What tires grip ?

Ray@VSK · Nov 20, 2004

I just finished installing my Kenne Bell & I am now pulling 400hp 500tq @ the wheels & can't hardly even touch the gas without breaking out into a big burnout, I probably could not even beat a 3 cylinder geo metro right now I spin em so bad on take off or half open throttle, I got 3:55 posi & burn em all the way through 3rd, this is rediculous, keep in mind this is not a drag car this is my everyday driver & I do like I do like to get on it (alot), I heard about these 255r Nitto's is this it or is there anything better cause I got 50's now & from what I seen on Nitto's site there only offering 50's in my size tires (Ponys) I got 50's right now there hard compund & I really need some help here cause this thing is no joke & I can not just drive this thing the way it is right now it's just to dam dangerous ?

83GT289 · Nov 20, 2004

punctuation rocks.

DMAN302 · Nov 21, 2004

I would like to buy a period....j/k you need street/drag radials like nitto or BFG.

houstonstangguy · Nov 21, 2004

Actually I believe the Nitto model number that you are looking for is the 555r (opposed to 255r), however it comes in whatever size you want. I had 245/50/16's on my old ponies.

also, congrats on the blower. damn good tq down low!!!

TrickStang37 · Nov 21, 2004

i wouldnt get the drag radials unless you plan on heating up the tires everytime before you get on it. I had a few sets of the Nitto DR's on my car (they really dont last that long, about 10,000 mi) and without heating them up, my generic (Daytona) street tires hold on MUCH better. Actually, these are the best tires I've used.

Ray@VSK · Nov 21, 2004

The only size Nitto makes in the 555 is 205/45ZR16

I know that's wide enough on the back but 205 isn't that gonna make me look like a riser with them real low profile tires, god knows I'd go stock before I did that ?

TrickStang37 · Nov 21, 2004

if your still set on getting them, the DR's are available in 245/50/16. thats what i was runnin.

Ray@VSK · Nov 21, 2004

Yes but them are drag radials, I need street radials as drag radials would be worse than my current set of BFGoodrich, I need some street tires that will grip without having to heat em up first.

Darkhorse845 · Nov 21, 2004

Nitto 555's grip great when warm or hot!

Ray@VSK · Nov 21, 2004

Ya the 555's not 555r's but there really small like wigger like tires arn't they ? I don't want my car sitting low on tires that look like they only cover my rims by an inch or two, reminds me of them people who put them big ass 20in rims on there cadillac & have it lowered I'd rather be shot, no offense (ofcourse).

GRGT1994 · Nov 21, 2004

Beyond tires, you might want to look at changing your rear end ratio. With all that power on a daily driver, you might want the stock 2.72 or 3.07.

Ray@VSK · Nov 21, 2004

Ya I know, this sucks, anyhow are these tires real small like I think ?

Demented4.6 · Nov 21, 2004

a 205-45- 16 is too small of a tire for the rear of your car. it would look funny because of them being so narrow. when i had my 16's i had damn good luck with Pep Boys Futura Ultra Z's go with a 245-50-ZR16. i was pulling a 1.89 60ft with minimal burnout

Michael Yount · Nov 21, 2004

Ray - nice job on the power. A few thoughts - first, gear also acts as a torque multiplier. Most boosted applications run much less gear -- when the engine makes the torque, you don't need to multiply it with gear. So you might actually be quicker with less gear because of the traction issue. And highway mileage might go up - 3.08's maybe. Just a thought.

You're gonna need as much wheel and tire under that back of that thing as you can get. 255's minimum. And a tire that wide needs to be mounted on at least an 8" wide wheel. Seems like some folks get 275's under the rear - that needs a 9" wide wheel. Putting the wider tire on the stock narrower wheel somewhat defeats the purpose as mounting one that way keeps all the tread from being able to contact the ground.

As for grippy street radials - you need a softer compound tire. See what the autocross/road-racer guys are using. That's gonna give you the best compromise. And they're gonna wear out quickly. You can't have your cake and eat it too - if they're soft enough to grip better, they're gonna wear faster.

One last caution. Right now, you've got the tires acting as a fuse. Your engine's not putting down all it's power all the time because the tires are spinning. When you get traction, you're gonna find the rest of the weak points in your engine/tranny/rearend/suspension. Keep that in mind - once that thing starts hooking, if anything else isn't up to snuff, it will start showing up by breaking/bending other things. Is the rest of your driveline/suspension/chassis ready for the torque?

By the way, what kind of KB set up are you running?

Michael Yount · Nov 21, 2004

Also, you may want to jump into this thread and chat with these guys - they seem to know a thing or two about getting big rubber under the back of a fox (10" wide wheels with a 6.5" backspace).

http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=519436

Nottoofast50 · Nov 21, 2004

kumohomo(sp) mx tires i always heard have good traction for street tires.

Daggar · Nov 21, 2004

Michael Yount said:
Also, you may want to jump into this thread and chat with these guys - they seem to know a thing or two about getting big rubber under the back of a fox (10" wide wheels with a 6.5" backspace).

http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=519436

Ohhhh... yeah! That's what I'm looking to do. I've found a nice set of 9.5s for the back of my car and am now looking to find out if they come with 6.5 in. backspacing. If I have to roll the fenders then I'll find a way.

87TTopGT · Nov 21, 2004

If you don't do a lot of corner-carving you might want to try the BFGoodrich DR's. Normal street driving keeps them up to temperature for max traction anytime you feel the urge to get on it. Make no mistake, with that KB you can roast ANY tire including slicks- even my car will burn them at anything above a 3000 RPM launch. But you won't believe the difference between your hard compound (400 treadware maybe) and the 100 rated DR.
Michael mentioned longevity, these tires must be considered a disposable commodity just like fuel or brake pads- five to six thousand miles is about it. But they are the most important mod you can do to your car- five THOUSAND horsepower will do absolutely nothing for performance until you can get it to the ground!

P.S.- At 30 PSI the DR's aren't bad on corners either in spite of the soft sidewall- they still grip better than the street tires I have up front!

BnGRacing · Nov 21, 2004

Kumho Supra 712's - they're pretty sticky and they are awesome in the rain. They may not be up to par with a drag-radial on a dry summer day, but if it is raining (you said this is a daily driver) all the traction benefits you'd have from a drag radial or similar tire go down the toilet. The same would apply in really cold conditions.

The Supra 712 isn't the best tire in any one catagory - but it performs very very well in all conditions which is very important. Factor in the price and its a no-brainer.

Now if you live in an area that sees snow every winter - buy another set of rims and tires! Using a tire like the Supra 712 in snow is suicidal...and "All Season" tires are not going to give you the traction you desire in any sort of weather.

If this is a summer-only car that doesn't see many miles, you may want to check out the Toyo Proxy RA1 tires. Its a "R" compound tire that has a longer lifespan than all the other tires in its category and its mild-mannered in the rain.

The Hoosier "A" compounds will only last a week before they start to cord and the "R" compounds need heat to really work. The Kumho Victoracers are great inexpensive tires, but they do not last as long as the Toyos. Their new V710 tires as fast as hell, but wear somewhere inbetween the Hoosiers and Victoracers.

Factor in; street-driven, price, rain & traction -> Either the Supra 712's or RA1's will be great.

Does anyone know if Falken makes a 255/45/17 in the Azenis line? I don't think so, but if they do - that's another alternative.

bluevenom867 · Nov 21, 2004

Do NOT buy M/T Sportsman/Sportsman PRO's.They lasted me for about 500 miles (M/T SP PRO's 10.5 X 28) on my 86' GT with 351W.Drag Radials are good but I think they would spin on my car, I only run M/T ET Street/Drags.They last ok on the street as long as they hook up and you don't do any burn-out on the road.I might try a Good Year slick later, but for me the M/T hook-up well.

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