What sort of before and after times have y'all experienced when switching from street tires to drag radials? Are we talking hundredths or tenths of a second knocked off an e/t?
Drag Radials: Nite And Day Difference?
- Thread starter 90lxwhite
- Start date
Are we talking swapping to a 17inch radial on your street wheel or going to a 15inh dedicated wheel ?
My street wheels run the nitto wanna be radials 275/40/17 . Granted I wasn't leaving as hard as I did later on I think I maybe got the car to go 1.96 maybe a little faster to the 60 and like 11.70-11.60s
Swapped on the 15s with a 275/50 et street r . Went 1.55 60ft 10.86 at 128 with a slipping clutch going into third. There's still room for improvement there but you see the different .
There's a dude on yellowbullet . He has a black coupe with a Windsor and crank drive procharger . Street car . He's been 8s on his 17 in 10th anniversary CObra replicas . Also a white jpc 3 valve turbo notch. I believe they went low low 8s on 17inch pony r with a drag radial .
My street wheels run the nitto wanna be radials 275/40/17 . Granted I wasn't leaving as hard as I did later on I think I maybe got the car to go 1.96 maybe a little faster to the 60 and like 11.70-11.60s
Swapped on the 15s with a 275/50 et street r . Went 1.55 60ft 10.86 at 128 with a slipping clutch going into third. There's still room for improvement there but you see the different .
There's a dude on yellowbullet . He has a black coupe with a Windsor and crank drive procharger . Street car . He's been 8s on his 17 in 10th anniversary CObra replicas . Also a white jpc 3 valve turbo notch. I believe they went low low 8s on 17inch pony r with a drag radial .
I haven't run the drag radials but it would seem to me that the difference is whether or not you're spinning your street tires on the starting line or on shifts. If you aren't spinning your street tires then I don't think you would get anything from going to the drag radials.
I was wanting to have a spare set for the track but I don't really want to spend an arm and a leg since I'll probably only get to go once or twice this year. I have a '95, not a fox, and I was thinking about looking for a set of '99-04 V6 wheels. I think they're a 17x7.5. Right now I have Nitto nt555's street tire in 255/40/17, and off the line is junk.
Hard to see but it's 2.064 60' and an 8.938 1/8 @ 80 mph. I need the "driver mod," but this is my best run thus far. The initial launch was fair, but I had to lift in second a little because it started getting squirly. But once I finally got tradition it took off. There was a newer v6 camaro in the other lane. He got ahead of me when I lifted but I was able to pass him again.
I have some control arms I'm gonna put on in a couple weeks, maybe they'll help some. On some of the passes my launch sucked so bad I just idled down and coasted through the beams.
I have some control arms I'm gonna put on in a couple weeks, maybe they'll help some. On some of the passes my launch sucked so bad I just idled down and coasted through the beams.
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It is a night an day difference in both elapsed time and wear and tear on the car.
A good set is going to exploit every weakness the car has.
Torque boxes, control arms, u joints, transmission...
If the car wheel hops you can pretty much rest assured that within a few runs something is going to break.
I wouldn't waste my time with any factory wheel as a track set that isn't at least 8 inches wide. If the wheels aren't for street use, might as well put the max size possible on there.
A good set is going to exploit every weakness the car has.
Torque boxes, control arms, u joints, transmission...
If the car wheel hops you can pretty much rest assured that within a few runs something is going to break.
I wouldn't waste my time with any factory wheel as a track set that isn't at least 8 inches wide. If the wheels aren't for street use, might as well put the max size possible on there.
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You would definitely pick up any time left on the track as rubber by going to drag radials. What you have to watch out for is the increased stresses on the car from the subframes to the axles and anything connected to them including the motor and tranny. Like 2000xp8 said, you will find every weakness. Hopefully you find them without breaking stuff.
3.73. First gear is pretty poor, I'm into 2nd real quick with no speed behind it and it takes 3rd gear to hit 60 mph. I almost think I'd be better off starting off in 2nd with some rpms behind it. I can still do a nasty burn out starting off in second and I can also leave from 2nd at a dead stop workout revving it up. A lot of times driving around town I won't even use first. Taking off in second is similar to how it was taking off in 1st with 2.73's.
+ 1 for drag radials
This graph might help ya when it comes to sizing some drag radials to mate up with your gear set
Kinda generic as far as graphs go,but still somewhat useful info lol
Gear grabber
Well-Known Member
- May 23, 2016
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Mods are simple. Stockish 306 w vortech 6-8 lb v3. The suspension consists of KYB non adjustable shocks/struts, sfc's, and ford racing b springs. Tires are Nitto nt555 255/40/17. Full weight plus a little maybe. I didn't even remove the donut. I have stock replacement upper rear uppers from I got from max motor and a set of J&M lowers in a box that need to be put on.
No, no 3rd gear rubber at the track thank God, I'm moving by then. But if I were to dump the clutch on the street in first at 4k or so it'll sit and spin, the azz will try and come around. When I shift to 2nd it's still spinning and it'll chirp 3rd. Lots of smoke, not much forward motion. The other day I tried to see how a 2nd gear launch would work out. I left at 4k which was a little too high but it wasn't too bad. There was fwd motion but the but was wagging. I went back to see if I had two tire marks or just one, and there were two that looked like a couple of spagetti strings. So I guess the trac-lok is working?
When I was at the track I tried launching around 2k and even when I didn't spin too bad I was shifting into 2nd (5,800ish rpm) with what seems like the first 30' or so. I redline 3rd about the finish line (1/8 mi) but just a little too far away not to have to shift to 4th. When I got 80 mph trap speed the first gear launch was pretty decent but the tail started to wag when I shifted to second so I let off and then got back on it.
As far as mph per gear it's not that great. 1st- maybe 30 mph (from a roll) 2nd- not quite 60 mph, 3rd about 80 mph, 4th 115-120, it's still pulling hard in 5th at 130ish around 4k rpm but I get scared and let off.
An 8.93 in the 1/8 translates into a 14 sec 1/4? I'd like to try the 1/4 but there isn't one close. I think I'd do a little better since it seems like pulls pretty hard in 4th.
Here are my before and after blower dynos as well as some eye candy for y'all gents. I sold my fox and bough a vortech.
No, no 3rd gear rubber at the track thank God, I'm moving by then. But if I were to dump the clutch on the street in first at 4k or so it'll sit and spin, the azz will try and come around. When I shift to 2nd it's still spinning and it'll chirp 3rd. Lots of smoke, not much forward motion. The other day I tried to see how a 2nd gear launch would work out. I left at 4k which was a little too high but it wasn't too bad. There was fwd motion but the but was wagging. I went back to see if I had two tire marks or just one, and there were two that looked like a couple of spagetti strings. So I guess the trac-lok is working?
When I was at the track I tried launching around 2k and even when I didn't spin too bad I was shifting into 2nd (5,800ish rpm) with what seems like the first 30' or so. I redline 3rd about the finish line (1/8 mi) but just a little too far away not to have to shift to 4th. When I got 80 mph trap speed the first gear launch was pretty decent but the tail started to wag when I shifted to second so I let off and then got back on it.
As far as mph per gear it's not that great. 1st- maybe 30 mph (from a roll) 2nd- not quite 60 mph, 3rd about 80 mph, 4th 115-120, it's still pulling hard in 5th at 130ish around 4k rpm but I get scared and let off.
An 8.93 in the 1/8 translates into a 14 sec 1/4? I'd like to try the 1/4 but there isn't one close. I think I'd do a little better since it seems like pulls pretty hard in 4th.
Here are my before and after blower dynos as well as some eye candy for y'all gents. I sold my fox and bough a vortech.
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Not at the track. Only in a burnout contest.
**Disclaimer** I don't always spin my tires, but when I do I spin the
outta them.And before you say it, no the strut tower brace is not bolted down. I had it off to paint it and I just set it up there to take a pic. And yes, that is a Walmart battery.
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Thanks man. It'll never be a hardcore track car. It's just a pretty day cruiser that might go to a test n tune once or twice a year. The a/c is ice cold and cruise control works. If one day I have some extra money I think I might go to a 3.27/3.31 rear end. The 3.73's get irritating on the highway after too long.+ 1 for drag radials
This graph might help ya when it comes to sizing some drag radials to mate up with your gear set
Kinda generic as far as graphs go,but still somewhat useful info lol
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Gear grabber
Well-Known Member
- May 23, 2016
- 283
- 152
- 63
Now it makes sense,vortech + B springs,3.73's and short sidewall tires. A near perfect recipe for tire spin.
A few years ago when i got my fox,the first thing it needed was a complete suspension overhaul. For the most part i chose wisely....except for the ford B springs. The car was a brick,every bump was back jarring misery and that was with 15'' 60 series tires. The stockish 302,T-5 and 3.73,would spin until the shift in to 3rd. After a few months i could not take it anymore,and got rid of the B springs. Then the car became fun to drive.
A few years ago when i got my fox,the first thing it needed was a complete suspension overhaul. For the most part i chose wisely....except for the ford B springs. The car was a brick,every bump was back jarring misery and that was with 15'' 60 series tires. The stockish 302,T-5 and 3.73,would spin until the shift in to 3rd. After a few months i could not take it anymore,and got rid of the B springs. Then the car became fun to drive.
