Drag Radials or Slicks
 

Looking to get some input on anyone running Drag radials or even Slicks. I want to get a set of 15x8 rims and some tires just for the track. The car has 17x40x285 Nitto's now. Ran a best of 12.5 first time out with those tires. Running a 3.73 gear with those shorter tires. What is the most amount of rubber that can fit under a 73 firebird? So looking at height and tire width. I dont have the tires and rims as I will get them both at the same time.. Jegs or Summit will mount and balance them with a package deal. Looking for someone with experience with this type of setup what hooks and what can fit without rubbing.

You can easily run a 275/60-15 on the back of a second gen, that's what I run on my 70 formula with plenty of room to spare. 28" tall and they still look smallish within the wheel well. You can dictate the tire height to work with your 3.73's to better suit the rpm range the car wants to run in. Usually pontiacs with torque don't need alot of rear gear so the 28" tire should be a good choice with your 3.73's. Your current tire is barely 26" tall and will make the 3.73's feel a bit steeper than they really are.

As far as slicks or drag radials, that all depends on what class you run and the rules that apply. Or whether you care to drive it on the street legally.

I've used 28x9 Goodyear slicks, the BFG drag radials back when they first came out, and then switched to MT drag radials later. I can tell you the car works just as well on the MT drag radials as it did on the Goodyear slicks, with more top end stability to boot. The BFG drag radials worked "okay" and suited their purpose back when there wasn't anything else of the kind offered. But the MT drag radials give me better 60 foot times. I've stuck with them for the last 10 years or so and they stay on the car 100% of the time, street and track.

Thanks for the info, where the MT drag radials 28x9 also?

Yes sir, 275/60-15's MT drag radials that are 28" tall and roughly 9" tread width.

If you want something shorter a 275/50-15 is also made in a MT drag radial, these are 26" tall and closely match your current tire height. However they also are a tad wider (about an inch) than the 275/60's.

Get the drag radials and run them full time. You may go through a few more sets of tires in the long run but it will save you buying another set of rims and the hassle.

Are you running 1/8th or 1/4 mile? If you run on 1/8th mile track and have a fairly tight converter in your street car, I would get 26" real slicks. I have found MT to last longer due to needing light burnout and hook excellent. 28" slicks for 1/4 mile car. If they are for track only, don't compromise. Get what what you know will hook.

I've got 275/50x15 MT's on one set of rims. 275/60x15 bfg radial ta's on another. Both are fine except hard cornering and they rub on the inner wheelwells. They're all on 8" snowflakes. My next pair will be 255/60 15 M/T DR's for full time street/strip.

Would like to go with these....if they clear

http://www.jegs.com/i/Mickey+Thompso...3754R/10002/-1
Attachment 375312

Attachment 375313

Couple of pics that show the car height with the current rims.

Slicks are much more consistent for me than DOTs. DOTs I can run the same but track prep , burn out, car in front of you all add more variable to the DOTs for me.

I used these on the '78 TA with great success/consistency, 1/8th mi.
Also, ran them on an extra set of rims, easy on/off as your wanting.

http://www.jegs.com/i/Mickey-Thompso...rentProductId=

Drag radials are harder to hook than bias ply DOT's, but they are a LOT more user friendly for "daily driving".

A Mickey Thompson bias ply DOT or Hoosier Quick Time Pro is nothing more than a full slick with a couple of grooves cut in it. They hook up just like slicks with little or no burnout.

The Mickey Thompson DOT's require a pretty good burnout for consistent track runs. Quite a learning curve to hook one of these cars on them. I've been using them now for about 6 years, and can hook over 600 ft lbs torque on the 255/60-15's mounted on factory 7" rims with "stock" suspension. I use no bars of any kind, just drag shocks, adj pinion snubber and clamped leaf springs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zVdoLR-VzM

i have, and have had many sets of both, i have one dd w drag radials, the other dd has bias ply et streets, and i still prefer to have real slicks on matching rims and change em out for track use, it just doesnt make since to go to the track and mess around maybe not even get a good run all nite!! put the slicks on for racing, and run whatever on the street, the only reason im running stickie tires on street period, is my dd will melt regular radial from 1/2 throttle, and will break em loose at full throttle from 60mph, im to old for that!!!!LOL!:usa2:

How many miles do you get on a drag radial when used mostly for the street?

Ditto this good advise. When my Catalina was more street than strip it is what I did.
I hate changing tires !

Jim

I would usually get one summer when using them both street and strip.

OUCH! and that's why I'll keep running two sets I guess. Especially because I likely won't get to the track more than 1x per year.

Thanks for the info.

Welcome to the power of a pontiac 455. I drive my car, its not just a cruiser.

I switched to ET streets and would get 2+ seasons out of them by the way they were wearing when i put it all away a few years ago.

The drag radials are soft to be able to hook, hence they wear faster.

Others may be able to get you an actual mileage count, i never paid attention.

I hear that. I've put 1,313 miles on my car since I got it in April. Not bad, eh? Now if I can just get out of the single digits for MPG that would be better.

But then again, I DRIVE (and I mean DRIVE) my car. That's what it's for, right? Ah yes, the power of, in my case, a 469!:3gears::3gears:

I got 5 years from my last set of ET streets,used mainly for driving to and from the dragstrip (200 miles round trip)..I'd have to count the slips to see how many passes..maybe 75 on them..I could count on one hand the number of burnouts I did on the street..as normal pavement can really chew them up..

So back to the original question.....what size are you able to run on your bird with 15 inch rims? This is for factory style rear setup. Will 28 x 10.5 fit or that too large?