Slicks without tubes?
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Apple Pie Moonshine Bring it back
St. Jude Donor '08
Slicks without tubes?
Is this safe?
I just broke down my second hand MT 29.5 x 13.5 x 15 slick as I thought I had a hole in the tube only to find out it was the valve stem leaking and no tube there.
I have made umpteen passes on these and now should I be thanking my lucky stars or is running without a tube ok?
I just broke down my second hand MT 29.5 x 13.5 x 15 slick as I thought I had a hole in the tube only to find out it was the valve stem leaking and no tube there.
I have made umpteen passes on these and now should I be thanking my lucky stars or is running without a tube ok?
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Apple Pie Moonshine Bring it back
St. Jude Donor '08
Originally Posted by 16Again
No tubes in mine, no problems either. 
Hopefully i'm understanding this correctly, your running ET Streets right?
Hopefully i'm understanding this correctly, your running ET Streets right?
Last edited by Pug; Apr 13, 2006 at 07:03 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,175
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From: State of Confusion
.... while they are completely safe to run without tubes (S&W sold me my old dragster w/o tubes, saying they 'weren't necessary' ), you may find they'll leak between race-days without tubes:
it is strictly preference.....
it is strictly preference.....
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2002
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From: 10.70 @ 124mph, Stock Bottom End @ 3620lbs, ECS Racing Team Member. The 1st NMCA LSX Index Rumble World Champion. 2011,12,13 Champion
Originally Posted by Pug
Is this safe?
I just broke down my second hand MT 29.5 x 13.5 x 15 slick as I thought I had a hole in the tube only to find out it was the valve stem leaking and no tube there.
I have made umpteen passes on these and now should I be thanking my lucky stars or is running without a tube ok?
I just broke down my second hand MT 29.5 x 13.5 x 15 slick as I thought I had a hole in the tube only to find out it was the valve stem leaking and no tube there.
I have made umpteen passes on these and now should I be thanking my lucky stars or is running without a tube ok?
Team Owner
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 32,782
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From: Former NCM Drag Racing coordinator, National director Corvette Challenge Spring Hill, Tennessee: Whiting, New Jersey
Cruise-In VI Veteran
Cruise-In VII Veteran
There are certain racing applications where tubes do help, especially in classes with Pro Trees where you want very little tire deflection on launch. Tubes add to stiffen the sidewalls of the tires and the car will react faster.
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Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Apple Pie Moonshine Bring it back
St. Jude Donor '08
Originally Posted by mackeyred96
There are certain racing applications where tubes do help, especially in classes with Pro Trees where you want very little tire deflection on launch. Tubes add to stiffen the sidewalls of the tires and the car will react faster.
So far my 60's have been in the 1.41 range and if I had a stiffer sidewall the 60' may not be as good due to the crappy track.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
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From: Apple Pie Moonshine Bring it back
St. Jude Donor '08
BTW this is for my race truck with best times of low to mid 11's N/A and high 9's to low 10's on a little juice @5500' DA.
Here is a pic of her in street trim.
Here is a pic of her in street trim.
Last edited by Pug; Apr 13, 2006 at 09:29 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: Suffolk, Long Island NY
I had to install tubes in mine. I was spinning the tires on the rim at least a 1" after every pass. Then on one pass, one bead spun and the other didn't, the wheel was cocked and pulling the whole pass so I let off. It's easy for a bead to break at the top end when this happens.
So needless to say, afterwords I ordered a screw kit and tubes and couldn't feel safer. The only difficult part was finding the courage to drill into a set of $500 wheels.
And as Mackey mentioned, your R/T's will change. I went from a little late on the light to a little early. :bb
So needless to say, afterwords I ordered a screw kit and tubes and couldn't feel safer. The only difficult part was finding the courage to drill into a set of $500 wheels.
And as Mackey mentioned, your R/T's will change. I went from a little late on the light to a little early. :bb
