The rear tires on my car are 315 Nitto 555r drag radials, but they are worn out. My question is, how are drag radials as everyday tires. BG TA DR's were on sale for 150 apiece on tire rack. I know they dont last very long, but what are some pros and cons of Drag Radials
The only reason you need grooves in your tires is to channel water away; reducing hydroplaning. I don't know how the sidewall characteristics of the DRs will affect handling. You do, having driven it with them mounted.
My buddy has some on his turbo TA, and one thing I noticed is that they pick up everything on the road that is possible sand, little rocks, you name it. The positive though is very good traction, with what you said not very long tire life. Hope this helps
The rear tires on my car are 315 Nitto 555r drag radials, but they are worn out. My question is, how are drag radials as everyday tires. BG TA DR's were on sale for 150 apiece on tire rack. I know they dont last very long, but what are some pros and cons of Drag Radials
the only pro's is traction. if you race alot, like i do, then DR's are great but be prepaired to change them every 3-6 months. i mounted my BFG DR's 3 months ago and they are totally bald but gripping good
the con's no matter if new your car now becomes obsolete in the rain. even though they are DOT approved i have nearly looped the car in a slight turn doing 45 mph in the rain. it's not that bad when the rain is draining off the road with no standing water but it's still very dangerous with New DR's or Used it don't matter.
so if this is your DD you better seriously think about what you want to do with the car. if you want DR's and it's a DD then you might want to think about going with a second set of rims for the rears.
as for the sidewalls and everyday driving to high spirited driving? DR's will work just fine. matter of fact they are GREAT! i have done everything you can do to a Vette from doing Donut's, Drifting, physically challenging the lateral G Forces to the limits in my vette and i can tell you with BFG DR's the sidewalls do not give. they are as strong as regular street tires. only difference is they GRIP like a mofo! no more drifting turns when you romp on it. the car will bite very hard in the rear and you can power out alot earlier with no fears or very little fears of the rears breaking loose. if they do then your throwing the weight of the car around in the turn too hard. finesse is the key. most of the time the fronts will push thru a turn if your really standing on it. i can take turns close to 10 mph faster due to DR's on the rears. for instance 1 turn i like to take and load the car up into is an exit ramp by my house. entry speed is 50 mph exit speed is over 65 mph. with street tires on all 4 corners entry speed was the same at 50 mph but i couldn't get on it as fast coming out of it so exit speed swas down to around 60 mph due to the rear end wanting to kick out. in my truck i take this turn less than 35 mph so that will tell you something about this turn.
I run 315-35-17 rear and 275 front nitto DR they only last 15, miles if you don't burn out to much.
I spend the money because they are quiet and when cornering they hugg the road.
I also have bfg's they suck and don't last any longer they are noisey and are as hard as a rock after about 2 years,now the rubber just chunks off the tire.
The BFG's are more expensive and I think not worth it .
one reason i was considering another set of drag radials is that my front tires are brand new, but they are some crappy off brand and they are only 245's. and I can get BFG DR's for $150 a piece instead of around 260-300 for goodyears, this will hold me off until the summer when I can afford a full set of new, good street tires.
Also, what is the technique for using DR's at the track i.e. burning out, launch techniques?
One down side to drag tires on a stret car is if you get stopped by a overzealous LEO and he sees "bald" tires. Depending on state laws, you might have to get the car inspected and forced to show you have tires that meet any tread depth ordinances or laws.
For the price of drag radials, you can get a set of Kumho Escta MX's and get great traction and cornering in a tire that will also give you excellent mileage. The are very close to the BFG KD tire for about half the cost.
I had BFG drag radials mounted on my Z06 off and on throughout the summer. They have prenty of tread (when new) and would not cause problems with LEO on visual inspection. However, they did NOT handle nearly as well as the stock supercar tires. They seemed to want to oversteer, and I felt like there was a transition to that oversteer that would kick in at some point. They just felt squirrelly to me. This is at normal tire pressures as well as the 15 PSI that I run at the strip.
They may well grip better for drag racing, but they do not handle as well, and the handling is not as predictable. Just my experience.
Jim
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
