Will i hook up?

[69 Camaro 09]

Hey guys, tracked my Camaro once so far and couldn't hook up on the street tires (even at 17 pounds in them). I am looking into a drag radial and coming up with the Nitto 555R, 305/35/R20.

I am running at 470rwhp, and will probably plan to be around 510

Do you think i will hook up with the Nitto?

[THE EVIL TW1N]

Originally Posted by 69 Camaro 09

Hey guys, tracked my Camaro once so far and couldn't hook up on the street tires (even at 17 pounds in them). I am looking into a drag radial and coming up with the Nitto 555R, 305/35/R20.

I am running at 470rwhp, and will probably plan to be around 510

Do you think i will hook up with the Nitto?

I think those small sidewalls are going to hurt you. It will be tough, but you should be able to get in a good run or two IMO.

[speedster]

Depending on how often you are going to take it to the track, you may want to consider the smallest diameter wheels you can fit that will clear the brakes. Other than that, the Nittos are presently (I think) the widest drag radial that will fit the Camaro. Getting power to the ground is always a challenge.

[rayhawk]

Unless you are putting those on the stock rims, you should find a set of 18's that will clear the rotors, then get a similar od tire for those rims. If it is a street car you probably want a different set of tires/rims for the track anyway.

[2010 SS RS]

Sounds like a good problem to have. What mods have you done to boost rwhp by 100? I agree that a set of 18" for the track as wide as you can get and just get some drag slicks for the track. Why mess with the drag radials if it is going to just be at the track on them anyway. The drag slicks will be a better buy and you will get max bite and should be good to go will into the higher rwhp numbers you are seeking. And you will be able to enjoy those smoking hot burnouts without chewing away at the tread. Love hearing about this type of problem.

[SSRider]

Originally Posted by 69 Camaro 09

Hey guys, tracked my Camaro once so far and couldn't hook up on the street tires (even at 17 pounds in them). I am looking into a drag radial and coming up with the Nitto 555R, 305/35/R20.

I am running at 470rwhp, and will probably plan to be around 510

Do you think i will hook up with the Nitto?

Obviously if you can find a better wheel/tire combo that will hook up, that will be better than what I am about to suggest. I would and have done this. This advice assumes you are not using launch control successfully or you have an A6.

Get with your tuner and log some launches, two or three. Then have your tuner take out some timing just in the area of the timing table that generally applies to your launch in first gear. This will allow you to bring down the hp/tq a little so you can hook up better at a high rpm so as to still get off the line quickly. You may want to do this in combination with a wheel/tire improvement. I do not have my M6 SS yet so I have not been able to work with the launch control. Also could you please put your mods in your sig so we can better advise you more quickly. BTW I had very good luck hooking up my C5 with the BFG drag radial.....very sticky.

I am wondering how well the launch control is going to help with hooking up over 450 rwhp/tq??

[69 Camaro 09]

Originally Posted by 2010 SS RS

Sounds like a good problem to have. What mods have you done to boost rwhp by 100? I agree that a set of 18" for the track as wide as you can get and just get some drag slicks for the track. Why mess with the drag radials if it is going to just be at the track on them anyway. The drag slicks will be a better buy and you will get max bite and should be good to go will into the higher rwhp numbers you are seeking. And you will be able to enjoy those smoking hot burnouts without chewing away at the tread. Love hearing about this type of problem.

TVS 2300 got me the boost in HP/TQ. First A6 with one

I definitely agree with you guys that an 18" tire would be the best bet to go with, but i was also looking into something thicker for street use (cosmetic look wise). So i want to go with the 20" (if it will hook).

i do not have the cash to buy 18" tire AND rim to go with it :( especially if i want a new set for the street also.. Plus the car won't be at the track too often, i just really want to hook up when i make it out to the next "PINKS All out" in September.

[2010 SS RS]

Originally Posted by 69 Camaro 09

TVS 2300 got me the boost in HP/TQ. First A6 with one

I definitely agree with you guys that an 18" tire would be the best bet to go with, but i was also looking into something thicker for street use (cosmetic look wise). So i want to go with the 20" (if it will hook).

i do not have the cash to buy 18" tire AND rim to go with it :( especially if i want a new set for the street also.. Plus the car won't be at the track too often, i just really want to hook up when i make it out to the next "PINKS All out" in September.

For what you will spend on Nitto's you should be good to go with these and some wheels. If you shop right you could get matching stock wheels off ebay or elsewhere as guys upgrade to aftermarket. These are about 200 a tire.

With the above being said...This is an 18 inch wheel so they would not match the 20's but if someone pulled them off an ls I think those are 18" wheels. But verify that the brembo's would fit behind first before dropping money on them. With the HP you are running you need to find some way to take some of the stress off your launches. Never ever going to do that off a 20" rim and tire cause there just is not enough sidewall.

A set of these would last for years and years based on your semi frequent drag racing. But when you go you want to be able to hook it up. Goodyear has a good tire too But you are going to find the wheel sizes too small for the brakes on a lot of tires. Nitto is one of the few that you will find 20's with. But they are so very proud of them and the compound is pretty darn hard cause they want you running them on the streets as well. They say 15k miles but that must be on a cooper cause everyone I know burns them up in under 10K. You have a good post here and I look forward to some of the real drag guys posting up their opinions. I don't know squat about shinola but have been around a few tracks learning for years. Good luck

[pharmd]

Go over on the corvette forum and see what drag radials they are running...that will give you a pretty good idea of what to do.

[leviticus88]

I'd say don't do the 555R's. They are a pretty hard compound and I ran them on my Cobalt and they wheel hopped and wouldn't hook much better than my normal 555's I run all day long.

The normal Nitto 555 is an amazing tire though for Daily Driving and weekend "joy rides". It lasts a really long time for such a tire (over 40k and still tons of tread! like 40% still left!) And they grip nice as long as it's not to cold out. I have had success with the normal 555 and have purchased a second set (18 inch) for my Cobalt.

The 555r on the other hand was pretty much a slightly better drag version of the 555 and didn't last long nor did it help really at the track.

I'd try to find a cheap set of 18 inch wheels that will fit on the brembos and run a real cheater slick or true slick with a lot more side wall. You will like it more in the long run and the effect on your times will be impressive! plus they will last seasons and seasons while the 555r won't last very long! Good luck!

[SubSolar]

With all that power on tap you should definitely get a good set of track wheels and tires to maximize gains. What track did you go to? I use to go to school in Palos Verdes.

[383ss]

no, 20" nittos will not hook up with 470rwhp.

[69 Camaro 09]

Thanks for all your help and input guys, i think im going to go with a MT ET Street Radial II, 305/45/18. Shouldn't have any problems there

SubSolar, i go to Fontana to race (AutoClub DragWay, or w.e its called haha)

I will just have to accept that my new street tires and rims won't be around for a while :(

[garagelogic]

Originally Posted by 69 Camaro 09

Hey guys, tracked my Camaro once so far and couldn't hook up on the street tires (even at 17 pounds in them). I am looking into a drag radial and coming up with the Nitto 555R, 305/35/R20.

I am running at 470rwhp, and will probably plan to be around 510

Do you think i will hook up with the Nitto?

First, you should never reduce the air pressure on a street radial tire, it does not hep you get a better footprint and, in fact, has an opposite effect.

A drag radial is certainly going to help, but Nitto, IMHO, is not the best option out there. However, since it looks like you want to keep the 20" wheel on the car at the track, it might be your only option right now.

[SubSolar]

Originally Posted by 69 Camaro 09

Thanks for all your help and input guys, i think im going to go with a MT ET Street Radial II, 305/45/18. Shouldn't have any problems there

SubSolar, i go to Fontana to race (AutoClub DragWay, or w.e its called haha)

I will just have to accept that my new street tires and rims won't be around for a while :(

What wheels you going with?

[Black GT]

Originally Posted by 383ss

no, 20" nittos will not hook up with 470rwhp.

Not exactly true, there are Mustangs running in the 10's on 20" NITTO 555R's

[Black GT]

OP did you make it to the track yet?

[69 Camaro 09]

Ok, there is no such 18" wheel that will fit the Camaro, i have made 20 calls to so many different companys, they all say that the break caliper is too big.

am i really stuck with using a 20" wheel? (meaning stuck with the Nitto as a drag radial as well?)

[mstrfdsstr]

Originally Posted by garagelogic

First, you should never reduce the air pressure on a street radial tire, it does not hep you get a better footprint and, in fact, has an opposite effect.

A drag radial is certainly going to help, but Nitto, IMHO, is not the best option out there. However, since it looks like you want to keep the 20" wheel on the car at the track, it might be your only option right now.

second that 2.8 60 ft fri nite that was a fun ride at 25lb of air

[rayhawk]

Originally Posted by 69 Camaro 09

Ok, there is no such 18" wheel that will fit the Camaro, i have made 20 calls to so many different companys, they all say that the break caliper is too big.

am i really stuck with using a 20" wheel? (meaning stuck with the Nitto as a drag radial as well?)

Nobody wants to tell you they will fit because they can't be sure. More than one person has already managed to fit 18" Corvette Z06 rims. It is definitely possible. See if you can find someone that has done it, and find out exactly what they used, it is around here somewhere.

[The_Blur]

I'm feel compelled to point out that regardless of what tires you have, you're going to need to upgrade your suspension in order to get the most out of your car. If your goal is to get to the finish line faster, then you need to consider the power source, the grip of the wheels, and how the power gets to the wheels. If you forget the between parts, then you'll miss out on a lot of potential.

[fuffl]

This may have been totally resolved by now, but I just threw this 20" combo on my Camaro and am really pleased with the results. I daily drive my Camaro a very short distance so the tire wear isn't a worry for me. I'm at 509rwhp and am used to sliding grotesquely on the stock tires in second and third gears. With the Nitto I still get a really solid chirp in second and complete traction in 3rd. It was a big difference on my car. In first you can still light them up, but after some practice you'll see your 60' time drop. I haven't run on a clean track yet to have a specific time but it's noticeable.

[SGOS252382]

NT555Rs are a ton better than regular street tires when heated up at the track. But they need a nice long burnout to get them softened up.

Yes, 18" wheels with MTs would work a lot better, but that requires a second set of wheels/tires and you have to take the time to change out your wheels everytime you go to the track.

The NT555Rs are all we've got for a daily driver drag radial. We're still waiting for the 305/35/20 MTs to come out (supposed to be any day now). But they will not make a good daily driver tire, but it will give us another 20" drag radials option along with the 315 NT05Rs.

[chevy454]

Originally Posted by SGOS252382

NT555Rs are a ton better than regular street tires when heated up at the track. But they need a nice long burnout to get them softened up.

Yes, 18" wheels with MTs would work a lot better, but that requires a second set of wheels/tires and you have to take the time to change out your wheels everytime you go to the track.

The NT555Rs are all we've got for a daily driver drag radial. We're still waiting for the 305/35/20 MTs to come out (supposed to be any day now). But they will not make a good daily driver tire, but it will give us another 20" drag radials option along with the 315 NT05Rs.

What's everyone doing for air pressure on the 20" Nitto DR's? I had no idea so I stuck them @ 18psi, and which netted some 1.7 60' times...we're trying to dial in some other stuff or else we would've played with the air pressure.

[mlee]

Originally Posted by The_Blur

I'm feel compelled to point out that regardless of what tires you have, you're going to need to upgrade your suspension in order to get the most out of your car. If your goal is to get to the finish line faster, then you need to consider the power source, the grip of the wheels, and how the power gets to the wheels. If you forget the between parts, then you'll miss out on a lot of potential.

Depends on if he has an Auto or Manual... With the Auto the stock suspension does just fine at 470. If the Op switches to MT ET Street or better he will hook w/ no problems. 20" Nittos will not hook at that HP.

We have a couple of autos running 1.5X 60' with zero suspension mods. The car squats nicely on stock springs and leaves stright. I will say hooking at this HP may require the JRE posi mod to keep from spinning one tire.