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Thread: Street legal drag tires and 15" rear wheels

  1. #1
    Senior Member broku518's Avatar
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    Street legal drag tires and 15" rear wheels

    Hello,

    I am making my Xmas list and one of the item is to get a pair of street legal drag tires set. My question is about the size and specs.

    My current setup is 17" wheel now with a standard ford brake on solid axle. I feel like the brake should clear the 15" wheel fine.

    Can someone please let me know the specs for tire and the wheel? I will likely buy this online, so I would like to get this right the first time
    I am looking at something like this: http://www.mickeythompsontires.com/d...-street-r-bias

    I plan to use these on drag strip and my other 17" for autocross events.

    Thanks,
    Broku518
    Last edited by broku518; 11-26-2018 at 01:07 PM.
    Life is short, so start living it.
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  2. #2
    Seasoned Citizen NAZ's Avatar
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    Can't help you with tire size that will fit your particular car but I can tell you that the M/Ts are a great choice for a DOT legal drag tire.

    In general, a bias ply tire is better for drag racing (and better for stick shift cars) as it is more forgiving than a radial drag tire. However bias ply tires grow so you have to leave room for 1" - 1.5" at 150 MPH of growth. Also, bias ply tires usually need tubes. Radials don't grow, run higher air pressures than wrinkle wall slicks (and don't use rim screws), don't need tubes, and produce higher trap speeds in a given size due to less rolling resistance than bias ply tires. You will find a greater selection of tires (bias & radial) in a 15" rim size and the larger sidewall has a significant advantage in traction as it flexes more resulting in a larger contact area. Generally speaking a larger diameter 15" tire will provide more traction than a smaller diameter and much more traction than a short sidewall 17" tire. Of course tire size is dependent on the gear ratio and room under the fenders.

  3. #3
    Not a waxer Jeff Kleiner's Avatar
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    Hate to be a wet blanket Martin but combining those bias ply 15" slicks on the back with your street radials in front isn't exactly what I call "a good idea". Yeah, I know that theoretically you're traveling in a straight line but the reality is that is you get a little loose and have to correct a little wiggle at 100 MPH the combination can produce unpredictable and undesirable handling. Unless you also intend to change to a dedicated drag tire on the front as well I think you'd be better off going with a drag radial such as a Nitto 555R or Mickey Thompson ET Street SS in 315/35-17.

    As I said in your other thread however, before making any changes from what you have I think the best thing you can do at this point is get lots of seat time and work on your driving. It's like I tell students when I'm doing autocross instruction "Don't try to prop yourself up with tires before you have enough experience to really use them because they won't teach you how to drive." Just my humble opinion of course

    Jeff

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  5. #4

    Steve >> aka: GoDadGo
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    As an avid drag racer, I totally agree with Uncle Jeff-Ski!

    "Don't try to prop yourself up with tires before you have enough experience to really use them because they won't teach you how to drive."

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    Senior Member broku518's Avatar
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    Again, uncle Jeff I have to 100% agree, again.

    Now, do you have any ideas what should I spend my Xmas $ on?
    Life is short, so start living it.
    Build thread: http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...-in-the-garage!
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  7. #6

    Steve >> aka: GoDadGo
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    Suggestion:

    Get some new NITTO Drag Radials 555-R's for the rear.

    They will be A-Okay for the street and a good track tire plus they have enough tread to get you down the road if you get caught in the rain. Ditch your current rear tires and run them on your existing rims.
    Last edited by GoDadGo; 11-26-2018 at 02:28 PM.

  8. #7
    Senior Member rich grsc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by broku518 View Post
    Again, uncle Jeff I have to 100% agree, again.

    Now, do you have any ideas what should I spend my Xmas $ on?
    I sure do! Send it to Jeff to help pay for my paint.

  9. #8
    Senior Member BEAR-AvHistory's Avatar
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    When Car & Driver tested them all on a HellCat the NITTO-555R had the best traction of a street legal drag radials. Have 10,000 miles on mine & will replace them with another set.
    Kevin
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  10. #9
    Seasoned Citizen NAZ's Avatar
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    This is a hard crowd to please. When it comes to drag racing I say get the equipment that works if you want performance. Drag racing is very different than turning corners in a parking lot killing cones. While seat time is always important, straight-line acceleration is not the same skill set as driving around corners. If you run low profile hard sidewall street tires it's gonna take more than a bunch of seat time to make these tires hook like drag slicks. And you're gonna be frustrated and beating yourself up over unrealistic 60' times you think you should be seeing. You wouldn't run a marathon in jump boots. Buying the right equipment makes a difference at every skill level. Drag slicks are not a crutch -- it's simply using the right tool for the job.

  11. #10
    Not a waxer Jeff Kleiner's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by NAZ View Post
    ...You wouldn't run a marathon in jump boots...
    Nor would you do a marathon if the farthest you had ever run was to the corner bus stop 100 feet from your house. All I'm saying is train for the basics first.

    Jeff

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  13. #11
    Senior Member SSNK4US's Avatar
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    X2 on what Jeff said....

    Not sure of your racing background but I’m seeing 5 months? of seat time in your SHORT wheelbase car.
    Think dragster vs fuel altered. (Since we’re talking drag racing) Learned behavior and experience....

    Don’t get snake bit!

    Just my 2˘

    Kurt
    If everything seems under control, you’re just not going fast enough....

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  14. #12
    Senior Member BEAR-AvHistory's Avatar
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    Be very careful on the 1/2 shift, practice in a Sunday morning big box parking lot. Lots of the COBRA crash vids you see with the car launching alright then veering hard off the road are at the shift point.
    Last edited by BEAR-AvHistory; 11-27-2018 at 03:26 PM.
    Kevin
    MKIV #8234
    Coyote '14/TKO-600/3-Link 3:55 Rear
    I love the smell of 100 octane in the morning.
    NITTO NT01 275X40X17ZR - 315X35ZRX17
    Delivered 2/7/14 - Plate "COYOTE NC1965" 3/25/15

  15. #13
    Senior Member broku518's Avatar
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    Thank you all for your feedback. I have been driving cars for numerous years, but honestly, nothing like this before. I feel pretty good about driving my mk4.
    Some say no big deal, others are cautious.

    I think the takeaway for me here is to find a empty/ abandoned parking lot and practice "loosing control" situations. I need to be able to experience this in order to react to it and recover.

    I should get one of these:
    https://www.amazon.com/Please-Patien...+driver+magnet
    Last edited by broku518; 11-27-2018 at 11:43 AM.
    Life is short, so start living it.
    Build thread: http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...-in-the-garage!
    delivery date: 10/31/2017, first start 2/24/2018, title and registration passed 6/22/2018

  16. #14
    Senior Member Mike N's Avatar
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    This what can happen to even experienced drivers with out any time running the 1/4 mile. This is a good friends car. Plenty of track experience but first time on a drag strip. You will get loose on the 1 to 2 shift and you will find that the grip on a rubber coated drag strip is not the same as on asphalt. While you are getting experience don't be a hero, get off the gas if the car gets out of shape, even a little. The barriers are a lot closer than you think.

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    Mike............

    FFR2100 - 331 with KB supercharger - T5 - 5 link rear 3.08's and T2 Torsen.

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