Drag Radial or Slick?

[caverman]

What will be better for the drag strip? Probalby on an 18" wheel?

Right now I only have about 415 rwhp but might eventually add a cam but still would only have around 460 rwhp.

Which type of tire will be better? I see where some recommend the slick over DR because the side wall flexes better.

I'm assuming MTs for the slicks and NT05-R for the DRs?

[Bad70supreme]

Drag radials will actually produce faster times and more MPH in most cases and Micky makes a 305/40/18 that will work perfect on a camaro. Slicks are a bit easier to hook but most cars will hook a drag radial unless you have some real garbage suspension. Drag radials are also more stable on the top end, were a slick car will feel loose and wobbly. Micky makes a VERY good and sticky drag radial...BFGs kinda suck, that would be my suggestion from my own experience. My olds ran 1.60 60ft times on BFG drag radials and they are crap compared to the mickys!

[caverman]

So I'm guessing you would take the MT over the Nitto? Price seems to be about the same.

[Nine Ball]

Bad70Supreme nailed it.

I've owned and raced numerous cars on DR's and slicks, always preferred the DR's unless your car leaves hard enough to carry the front wheels in the air while you shift to 2nd. That isn't likely to happen in any porker 5th gen street car on the indy rear axle. As for M/T vs NT05-R, both seem to work well. I know quite a few cars doing well on both tires.

[mikepage0007]

yeah, i ahve also researched this, there is no track drag slick in 18 that i could find...only slicks in that size are road racing slicks and they are not in the 28-29 in catagorey..left more info onthe mt-nitto comparison on your other post

[danhr]

there are no bias ply tires available for an 18" wheel.

wouldn't make sense if there was, there wouldn't be that much sidewall, and that would take the whole point of a bias ply tire out of the equation.

There is only one bias ply tire available for 17's, and those are Hoosier 28x10x17's. And those are a full out slick. Which will make you not be able to run any street classes at the track.

If you swap to v6 brakes and get a 16" wheel, there are quite a few D.O.T. bias ply tire selections, which will let you run street classes, legally drive on the street, and still have a bias ply tire out back.

It is a lot easier to launch a manual car on bias ply tires, because the soft sidewall absorbs the drivetrain shock created by a manual car. Auto's don't have as much drivetrain shock, so they usually get by with drag radials.

[Supercharged SS]

Now you guys have me thinking......Hmmm. I wonder how my car would be on a nice 17" MT drag radial? I would have the stability of a radial, a nice thick (well realatively speaking for a 17" wheel) sidewall, and the ability to sneak into the street car class again!

[danhr]

Originally Posted by Supercharged SS

Now you guys have me thinking......Hmmm. I wonder how my car would be on a nice 17" MT drag radial? I would have the stability of a radial, a nice thick (well realatively speaking for a 17" wheel) sidewall, and the ability to sneak into the street car class again!

For what it's worth, my general rule of thumb for street/strip cars is

Bias plies for manual cars (unless you want to stick to a drag radial for certain classes or a correct bias ply just isn't available)

Radials for auto cars (unless you have a weak drivetrain or you have so much power that you are blowing the drag radials right off.... but you need some serious power to do that)

I'd say the two you should look at are

A 275/50-17 from M&H
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/MNH-ROD19/

A 325 /45R17 from M&H
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/MNH-ROD20/

[caverman]

Are there any 17" wheels that will fit over the rear Brembo brakes?

[danhr]

Originally Posted by caverman

Are there any 17" wheels that will fit over the rear Brembo brakes?

so far, just bogarts, ccw's and the new welds.

[fuffl]

Do those 325x28.5x17 M&H drag radials fit in the stock wheel wells without modification? I've got 509rwhp and a manual, but don't really want the hassle of changing tires all the time.

[camarochris1974]

which new welds fit over the brembos

[kook]

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=127029
New Weld thread.