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THE_INTERCEPTOR
02-02-2004, 09:15 AM
Sorry if this post doesn't belong in the "Garage" forum, but I didn't know where else to put it.

Anyway, i went to the drag stip for the very first time yesterday. needless to say I am HOOKED!! :banana2:

My slightly modded Crown vic ran 15.86 at 89 MPH. Not very impressive I know, but it would get better if I had some better tires. Every single time, my firestones would spin. I did a small burnout in the water box, but not in the water though. Just tried to clean and dry my tires.

I doubt anybody is running slicks, are they? I am looking to buy some tires just for the track.

any suggestions?? :confused:

CRUZTAKER
02-02-2004, 07:05 PM
Check the 'Tire Rack' using the link on the MM.NET home page. They offer avariety of drag radials and one particular I have taken interest in. Check out the Hoosiers....nice! And available in 18's for us as well.

Good luck man.

MI2QWK4U
02-02-2004, 07:15 PM
Some of us are running a Nitto Extream Drag Radial in a 305/45/18 on a factory rim widened to 18 X 9.5 in. Its a good tire for hooking up and handles well for street duty as well. Do a search for Nitto and you will find a bunch of info. My picture Gallery has some pics of the Nittos on my ride. I just posted some pictures in this thread for Todd....about halfway down.
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=7808

Good luck...
Dave

THE_INTERCEPTOR
02-03-2004, 07:15 AM
Thanks for the help guys. I'll do some more research.

I have got some plans ahead for my Vic..including adding 3.55 rear gears, underdrive pullies, and shorty headers. :)

Will let you guys know my results from these mods as they are installed :)

SergntMac
02-03-2004, 10:54 AM
Late in last year's season, I got a set of Micky Thompson "ET Streets" slicks in 28X11.50X17. I hooked up real nice, got my best 60 foot times down to 1.80 and 1.83. However, running bias ply tires behind wide radials presented some serious control problems at the 1/8 mile and out from there. Serious enough to warn you this is potentially dangerous.

Your tail will try to come around on you, you'll swing hard and fast to one side and no sooner do you correct that, you'll swing harder and faster in the other direction, resulting in a "pendulum" effect that gets worse with each swing. These tires also produced some of my worst ETs, because I had to pull out of the throttle, or, lose the car.

My best advice would match what has been posted. The Nitto DRs seem a good bet, and the new version of the BFG Drag radial is getting good press too. Remember though, you should treat them like slicks. Drag radials are not all weather/all driving tires.

CRUZTAKER
02-03-2004, 07:23 PM
OK, maybe I chose the wrong wording...they're not 'slicks' persay. From what I have read, there are no reviews/reports stating that the car runs wiggly.
Click here and see more. (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Hoosier&tireModel=A3S03)


I also like 2quicks setup with the Nitto555R.
Click here for Nitto specs (http://www.nittotire.com/tires_555r.asp)

Thumbnail on the left is the Hoosier, right is the Nitto:

SergntMac
02-04-2004, 09:38 AM
OK, maybe I chose the wrong wording...they're not 'slicks' persay. From what I have read, there are no reviews/reports stating that the car runs wiggly.

Okay y'all, let's not confuse slicks and drag radials, they are remarkably different in their nature.

Slicks are bias ply tires, either with no tread at all, or two treads which qualify them as "cheater" or "street" slicks. To say there are no reports of "wiggly" is incorrect. It's a known problem when the front tires are radial, and wider than the rears. On smaller and lighter drag cars, it's usually not a problem because the serious racer changes front tires to a skinny low resistance bias ply racing tire. "ET Streets" are not drag radials, and you can instantly tell by their sizing. My 28 X 11.50 X 17, are dimensions in SAE inches, if you see these number, or, numbers expressed this way, it a bias ply tire and most likely a "slick."

Drag radials, like what Barry and Dave suggest, are radial tires that do not cause any "wiggle" and Barry is correct to note no reports of such. However, please keep in mind that they are not street tires either, you should not be driving on them on the street. The drag radial is "shaved" to 6/32 or less, and should you get caught in the rain somewhere, the tires will hydroplane in even light braking. Dimensions are in millimeters, expressed in terms such as 255/45 Note the "/" vs. the "X".

BTW, I'd like to add something about rim width. I have a set of rims widened to 9.5" through Lidio, to put more meat on the street at the rear. IMHO, the maximum tire size for a 9.5" wide rim is 285mm. Anything wider will cause the tread surface to curl around to the sidewall and not contact the pavement. This is wasted tread, surface you paid for. This curl around will cause the sidewall to break down in hard cornering, and you will be replacing the tire before it's time. Add this up, and the bang for the buck ratio is zero. You'll get more performance from a 285mm tire on a 9.5" rim, because it puts more tread to the pavement, and the sidewalls do the job they were designed to do...IMHO.

Hey...Don't take my word for it, call Brad the Tire Doctor at 317.247.5320. The man knows more about performance tires than anyone I've ever met.

THE_INTERCEPTOR
02-04-2004, 11:41 AM
wow. Thanks for the input again. I will do my research, and when I make a decision, I will let you guys know what I picked out.

Thanks guys. :)

greyghost
02-04-2004, 04:16 PM
Sarge, great post and very informative. I sure don't want to reinvent the wheel, as they say, when the research has already been done.

greyghost
02-04-2004, 04:29 PM
Sarge, great post and very informative. I sure don't want to reinvent the wheel, as they say, when the research has already been done.

They now have an 18" in 6 sizes.

Check it out.

http://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/bfgapp/catalog/tires/gforcetadragradial.jsp

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Sizes.jsp?make=BFGoodrich&model=g-Force+T%2FA+Drag+Radial

CRUZTAKER
02-04-2004, 04:51 PM
[QUOTE=SergntMac]You'll get more performance from a 285mm tire on a 9.5" rim, because it puts more tread to the pavement, and the sidewalls do the job they were designed to do...IMHO.[QUOTE]

Cool, with that ^^^ being said....if I did go with the Nitto 555R on my widened rims for a marauder application, they only come in two 18" sizes:

285/35 18 &

305/45 18

Can I assume the 285's will not only work, but be more effective?

The number 35...doesn't that mean that they're wider than the 45's?

I'm thinking there could be clearance issues, and maybe that's why the 305 series is the only way to go as far as nittos are concerned.


Mac....2quick....?

jgc61sr2002
02-04-2004, 05:11 PM
Sarge - Excellent post. Haven't heard the term cheater slicks in XX years(a lot). I use to run M&H cheater slicks on my 1961 Pontiac. :up: