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jspradii
12-07-2003, 02:39 PM
Any opinions/experience about a good ET drag racing wheel/tire combinations (front and rear)? Looking for good patch and, obviously, what will fit without extensive axle or hub mods. Ideas? Recommendations?

BillyGman
12-07-2003, 09:06 PM
about that same issue myself. When I went to the track w/my MM, I couldn't get it to completely hook up coming off the line even w/all that traction compound that they lay down over there. Other Marauder owners who were there didn't have that problem at all so I think in my case it's a direct result of the 4.56 gears I've installed. But then again, one of the reasons I chose that ratio is to do some smoke shows from a dead punch on the street w/the stock tires. So I guess I'm not going to be able to have the best of both worlds on the track and on the street unless perhaps I use some type of drag tires for the track that grip better than the street tires do.
Personaly, I've been leaning to those BFGoodrich drag radials in the 16" size. They cost about $160 to $180 depending where you get them, and you can use them on the street in order to drive to the track. Ofcourse the wheels will cost some extra cash too. So I'm hoping to keep the total cost at $400, but if not, then definately under $500 including mounting. But it's just a lot of coin for me to drop on just being faster at the track since I only expect to be going there a couple times per year.

Crown Vic
12-08-2003, 12:31 PM
Nitto makes a 305/45-18 drag radial that fits the MM with a 9.5" wide rim. Someone here had their rear rims widened to 18x9.5 and fit this tire nicely.

stumpy
12-09-2003, 09:05 PM
It wouldn't hurt to check out the Mustang rims to see if any will fit your car. If so then you have tons of options including a nice set of 8" and wider 16" rims that you could mount a set of sticky ET streets on. Good luck and post your findings.

SergntMac
12-10-2003, 09:46 AM
Our OEM rims are an odd 50 mm offset, odd because no other FMC product requires a 50 MM offset but our MMs. The reason the MM has this odd offset, is because the '03 Panther platform introduced a new frame design that moved the rear shocks to the outside of the frame. The 50 mm offset allows the OEM BFG tires about 2" of clearance between the shock and the inside of the tire. Since there are no other Panthers needing 50 mm, options are scarce, but I believe some Mustang wheels with close but not exach offsets would fit just fine, as long as your selected tires clear the shocks. Otherwise, the rear (and front for that matter) wheel wells have acres of room for custom tire sizes. Also watch your numbers of you have upgraded the front brakes, and be careful where the tire dude mounts the wheel weights.

I'm puzzeled about the Trilogy expansion to 9.5 wide rims. When I first saw the wheels last May, they looked like a clean upgrade and a good fit. I am under the impression that the Trilogy #1 car ran all summer on the wider rims, with Nitto 305x45x18 drag radials mounted. However, I don't recall ever hearing any 411 about difficulty in mounting this combo. Until another member here expressed frustration with the 9.5 fit, I believed they fit naturally (without spacers and/or lug bolt/nut change). Anyone have more 411 on this? Also, if the 9.5 option is too wide for a natural fit, would a 9.0 option be worthwhile?

One of our friends who cannot post here, Bill Hall from Portsmouth VA., won his local Track Championship last season. Bill drives a Kenny Brown Marauder S, (in Kenny's stock trim...LOL) using BFG drag radials on our OEM wheel. This may be a good combo to consider, seems to have worked for Bill.

One thing I have learned over this past summer, is that mixing bias ply slicks like the Mickey Thompson ET Streets with radial tires on the front, is an "exciting" ride. Be sure to test the car thoroughly before driving to win, you'll have some issues to deal with between the 1/8 and 1/4 mile. But, you can deal with them. Low tire pressure give maximum grip here, but that causes some mid-track control isues. You'll have to find the right balance between grip and stability, but I believe this is possible with a lot of patience.

I have no advice to offer about the front wheels/tires. Brake upgrades will be an obstacle to finding something sufficiently skinny to reduce front end rolling resistance. My only advice at this time is to use what you have and inflate to maximum pressure to minimize resistance. Maybe find the cheapest and smallest tire size that will fit the OEM wheel? If you're going to drag race frequently, there may be some alignment settings that would also be helpful in maintaining a straight ahead path.