Street Tire Dilemma

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1BAD72

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I have a '72 Duster, automatic 440 car, 3.23 Suregrip. I presently have BFG T/A's 275-60R15 tires on the rear. It was fun roasting them but I am at a point where I would really like to get something on the car that will hook better. The car is driven weekly. I do not take it to the track. I do enjoy some "spirited" local driving where it's safe to do so. My dilemma is this...
I don't find any 15" tires that you could purchase for a daily driver that would hook any better than the BFGs on it now. I looked at Hoosier, MT, MH and Nitto's various street radials and it sounds like they are all too sticky for daily driving. I'm basing this on the reviews that I've read that talk about these tires picking up pebbles, grass, throwing bits of rubber up onto the quarter panel areas in back of the rear tires, etc. Sounds sticky and I'm in SW Florida where the pavement gets real hot. Any suggestions on a tire that will grip even somewhat better than the BFG's but not act like a slick after a burnout during daily driving? I realize most people are looking for the opposite... a sticky tire for a street radial but I'm looking for something that will hook better then an all season tire but not be too sticky. Seems like 15" is a bit limited in choice. I see a lot of extreme summer performance tires that might work but they all start at 17". Thanks in advance.

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Have you tried Hankook or Kumho?
 
Pep Boys Futura Super Sport (you'll still roast them) made by Cooper Tires or Nitto 555 drag radial.
 
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I run Nitto Drag Radials on both my Mopars 275/60-15 and 325/50-15's. The are the only thing that makes these cars safe to drive on the street.

They don't like cold weather and last me over two years. The smaller tired car is a daily driver. They are Z-rated and work well in the rain. Only tires I'll ever put back on again. Love them!
 
Stock suspension?
Yes... leaf springs were moved inboard for clearance. One heavy leaf added to each side and the leaf pack was flattened a bit so the rear wasn't so high. All poly bushings. I have a pinion snubber and a set of Lakewood "slapper" bars. But with the BFGs slipping so much off the line and the heavy leaf packs they mostly come into play when the car hits 2nd. The Lakewoods were originally added for looks more than anything. I show the car a lot and they are period correct. Yes, I'm old. Yes, I actually had them on my Mopars back in the 60's and 70's. Yes, they actually helped traction.
 
I run Nitto Drag Radials on both my Mopars 275/60-15 and 325/50-15's. The are the only thing that makes these cars safe to drive on the street.

They don't like cold weather and last me over two years. The smaller tired car is a daily driver. They are Z-rated and work well in the rain. Only tires I'll ever put back on again. Love them!
Yup...I considered them. I'm in south Florida. Some people reviewed them on-line and said they would get sticky after a moderate spirited drive on hot days. What have you found regarding using them on hot summer days... which is the weather here for 9 months a year? Do they get so sticky that the pick up pebbles and whatever? The pavement temperature here hits 140 during the day. And yet the BFGs don't hook.
 
With slapper bars you need to let the rear end wrap up a lil. So you usually only run one or the other; either snubber or bars, but not both.
I have the same no-traction issues with just a 360 and 295s and a softer rear, but no bars. But the good thing with 295s is; at least the back stays in the back now. My car is too low for a snubber, so I have an extra main leaf on each side, and no clamps on the rear halves. It sorta works. I run a DP carb so I can control the power delivery in the turns, with the throttle; I'm getting better at it.
 
Yes... leaf springs were moved inboard for clearance. One heavy leaf added to each side and the leaf pack was flattened a bit so the rear wasn't so high. All poly bushings. I have a pinion snubber and a set of Lakewood "slapper" bars. But with the BFGs slipping so much off the line and the heavy leaf packs they mostly come into play when the car hits 2nd. The Lakewoods were originally added for looks more than anything. I show the car a lot and they are period correct. Yes, I'm old. Yes, I actually had them on my Mopars back in the 60's and 70's. Yes, they actually helped traction.

I wish you luck
 
Yes... leaf springs were moved inboard for clearance. One heavy leaf added to each side and the leaf pack was flattened a bit so the rear wasn't so high. All poly bushings. I have a pinion snubber and a set of Lakewood "slapper" bars. But with the BFGs slipping so much off the line and the heavy leaf packs they mostly come into play when the car hits 2nd. The Lakewoods were originally added for looks more than anything. I show the car a lot and they are period correct. Yes, I'm old. Yes, I actually had them on my Mopars back in the 60's and 70's. Yes, they actually helped traction.

Slapper bars typically have to be modified to use on Mopar's effectively. That involves cutting half the rubber snubber off, and the positioning it directly under the front spring eye.

I had to cut and weld them to get them properly adjusted. Once positioned correctly, They make a huge difference to the traction the cars have. It's night and day actually. I painted mine matt black, so I don't have to hear from people who say they don't work on Mopars. LOL!

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Like Rumblefish said , no tire will hook on the street . I agree with him about the "sticky mickeys"
 
Slapper bars typically have to be modified to use on Mopar's effectively. That involves cutting half the rubber snubber off, and the positioning it directly under the front spring eye.

I had to cut and weld them to get them properly adjusted. Once positioned correctly, They make a huge difference to the traction the cars have. It's night and day actually. I painted mine matt black, so I don't have to hear from people who say they don't work on Mopars. LOL!

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You just got the Chevy traction bars. There's traction bars made for Mopar that are taller in the back and the front that clear the shock plates and stick out further and are able to make the correct contact at the eye. I think what you did was just modify a pair of Chevy ones to fit your Mopar...
I sold the pair of Chevy ones that wouldn't fit on my Mopar correctly at the swap meet for twenty bucks...
 
I'm not in Southern Florida although I have lived in Florida I went ahead and got the Nitto 555 that were $60 a piece cheaper then Mickey Thompsons and could be more happy with them.
I think what you're asking for quite honestly is the best of both worlds and as we all know at some point you have to make a choice..
 
You just got the Chevy traction bars. There's traction bars made for Mopar that are taller in the back and the front that clear the shock plates and stick out further and are able to make the correct contact at the eye. I think what you did was just modify a pair of Chevy ones to fit your Mopar...
I sold the pair of Chevy ones that wouldn't fit on my Mopar correctly at the swap meet for twenty bucks...

I actually got the universal set from Summit, as a quick search on Summit's site shows nothing available for Mopar other than Competition Engineering's Slide-a-link. I think they were about $60 delivered.
 
I actually got the universal set from Summit, as a quick search on Summit's site shows nothing available for Mopar other than Competition Engineering's Slide-a-link. I think they were about $60 delivered.
I got to be completely honest and say that I have no idea where I got mine at. Definitely used and definitely do not know where that came from LOL.
I did have a friend give me a pair of the Lakewoods and they definitely didn't fit. And also I could definitely see where the modifications would need to be made to make them fit. They wouldn't clear the shock plates. and for some reason I'm thinking they were too short and wouldn't go all the way up to the eye. If they fall short of the eye they will likely bend the leaf spring...
 
The slapper bar fit is not an issue on my car with these late model Lakeland bars... The rubber snubber is right over the eye.

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I adjusted mine so they are just touching the bottom of the spring eye to try and minimize any shock on impact.
I adjusted mine a 1/2 in. from touching to allow a little suspension travel for street use..
 
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Daily drive the BFG's and get yourself a set of Mickey Thompson ET Streets for when you are feeling Randy baby. :)
 
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