BoostedBeaver
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- Aug 15, 2009
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Augusta,
Georgia
This question refers to tires and their selection for manual AWD applications for participation in drag racing. I plan to make an updated article about this once all my research is done so any and any insight you can provide is appreciated.
Looking into slicks you have three choices a street radial, drag tire and all out slick. To clear things up Street radial refers to an ET street radial, drag tire is the ET street, Hoosier QTPs or M&H Muscle Car drag tires and slick is the ET drag, M&H slick or Hoosier slick.
Each has their pros and cons and here is what I have gathered so far
Street Radials have a stiffer sidewall construction and get all of their grip from the compound alone as the sidewalls are much stiffer to withstand cornering on the road. These are DOT approved and actual perform in a desirable manner on the road. These tires show higher trap speeds on the big end of the 1/4 mile compared to slicks. The downside is the hard sidewall makes for less traction and a very harsh shock to the driveline since the sidewall does not take any of the hit on launch. It is said that radials work better on vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission.
Drag Slicks are the exact opposite. These tires use a bias ply construction and softer compounds than radials making them more traction friendly at the compromise of stability. Some slicks are said to hunt or wonder at the top of the track as the less stable side wall allows this to happen. These tires also grow at higher speeds so checking your clearances for any issues is a must. These are not DOT approved so they can only be used at the Track. Burnouts differ from slick to slick but most require at least a slight dusting to work correctly. Slicks are said to be more consistent but produce slightly slower trap speeds than street radials due to the higher rolling resistance of the softer compound and bias ply construction. Slicks are said to work well on vehicles equipped with a manual transmission. It will allow a better launch and absorb some of the drivetrain shock.
Drag tires refer to the compromise in between the two extremes above. The combination is endless for construction. In most cases such as the ET Street, the drag tire uses the same compound and construction as the drag slick with slight water channels cut into the tire to meet DOT specs. While these tires are DOT approved you should only drive on the when it is dry and no chance of rain and this should not be done often or for long distances due to accelerated wear. Drag tires such as the Muscle Car Drags from M&H consists of wrinkle wall construction and a sticky compound while being slightly stiffer sidewalls to try and maintain some stability up top.
There are two common sizes for our vehicles 24.5 and 26" slicks. You want to use a 24.5 tall slick if you run under 130MPH. If you are trapping 130+MPH you will benefit from running the 26" slick on the top end. The taller tire changes the overall gear ratio meaning taller tires net faster traps but take more power to get going.
The same concept goes for radials as they are measured like regular car tires (235/60-15) and drag tires are measured in the manner too.
I have no actual experience with any of the above tires only what I have read. The idea is a set of 15 x 7 slipstreams with a 40mm offset and a set of tires. At this point I am leaning towards the M&H Muscle Car but would love to hear any first hand experience y'all may have with a particular brand or any other knowledge you may hold. Just trying to make an informed decision (and informative article) to keep the beast planted when I push this HX35 to the limit and then bolt on the HX40. Thanks for the help.
Robert
Looking into slicks you have three choices a street radial, drag tire and all out slick. To clear things up Street radial refers to an ET street radial, drag tire is the ET street, Hoosier QTPs or M&H Muscle Car drag tires and slick is the ET drag, M&H slick or Hoosier slick.
Each has their pros and cons and here is what I have gathered so far
Street Radials have a stiffer sidewall construction and get all of their grip from the compound alone as the sidewalls are much stiffer to withstand cornering on the road. These are DOT approved and actual perform in a desirable manner on the road. These tires show higher trap speeds on the big end of the 1/4 mile compared to slicks. The downside is the hard sidewall makes for less traction and a very harsh shock to the driveline since the sidewall does not take any of the hit on launch. It is said that radials work better on vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission.
Drag Slicks are the exact opposite. These tires use a bias ply construction and softer compounds than radials making them more traction friendly at the compromise of stability. Some slicks are said to hunt or wonder at the top of the track as the less stable side wall allows this to happen. These tires also grow at higher speeds so checking your clearances for any issues is a must. These are not DOT approved so they can only be used at the Track. Burnouts differ from slick to slick but most require at least a slight dusting to work correctly. Slicks are said to be more consistent but produce slightly slower trap speeds than street radials due to the higher rolling resistance of the softer compound and bias ply construction. Slicks are said to work well on vehicles equipped with a manual transmission. It will allow a better launch and absorb some of the drivetrain shock.
Drag tires refer to the compromise in between the two extremes above. The combination is endless for construction. In most cases such as the ET Street, the drag tire uses the same compound and construction as the drag slick with slight water channels cut into the tire to meet DOT specs. While these tires are DOT approved you should only drive on the when it is dry and no chance of rain and this should not be done often or for long distances due to accelerated wear. Drag tires such as the Muscle Car Drags from M&H consists of wrinkle wall construction and a sticky compound while being slightly stiffer sidewalls to try and maintain some stability up top.
There are two common sizes for our vehicles 24.5 and 26" slicks. You want to use a 24.5 tall slick if you run under 130MPH. If you are trapping 130+MPH you will benefit from running the 26" slick on the top end. The taller tire changes the overall gear ratio meaning taller tires net faster traps but take more power to get going.
The same concept goes for radials as they are measured like regular car tires (235/60-15) and drag tires are measured in the manner too.
I have no actual experience with any of the above tires only what I have read. The idea is a set of 15 x 7 slipstreams with a 40mm offset and a set of tires. At this point I am leaning towards the M&H Muscle Car but would love to hear any first hand experience y'all may have with a particular brand or any other knowledge you may hold. Just trying to make an informed decision (and informative article) to keep the beast planted when I push this HX35 to the limit and then bolt on the HX40. Thanks for the help.
Robert
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