need advice on drag radials

[stangdrvr06]

hey everyone ok im trying to get my car to hook on the street. I had 245 nitto's on it. Never got it to hook in first on the street. went to a 275 mickey thompson used drag which still had about 70% of life on it still. It hooked at first but then spun from 4k heading towards redline. So now should i get a fresh pair of m/t et streets or should i increase the size of the tire from 275 to something bigger or try something else. I want to try hoosiers but they have a warning saying not for street use drag radial. Im just trying to get first to hook up. what do u guys suggest. I'll try anything i don't really care as long as it hooks. I'd even go up to a street slick lol.

 

[lvmustanggt]

be careful with DR in DD cars, have heard lot's of loose control stories. I used to have nitto 275-40-17 on my stock rims and now got mt et street in same size. I used DR just for track. Be safe.

 

[stangdrvr06]

oh its not a DD car. I just bring it out on the weekends. If i decide to go to work i put my stock tires on. with the drags i don't drive in rain or anything.

 

[SonicStangGT]

I really can't get any traction with 315 dr either, at the track we really need some 26or 28x10.5x15 slicks. I have been in the rain with MT dr when they were slick and It sucks, they are diff not for dd, I'am luckly that my car not a dd, so I keep my 315's on all the time. I get all right traction with them, I cant hold any rpms out of the hole, I can spray, but I have to rest my foot on throttle and floor it on green. But as long as they dont get to slick, you can drive in the rain, hope this helps.

 

[urban96]

are you properly heating them up? whats done to your suspension? How are you launching?

 

[SonicStangGT]

Yeah I do a good burnout, as far as my suspension, I have tokicos HP'ss, and eibach springs, and mac cc plates. Lca's in the back would help alot, but just never bought.

 

[stangdrvr06]

well the way i do my launches/ burnouts is that i do a burn out mainly in the area im launching from. I reverse back onto the the 2 strips i leave. I launch on those. I mean i don't mind alittle wheel spin but im getting alot thats why im asking whether my next move should be a bigger tire or a different tire or even a slick. Thats basically my main question. Since im looking to ugprade

 

[urban96]

the lowering springs are whats hurting you the most IMO.


also, unless you have a full drag setup you cant just dump the clutch on the launch, feather it some... just keep doing it over and over untill you get it down

my problem is spinning the dr's when i hit 2nd gear and having to pedal it

 

[SonicStangGT]

I can't dump the clutch, I would never get a 1.71 60 ft . As soon as the clutch is all the way out I go wide open. I can get traction that way, but If I try to leave with any rpm, i spin. But back to your question, I think you should try a bigger tire. I use to run 275's in back but went to 315's and gained 4 tenths .

 

[bhuff30]

Suspension setup makes a huge difference. Lowering springs can hurt traction quite a bit. They don't allow proper weight transfer, but everyone has them!

There are cars running 8s and 9s in the quarter on the same drag radials as you can buy. It's all in the suspension setup. Drag radials have the same basic tread compound as some slicks, but with a stiff sidewall. Obviously, they work.

If you want the tire to work, you need to do some suspension mods to help them work. Loosen up the front end so it can rise and allow weight transfter. Like unhooking the sway bar, drag struts, coil overs, ect. I hear rear control arms make a big difference too, but I haven't gotten the chance to try them yet.

 

[Tripoli]

Another thing that can help is having a taller sidewall. That, coupled with lower air pressure, gives the tire a longer contact patch front to back.

I daily drive on Nitto drag radials with 15 PSI.