in the stock size of 295/35/18. The car seems very squirrelly under full acceleration. The car really seems to wander from Left to right. Is this how drag radials are and I need to get used to them?
The max PSI says 44. So I tried that and 40, and 38 nothing really seems to change anything.
I have put about 100 miles on the car now, and it seems that they are still squirrelly but I think I am getting used to them. My front tires are the stock ones.
Any ideas or suggestions???
The max PSI says 44. So I tried that and 40, and 38 nothing really seems to change anything.
I have put about 100 miles on the car now, and it seems that they are still squirrelly but I think I am getting used to them. My front tires are the stock ones.
Any ideas or suggestions???
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 1,421
Likes: 3
From: Memphis Tn
Re: Drag Radials squirrelly? (Yano)
You should never put 44psi in them. 30 is what the Vette take cold. It goes by the weight of your car, not what the tire says. So you go by the manual. You let air out of your DR's at the track. I run my BFG's at 20 psi at the dragstrip, and it tracks just fine.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 310
Likes: 0
From: Brooklyn NY
Re: Drag Radials squirrelly? (ScreaminDemon)
You should never put 44psi in them. 30 is what the Vette take cold. It goes by the weight of your car, not what the tire says. So you go by the manual. You let air out of your DR's at the track. I run my BFG's at 20 psi at the dragstrip, and it tracks just fine.
For non track duty, 30psi cold will give you 32psi when they warm up.
For track duty, start experimenting with 25psi and go down but don't go below 15psi.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 26,794
Likes: 613
From: Elmhurst, IL (West Suburb of Chicago) & Home of MEGA Horsepower
St. Jude Donor '06
Re: Drag Radials squirrelly? (Yano)
YANO,
What you describe is exactly what i have been experiencing with my 03 z06 running 315/30/18 drag radials and mich. pilot sports in fronts. I am getting more use to the squireleness under full throttle straight line acceleration and running 36psi warmed up on the street and will lower down to 32 psi warm and see if this helps.
What you describe is exactly what i have been experiencing with my 03 z06 running 315/30/18 drag radials and mich. pilot sports in fronts. I am getting more use to the squireleness under full throttle straight line acceleration and running 36psi warmed up on the street and will lower down to 32 psi warm and see if this helps.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 466
Likes: 0
From: Oswego NY
Re: Drag Radials squirrelly? (MTI 427 Roadster)
I'm running the same tire at 30 psi,The rear end seems to float around a little but the traction I'm getting is awesome,its all I can do to turn the tires. :yesnod:
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 848
Likes: 3
From: N.E. Phila. PA
Re: Drag Radials squirrelly? (Tom337)
I can certainly relate. I can now understand how some drag racers end up against the wall. ...but if you want the dry traction- you have to deal
with it.
I haven't run with less than 26 psi in my 345's, although I haven't
been completely satisfied with the hook up, yet.
with it.
I haven't run with less than 26 psi in my 345's, although I haven't
been completely satisfied with the hook up, yet.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,909
Likes: 1
From: Highland Village TX
Re: Drag Radials squirrelly? (Face)
I also have the New BFG's in 295/35/18 on my rear all the time. I haven't been really fast, well up to 100. I need more test time as my car still is in the process fo being fixed right now.
I don't notice any major issues with mine. The tread just seems really thin.
I don't notice any major issues with mine. The tread just seems really thin.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 5,005
Likes: 38
From: jackson nj
Re: Drag Radials squirrelly? (Yano)
I've not tried the 18" tires yet, but the 17's did not give me any sway at all at the track. I have used 8.5 & 9.5 rims, with as little as 14 lbs of air and no problems. Now if you combine ET Streets & radials, then you get sway, but I have not seen any sway with "radial & radial" combinations.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,587
Likes: 0
From: Colorado Springs CO
Re: Drag Radials squirrelly? (Viprklr)
Is traction better than your F1's? Im looking into getting some BFG DR's as well, but want TRACTION. Hate to put them on and be all over the place.
Matt
Matt
I will lower the PSI down to 30 this weekend and see what happens. :cheers:
Safety Car
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 4,808
Likes: 344
From: Albuquerque NM
Re: Drag Radials squirrelly? (Yano)
Mine aren't squirrlley until you really get the speed up. At over 140 the rear end does move around a lot, so unsteady I backed off fast, won't try that again. :leaving: :cheers:
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 2,855
Likes: 0
Re: Drag Radials squirrelly? (6Speeder)
My 335 pilots are steady and grip wet or dry under normal conditions but under acc the traction is non existent-I thought about running dr's on the street and glad to see this post, my car gets away from me easy enough and it would concern me to think how easily I could loose it at high speed or even zipping around a corner, on the strip I have my drag package with ets & skinnys but it appears there is still no answer for the street and anything above about 450 at the rear is essentially unusable to a great degree with anything available for the street, LPE told me they break 345s loose in fifth gear with some of the 427tt's.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,909
Likes: 1
From: Highland Village TX
Re: Drag Radials squirrelly? (Yano)
I would drop it lower if you want them to last, try around 25 cold. I am told by an expert that they will last longer and hook better. I run mine everyday and they are not sqirly at all and I just laid down a 1.7 60' at the track on my 1st trip there in a year. :D
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 1,421
Likes: 3
From: Memphis Tn
Re: Drag Radials squirrelly? (Yano)
Still, you should drop the pressure down to 20 at the track. They are going to expand when you heat them up, as well as expand in height with the excelleration, leaving you less contact patch, and more apt to spin.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,909
Likes: 1
From: Highland Village TX
Re: Drag Radials squirrelly? (MTI 427 Roadster)
I was running them at around 21 or 22 COLD, ands 24 PSI hot. I had to clear the DIC every now and then but they hooked better on the street and it is supposed to make these last longer. I have had no issues with the car being squirly,,,,,yet. They drive better than my RF's and are quieter as well.
When I raced them I dropped it to 19-20 HOT and that is when I broke into the 7's at the 1/8 mile (7.90 in 90 degree heat with a 1.7 60') . I have only driven on these 300 miles and much of that my car wasn't working right. I was told as I said before that if you run these at 30, they will just wear out the centers. I ran my last EMT's at 30 and after 6K, the centers were bald. I was told running them at lower pressure is the best thing to do since there is almost no side wall anyway the lower pressure doesn't matter as much like on some tires. They sure won't last long, but if they last 5K, then that is a year for me, so that is approx. $40 a month to be able to have fun and use the power I have. :D
When I raced them I dropped it to 19-20 HOT and that is when I broke into the 7's at the 1/8 mile (7.90 in 90 degree heat with a 1.7 60') . I have only driven on these 300 miles and much of that my car wasn't working right. I was told as I said before that if you run these at 30, they will just wear out the centers. I ran my last EMT's at 30 and after 6K, the centers were bald. I was told running them at lower pressure is the best thing to do since there is almost no side wall anyway the lower pressure doesn't matter as much like on some tires. They sure won't last long, but if they last 5K, then that is a year for me, so that is approx. $40 a month to be able to have fun and use the power I have. :D