Drag Radials

the sandman

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I need traction and have some questions. o7 gt 5 speed, alum ds, cmcv delete, jlt 110cai, 4.10,s, Cams(unknown mfg), cat delete and stock suspension. What tire wheel combo can get me to mid twelves(goal)? i have heavy AM chrome 8,5x18 wheels. Can drag radials on these rims work or should I get different? the original Ford 8x18,s are lighter. Also plan on getting a uca to adjust pinion. Any help is appreciated. PS I would like to buy once as at near $700 I don't want to do it more than I need to.
 
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07 Boss

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You're asking about drag radials so I'm assuming a tire you will be driving on the street also. I've run them all from Nitto to Toyo to MT. The Mickeys are the best for traction out of all of them. If you're looking for a "DOT" tire for just the track I would suggest the Hoosier QTP's. That is what I use and I even drive them the 20+ miles on the street/highway to and from the track. I don't know if you can get the Hoosiers for an 18" wheel.

My suggestion is to get a 15" or 16" wheel/tire combo and switch them out for the track. One it will give you better performance and give you more options but there are times, even living in the desert that get sketchy with DR's on the street. I ran strictly drag radials for about a decade or so before I got a set of track wheels so now I just run the Pilot Sports for the street and Hoosier QTP's for the track.






Oh, and the Hoosiers are a bias-ply tire, not a radial. This can lead to some handling issues on the street but should not be an issue in a straight line. I usually run about 28 psi in them to and from the track and they are decently stable, and drop them to 14 to 18 psi depending on the track conditions. They do get a little wander at the high end when braking and was a little unnerving the first time it happens.
 

JC SSP

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I have run several tires over the years. Even before drag radials we’re available… I had run real drag slicks with four grooves cut in them so they looked DOT rated and even tried retreads which were a radial casing with a soft compound cap bonded on…

Now I like BF Goodrich and Nitto for street use drag radial. They have a stiff sidewall and the tread compound survives well under normal daily use.

For drag/track specific I have used Hoosier Quick Times, McCrary Roadstars and M/T. All hook very well but bounce and float under normal driving. They are bias ply “gummy wrinkle wall” tires. Even putting inner tubes in them still doesn’t stiffen the sidewall enough for me to drive comfortably on the street.

Be forewarned, driving drag/track specific tires on the street when it’s raining is dangerous.
 
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07 Boss

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Be forewarned, driving drag/track specific tires on the street when it’s raining is dangerous.


Definitely take heed of this little bit of advice. I consider myself and older experienced and talented driver. The only two times I have lost complete control of my car was with drag radials and wet conditions. Granted desert roads tend to have 10 times more oil brought to the surface when it rains but the slightest bit of moisture can upset your car with DR's.
 

the sandman

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Thanks for the replies guys. I really appreciate it. 07 Boss, What size wheel and tire are you running? I guess a sway bar relocate is in order? I try not to let my car get rained on but in Michigan it can happen. Laga I can't see that tire holding up to your car. My na car has problems traction wise. I hit second once and thought the dash was coming out. wheel hop and spinning.
 
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While not exactly what you're looking for, I will just mention this as a point of comparison. I have a 2012 GT with the MT-82 and 3.73 gears. First gear is 3.66, so given the 3.73 rear end that is about 13.65. I believe your first gear is 3.38, so that combined with your 4.10 rear end is about 13.86. At the track, I run 275/60R15 M/T ET Street S/S tires on Race Star 15x8 rims (no sway bar relocation required). That tire diameter is about 28.2 (stock 235/50R18 is 27.3), so that brings the rear end ratio down to around 3.66. The actual values may be somewhat different, but for comparison, you get the idea. I can launch at 4300-4500 RPM and cut 1.7x 60 ft times and ETs as low as 12.5x. I know that you're not looking to buy wheels, but my point is that the M/T ET Street S/S Drag radials should work for you. I'm not claiming that better solutions don't exist, such as bias ply tires, but the drag radials have worked for me. One other comment about wheels...drag racing rims are typically knurled to resist tire slippage on the rim, but I don't know how much of an issue that might be for your power level.

2012 Mustang GT, MT-82, 3.73 rear end, Steeda CAI and 93 octane tune, MGW shifter, FPP LCAs, Lakewood 50/50 rear shocks.
I have attached some time slips, although they are from an 1/8-mile event. Car number 1113. Last slip was poor technique on the launch!!

2024-10-06_ET-Street-Brackets.JPG
 

the sandman

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Hey Brother RCM; I've read all your posts since you started and bought the second stage. I was thinking Your car has more giddyup than mine so I have been looking at that combo in 18". At 73 I'm not sure how much fun I have left. LOL

Hey 07 Boss, I'm looking at Hoosier qtp 26 9.5 15,s it says tubes required and tread width is 8", Is this correct? I would think it's 9.5. also looking at MT 275 50 15 drag radials but they are over $100 more. There are some 26 8.5 15,s that are cheaper yet if you think this is enough tire. Thanks
 
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Hey Brother RCM; I've read all your posts since you started and bought the second stage. I was thinking Your car has more giddyup than mine so I have been looking at that combo in 18". At 73 I'm not sure how much fun I have left. LOL
I'm about to turn 65, so you have given me hope that I have a few years to go before I hang it up! Have you been to a track with your car? Even street tires on a well prepped track can give you some decent times. I have managed a 12.78 with 255/45R18 Michelin PS4S tires on the stock 18"x8" rims, although the launch RPM has to be lower, around 3000 RPM and you can't dump the clutch.
 

Midlife Crises

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hit second once and thought the dash was coming out. wheel hop and spinning
This might be a good place to mention changing the lower control arms to units with stiffer bushings along with stiffer bushings for the upper control arm as well. That should handle the hop. I am a fan of relocation brackets for the lower control arms. Especially when combined with adjustable shocks and struts. With some experimentation you can find the settings that work best for drag and street driving both.
 

07 Boss

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07 Boss, What size wheel and tire are you running?

15" x 10", Forgot the backspacing. The tire is a 28" x 11.5" Yes a sway bar relocation is required to use 15" wheels.


My na car has problems traction wise. I hit second once and thought the dash was coming out. wheel hop and spinning.

Rear lower control arm replacement and relocation will get rid of the wheel hop issues.
 

the sandman

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Hey Brother RCM; Yeah you have lots of fun to be had. No on the track. I just recently installed gears. Tracks here are pretty much done till next spring. I can do a roll out in first and a slow depress on gas to full throttle breaks tires loose and goes instantly to limiter. 245 45 18,s. I'm looking to get near your times eventually.
 

Laga

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Tires work good once they have heat in them. I have to do a little longer burn out. At 9 pounds of boost, I ran 11.9 @117mph. Since going to 11 pounds, I have not had the chance to make a decent run since i have electrical gremlins.
 

the sandman

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Laga; Dang, Those must be good tires and you must know your car. Well maybe I have my tire wheel situation taken care of temporarily. Found a used set on FB. Not exactly what I want but close. Do drag strips look at tire date codes during ck in? Also is a drive shaft loop required? Thanks guys.
 

Sledder

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I run DRs on 18s on my 2012 and they work fine. MT ET streets on the street and M&Hs at the track. I use stock rims that were widened to 10”. Driveshaft loop is always nice. Mine is an auto car but with a stick car I would very carefully work on your launch procedure. You are going from “not much traction” to a “ton of traction”. On a well prepped track you will dead hook and any weak links in your drive train will surface. DRs are much softer so they won’t last as long as street tires. If you’re in Michigan check with McCormack Racing in Lincoln Park. Good prices on tires and they can mount also. Sounds like a fun project, gonna be fun. Oh and X100 on the rain.
 

the sandman

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Ok the used tire wheel combo didn't work out. When I asked for date code it fell apart. Will 15x10,s with 6.5 bs work? I know I will have to do a sway bar relocate, just wondering if wheel will be outside fender? I did some measuring and think I need more bs. 15x10,s are pretty tight for sure
 
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the sandman

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I put on street 275 35 18,s and traction might have been a little better but best I could get was a 2.12. I'm not sure what I want to do right now.
 

AHaze

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I don't like using backspacing to determine fit because it measures from the outside of the flange while the width is measured to the inside. A wheel is typically about 1" wider on the outside of the flanges than it's measured width although that can vary significantly.
Assuming those 15X10s measure 11" to the outside of the flanges, 5.5" BS would be 0 offset so 6.5" BS is roughly 25mm offset which is going to hang outside the fenders on an S197.
As far as that 2.12 60' on 275 street tires, that's pretty close to my best of 2.10. I'm not a serious drag racer sot here's probably something on the table there yet but it's not much.
 

the sandman

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Yeah I found some cheap($140) cast 15x10 7.5 bs at summit but no weight listed for them. Wonder how much more they weigh than forged race stars@$265?
 

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