Drag Radials vs Slicks

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rod7515

rod7515

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Not sure if I should have posted this in the racers forum or not.
I am trying to decide if I should buy slicks or drag radials. I plan on racing my car a few times (3 -4) a year and I already have new BFG tires all the way around. Rears are 295/50R15 and is mini tubbed. Im going to buy an extra set of rims to mount tires for raceday but was wondering if the drag radials really work as good as a slick and will they last as long or longer then a slick. It would be nice to make the correct decision the first time. I will be running them on a 66 Dart with stroked 408 and 3:91, 4:11 or 4:30 gears with auto trans.
Thanks Rod
 
If your buying a pure race tire then a slick would be my choice the whole way. Things may have changed since the last time I was looking at slicks but the only benefit for the drag radials was you could "legally" drive to the track. I put legally in quotes because the tires would fall inspection after a few miles on the road hence the tread wear rating of 0 on the Drs I bought a few years ago.
 
Check out the new Mickey Thompson line of street drag radials. The way to go. Handles better than a slick. Plus you can run them in various street classes. Quicker also due to less rolling resistance. Quicker launches due to stiff sidewalls.
 
Drag radials are far more stable at high speeds.
 
If you're buying track only tire's I'd get slicks. The drag radials work great{my best 60ft is with a pair of 275/60 MT} when the track prep is good. I find the slicks are more consistent even when track prep isn't. I find slicks last longer also.
 
basically, if you have too much power and start spinning at launch, you want regular slicks because they recover faster

otherwise, the radials are the way to go
 
I love the et street radials, as other have said they are way more stable on the big end and faster if you have a good suspension setup.They will not work with a stick though.
 
Mickey Thompson makes a killer drag radial that is D.O.T. legal and M/T sponsors an x275 class of racing. I saw them in action at South Georgia Motorsports Park this fall. These car stuck to the track like glue and ran 6 sec 1/8 mile. Mostly Rustangs
 
Any street time ?... What suspension setup, out back?. For street/strip use, A well set up suspension, with a D/R is safer and more reliable than slicks ( J.M.O).
 
Suspension has been modified with welded in frame connectors, ss springs, spring relocation 3" in and tubbed. Rear of body will sit just above rear rim with most of tire in fender well. Rear snubber. Drag adjustable shocks. Currently I have a 3:91 8 3/4" rear. Also has roll bar welded in as well or should I say will have within the next week. I want to run near an 11.5 ET. Not looking to go much faster and my heads may keep me from reaching this. I found a set of Hoosier slicks with d05 rubber for very good price. They are 28x10-15's. Cam is a 4000-7200 rpm power range solid roller with a 3200 converter. Originally I was thinking a 26x10 tire but this is a good deal that I might have to jump on. Only a year old with about 15 passes on them. I can always change gear or tire sizes later if needed. As I read earlier posts since I already have street tires it looks like my best bet would be slicks. Im afraid Drag Radials wont last as long as slicks? Was hoping to hear from someone that has run both and how they compared them.
Rod
 
rod7515 said:
Suspension has been modified with welded in frame connectors, ss springs, spring relocation 3" in and tubbed. Rear of body will sit just above rear rim with most of tire in fender well. Rear snubber. Drag adjustable shocks. Currently I have a 3:91 8 3/4" rear. Also has roll bar welded in as well or should I say will have within the next week. I want to run near an 11.5 ET. Not looking to go much faster and my heads may keep me from reaching this. I found a set of Hoosier slicks with d05 rubber for very good price. They are 28x10-15's. Cam is a 4000-7200 rpm power range solid roller with a 3200 converter. Originally I was thinking a 26x10 tire but this is a good deal that I might have to jump on. Only a year old with about 15 passes on them. I can always change gear or tire sizes later if needed. As I read earlier posts since I already have street tires it looks like my best bet would be slicks. Im afraid Drag Radials wont last as long as slicks? Was hoping to hear from someone that has run both and how they compared them.
Rod
Click to expand...

Thanks,for the info..... Sounds like track only,on a budget. Used slicks,are on sale for a reason. You can try them to start, what do you have to lose? (FWIW: If strip only,consider a log book. Any modification, (Carb jetting/timing/suspension adjustment) log every E.T./trap speed ,in a set journal. You know what works/not works once,not 2/3/4 times. Nice setup,give it a shot.
 
I like drag radials. More modern tire and as mentioned much more stable since it's a radial.
 
I run M/T Street ET Radials and love them....great on the street when you heat them up, but I still break them loose at the track but they are a huge improvement over regular tires and street legal :glasses7:

I run 255/60R15's and they bite good on the street but as you can see not much tread makes contact unless you drop the air psi down a lot, but I do this at the track...I need to do a mini-tub and slap some 275's in there instead :burnout:
 

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66340SEDAN said:
I run M/T Street ET Radials and love them....great on the street when you heat them up, but I still break them loose at the track but they are a huge improvement over regular tires and street legal :glasses7:

I run 255/60R15's and they bite good on the street but as you can see not much tread makes contact unless you drop the air psi down a lot, but I do this at the track...I need to do a mini-tub and slap some 275's in there instead :burnout:
Click to expand...
Good info. P.S : I find it amazing , no one ever mentioned VHT Track bite...
 
if you ever run radials you will like them no tire just smooth, even ride and hook good on the highway, that's what I run now:blob::blob:
 
The biggest question is what transmission are you running.I found running a 4sp drag radials don't work at all. they do work real well with a automatic. Mark
 
I don't care for drag radials at all I've never had a set that would hook consistently all the variables have to be just right (track prep , psi, wear) just seems to me that slicks are much more tolerable of those kinds of things.
 
Drag radials.. I had slicks tried the drag radials 6 years ago sold the slicks the drag radials performed much better and very consistent...too sticky for the street though they pick up everything:burnout::burnout::burnout:
 
Many have said that drag radials dont work with a 4 spd trans. Im going to be running an automatic but it will have a 3200 dynamic stall convertor. I get the feeling that drag radials dont hook well from a higher RPM launch. Has anyone run drag radials then slicks on the same vehicle to see if the car would run faster or slower? Stroked340 how fast are you running. did you get faster or slower with the radials?

Thanks Rod
 
I have a 4-speed, might be why they break loose so much more easy. But, they are way better than street radials and when I heat them up and go thru the gears, the tires grab better and when I shift into 4th the tires only chirp instead of spinning like street tires....it pulls harder with them for sure! But, I have never run slicks yet....and want to try them some time.
 
I run 255 m/t drag radials on the street because I have them. My car has a Jerico 4spd with a McLeod soft loc clutch(slipper clutch) at 3000 rpm clutch drop with drag radials the car will spin hard up through 4th gear, if I dropped the clutch at 3 grand with my 9-26 Hoosier slicks I will burn the clutch up before I get out of first gear. To get enough static and centrifugal weight in the clutch for the slicks I have to come out at 5000 rpm or higher and then it will hook hard and pull a 1.50 60 foot. So I would say no they don't work on a stick car.
 
With my car times are the same. Car weighs 3550 with me in it, 373 rear, 3500 stall.
MT drag radial 295/55/15. Best 60ft 1.50 et 10.97
Drag slick 28/10.5/15 best 60ft 1.53 et 10.98
DR is inch shorter than slick, probably why slightly better 60ft and et. DS will run that all day long, DR not so much. DR work great when they work I just find them inconsistent in my experience.
 
good stuff here.

the exact test I want to perform this spring at the track with my Duster (stick car). Sounds like fun to me anyways. I have been told by an accomplished racer that their is no comparison....slicks win hands down...so much so, he runs them on the street and put the radials on the shelf.

I'm just one that has to see for myself....it is a sickness.
 
My car is an auto car 904 reverse manual valve body and a 3500 stall foot brake getting it up against the converter it blows the radials off slicks hook like glue I picked up three tenths just by going to a slick and improved my 60' times dramatically
 
Once I was reading that drag radials dont work well on 4 spd trans I thought that a higher stall convertor would also create some issues as well. Thanks for the first hand info 1qwikscamp. This is a great education so far. Looking forward to hearing from others. Please continue to add any information you can to this topic.
Thanks
Rod
 
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