MT ETs on 18" rims...which ones

[Stay Marine]

If choosing between 305/45's or 305/35's, which will be the better tire for the 1/4 mile?

Is the better shock absorption of the 45's an equal offset to the slightly less weight and smaller radius of the 35's (1 lb per tire and ~2 in. radius diff)?

Thoughts?

[Li0nel1234]

From what I've learned/read, you want more sidewall, so I would go with the 45.

Check out the video in this thread, the sidewall buckles.

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showth...87#post3846687

[FloMoCamaro]

You will want to get the 305/45. Like already mentioned, you want to have as much sidewall as you possibly can get. Taller sidewall = more flex = more traction...

[mikepage0007]

well, i have to somewhat disagree...your tire would be taller and that would elate to more revoulutions then a shorter tire...so you really have a dilemma...if it was a slick, i would say go with the taller tire , but dr,s do not flex that much..my best on 18 drs/ 28inch @ 11.7 124mph, went to a 17inch dr 26 inch tire instead of a 28 inch tire and gained 4 tenths of a second and ran 127...have not been able to hook these dr,s yet...i have smoked them with line lock, imo , drms seem to grab better with a really good burnout...if you can,t spin these 4-5 seconds , forget it..won,t help you...i have tried multiple rpm,s on launch..there are way to many variables...rwhp- m6/at-line lock.. and so on...my best time was at a 1100 rpm launch on a m6 as none of these could hook with anymore rpm...imo

[SUX2BU]

You have to give more details on your car you can't just say one tire is better than the other.
M6 or A6
mods?
current 1/4 mile 60', time and more importantly mph?
what are your goals for 1/4 mile time and mph

Taller tires are better for traction, just like wider tires are, but you can have too big or too wide a tire that it actually hurts you. The rule of thumb is you want to get the smallest tire, narrowest tire you can hook on. There is absolutely no reason to stuff the biggest tire you can find under the rear of the car if you don't need it.
90% of most people on here don't need the giant almost 29" tire that they buy. Most will hook just fine on a 26" tire and it will help them the rest of the way down the track.

MPH has a lot to do with it also. You want to choose a tire that will max out your gearing at the end of the track. Perfect is hitting the rev limiter right after you pass the finish line. Nothing worse than having to shift right before the end of the track.

[mikepage0007]

Originally Posted by SUX2BU

You have to give more details on your car you can't just say one tire is better than the other.
M6 or A6
mods?
current 1/4 mile 60', time and more importantly mph?
what are your goals for 1/4 mile time and mph

Taller tires are better for traction, just like wider tires are, but you can have too big or too wide a tire that it actually hurts you. The rule of thumb is you want to get the smallest tire, narrowest tire you can hook on. There is absolutely no reason to stuff the biggest tire you can find under the rear of the car if you don't need it.
90% of most people on here don't need the giant almost 29" tire that they buy. Most will hook just fine on a 26" tire and it will help them the rest of the way down the track.

MPH has a lot to do with it also. You want to choose a tire that will max out your gearing at the end of the track. Perfect is hitting the rev limiter right after you pass the finish line. Nothing worse than having to shift right before the end of the track.

you pretty much hit it right on the head...my 26in with 350 gears was just enough to hit the last trap b4 hitting the rev limiter or shifting to 5th gear...any smaller then a 26 and i would be shifting..also big article awhile back by john force said same ....bigger is not better...you want as SMALL a tire that can hook and run..smaller the faster..thats in height and width..

[Stay Marine]

Great info gang. Ultimately, I'll be putting a little of 600rwhp to the ground, aided by beefed up clutch and PFADT stage 3 and MT ETs (305s). Keeping stock gears for now (much more time daily driving than dragging). I will hopefully recoup enough cash to swap the axles out as well before I go to the track with the MTs.
Hard to believe you were launching at 1100 to get a good hook.....
Thanks again for the perspectives.

[freemaSSon]

Overall gearing is a concern but only on lower power level cars would I use the tire to achieve overall gearing. If you're using a tire height to produce gearing there is a clear breaking point with that thinking as you add power. At modified or power adder power levels the correct way to achieve overall gearing is with a gear swap and always use a tire setup that maximizes traction. 28"s is the best all around but a decent drag tire in a 18" rim and 28"s exactly is not an option unless you have a 12" width wheel. The redily available 9.5-10.5" wheels make the 305/45-18 the best available option for cars at advanced power levels.

As for Drag Rads not having flex is non sense. Here is a pic of my truck on a set of 275's on 17" rims with an overall height of 28.2" basically the exactly sidewall height as the 28.79" 305/45-18 mentioned above.

This truck only made 600+ at the wheels.

[mikepage0007]

well the quote was"but dr,s do not flex that much" magic word is "much".....and here is a pic of a tire with some flex..

[Black5thgen]

I am faced with this same dilemma. With stock gearing I would go with the 26" tall tire. I'm considering a 4.10 so if I go that route I would get the 28" tall 45's.

[freemaSSon]

Originally Posted by mikepage0007

well the quote was"but dr,s do not flex that much" magic word is "much".....and here is a pic of a tire with some flex..

That right there is a gorgeous picture!

I ran 305/45-18's on the TBSS but I could not find any pictures and they twisted up so much you'd think the bead was broke just as those tires appear.

I love that shot!