Drag Rims & Tires

[iceman]

What rims and tires are you running for the Drag Strip? best 60' times with them?



I have run Stock tires which sucked and street tires (BFG KDW's) which are better but can't hold the power I have now. I pulled a number of 1.6x's with my 26" tall ET Streets on 16x8 Cobra R knock offs. I need a taller tire now so these rims and tires are for sale if anyone is interested ($500 for both mounted and ready to bolt on).

I am hoping to get some 15x10 Bogarts with 325/50/15 ET Street Radials or slicks. Leaning towards the radials so i can run in true street here and not have to run against the pure race cars.
If anyone knows of a good 15 or 16" rim that is 9 or 10 inches wide with the right offset and backspacing other than Bogart please let me know.

[iceman]

I just got my 15" bogarts. I also got ET Drags to start with but I am debating on going to the Drag Radial still. I'm going to see how the Drags handle the top end speed for me...I don't like the wiggle that I get on the ET Streets at 133+ so hopefully these won't be as bad.....At least the track is smooth now so I should have that in my favor. The wheels are at the machine shop getting the tires mounted and screwed to them. I hope to have them in time for Wed. night at the track but I don't know if I
ll get them back in time to test fit and drive up there or not....more to follow.

[Birdman]

Originally Posted by iceman

I just got my 15" bogarts. I also got ET Drags to start with but I am debating on going to the Drag Radial still. I'm going to see how the Drags handle the top end speed for me...I don't like the wiggle that I get on the ET Streets at 133+ so hopefully these won't be as bad.....At least the track is smooth now so I should have that in my favor. The wheels are at the machine shop getting the tires mounted and screwed to them. I hope to have them in time for Wed. night at the track but I don't know if I
ll get them back in time to test fit and drive up there or not....more to follow.

What air pressure are you running when that happens ? Maybe a lb more might prevent that.

[iceman]

On the ET Streets I was as high as 20 but normally about 18 is what i found worked best. More air likely would help but then that defeats the other purpose and my 60' was back into the 1.7's. I was able to pull consistent 1.62 - 1.68 with 18 PSI. Now I need a bigger tire with my power being up again.

I can't wait to run these but I know it will take a little getting used to. I trapped over 135.5 on my street tires so I should have plenty to get me well into the 10's even with no weight reduction, a fat driver, and a vert. I think if I pull the same 60's I'll run mid 10's in good conditions which is why I'd love to get there this week - were are nice and cool - I think 75 or so is the high for Wed. so by 7pm it would be about perfect weather for the car to really rip.

I hope we get the chance to try.

[Birdman]

Originally Posted by iceman

On the ET Streets I was as high as 20 but normally about 18 is what i found worked best. More air likely would help but then that defeats the other purpose and my 60' was back into the 1.7's. I was able to pull consistent 1.62 - 1.68 with 18 PSI. Now I need a bigger tire with my power being up again.

I can't wait to run these but I know it will take a little getting used to. I trapped over 135.5 on my street tires so I should have plenty to get me well into the 10's even with no weight reduction, a fat driver, and a vert. I think if I pull the same 60's I'll run mid 10's in good conditions which is why I'd love to get there this week - were are nice and cool - I think 75 or so is the high for Wed. so by 7pm it would be about perfect weather for the car to really rip.

I hope we get the chance to try.

Most of the guys at the MMFF shootout were running about 17 - 22 lbs as well. I used to run 19lbs with my T-Bird which weighs about the same as the Shelby (4050 with driver) anything less and it was squirrelly about 3/4 track.

Your 60 ft is pretty good actually could even get better with slicks.

[iceman]

I got the rims and tires back from the machine shop yesterday having them mounted and screwed in. I test fit them and even with the pro-kit springs there is a chance i can make them work. I am going to try to not have to swap springs and see how it goes. I think i'll burn off a fair amount of height during the heat cycle (4-5 runs with long 10-15 second burn outs and just driving down the track normal) which will give me a little more space - there is more than it looks like in these pics but not a lot more. I'll tighten up the rear shocks too and hop it minimizes the squat and that there is enough room for the tire to expand with out rubbing.

If it rubs I'll have to start looking into some rear coil overs as i don't want to swap springs all the time when i go to the track. I may plop in the stock springs to get a few runs in if I have to though....I would expect better 60' times with them anyway really but my 1.6x's were on this set up with the ET streets so i hope to at least match that.

There are center caps but i din't put them on, not sure if I will at the track either to be honest. Everything fit well and I drove down the street and back in the neighborhood. No rubbing at low speeds and was able to go up and down the curb to the driveway OK too.

[iceman]

Sadly I passed on the chance to go to the track last night due to the high humidity and look of certain rain. I went to swim lessons with my son as usual and by about 8pm it was clear and the humidity was dropping....it even cooled off a small amount and would have been a nice night to be there. Dammit! At least I don't have to clean the bugs off the car today and there is always next week....but dammit!

[iceman]

I made it to the track tonight

Conditions were piss poor - not the track for once the weather. Hot and very humid with a 20+ mph head wind dead on you as you raced. W could have run beter from the finish to the start

I wasn't there to put down a time. I needed to break in my tires so I go that done. THere was another black gt500 there running in the mid to upper 13's. Most everyone said they were 1-1.5 seconds slower than normal which would be great for me. I didn't run any all out hard runs but was in the mid 11's on the couple I pushed a little with plenty left in the tank. When I get good conditions I'll put down a 10 for sure but I do need to re-learn the launch with the slicks. I bogged 3 times and spun them once when I didn't do as much of a burn out and really hit it off the line....I was going to run that one and try for a time but I spun off the line and missed 3rd so it was another mid 11.

Anyway - these bogarts and slicks are nice and stable, hook hard with a good burnout, and don't rub at all even with my eiback pro-kit lowering springs in

[iceman]

Oh - and I never did get a real good 60' time. I am still figuring out the launch on these tires. I did massive burn outs 3 times and bogged launching and then did a smaller burn out and really hammered it off the line and spun. My best today was a low 1.8 or high 1.7 but I wasn't really working that aspect as hard as the burn out/break in. I am sure with a good burn out and aggressive launce and maybe a bit less air pressure (I ran at 20psi) I'll be pulling consistent 1.5-1.6's or better. It's just a way different feel than the ET street. I think I can dump the clutch much quicker now - I just have to really heat it up first.

[Alloy Dave]

Originally Posted by iceman

I made it to the track tonight

Conditions were piss poor - not the track for once the weather. Hot and very humid with a 20+ mph head wind dead on you as you raced. W could have run beter from the finish to the start

I wasn't there to put down a time. I needed to break in my tires so I go that done. THere was another black gt500 there running in the mid to upper 13's. Most everyone said they were 1-1.5 seconds slower than normal which would be great for me. I didn't run any all out hard runs but was in the mid 11's on the couple I pushed a little with plenty left in the tank. When I get good conditions I'll put down a 10 for sure but I do need to re-learn the launch with the slicks. I bogged 3 times and spun them once when I didn't do as much of a burn out and really hit it off the line....I was going to run that one and try for a time but I spun off the line and missed 3rd so it was another mid 11.

Anyway - these bogarts and slicks are nice and stable, hook hard with a good burnout, and don't rub at all even with my eiback pro-kit lowering springs in

Are you lifting the front end?

[iceman]

Not yet but like I said no hard launches yet. The one I really let it loose I didn't heat them up enough and I broke the slicks loose through 1st gear.....which was kinda fun really but not what I was shooting for.

I don't do pizza cutters or drag suspension either so it will be pretty tough but the way this thing thumps down low on a cool day with hot tires it could happen....driver has to be pretty solid though as it's still hard to be consistent on launching for me. I can have reaction time or a good launch but not both yet...still a lot of thinking going on and not enough just doing and not trying to get it all right. I need more seat time....which will come and as fall rolls in with a cool day and a tail wind the race gas and tune will go in.....