Which street tires are best for drag racing also?

[hipogtr]

Hi people

Does anybody have any suggestions on which are best street tires (DOT approved) to get for drag racing? I'm going to assume Nitto 555s but I've never used these and therefore am not sure what they're like. FYI, I drive a 2G AWD with 18 inch rims. (And I know I shouldn't be using such big rims for drag racing but that's all I have at the moment). Any ideas?

Thanx in advance.

[Efeezie]

Nitto 555r's would probably be the best. BF Goodwrich also makes DOT legal drag radial. Someone correct me if Im wrong.

[dsm4eva]

For AWD applications, I doubt you want to run NT555s, maybe NT450s, or those really nice Yokos. As for running that low of a profile, thats definitely not going to help any. Drop down to 16"s when you get the chance, BIG difference in 60's.

[hipogtr]

Will there be much difference in 60 foot times between a 16inch rim running 50 series profile and a 17 inch rim running 45 series?

Thanx in advance.

Cya o!

[gsxgirl]

Correct me if Im wrong here but Nitto 555R's dont come in 18's just 17's. The 555NT's do though. There's quite a bit of difference between the R's and the NT's. Personally I like the NT's myself a little better, they seemed to last longer and had quite a bit of grip. Im not sure how well they will work for you since your FWD but theyre pretty good for AWD. Alot of my friends that are FWD had too much trouble getting traction with street tires and use slicks now. Good luck!

[PumaGSX]

Can anyone help me out with the same question?
I have been running 225/55/16 for ever and have NEVER changed my rims!
I have just purchased a set of 17" rims and will be running 235/45/17.......Shouldn't that be relatively the same size with just less meat on the tire???? That would be my logical guess?

Can you guys help me out that are running 17's on a GSX? Any difference in 60' times and or acceleration? I would think that it shouldn't change much because I'm just running lower tires to make up for the bigger rim?? Please advise?

[92 Celica All-Trac]

Right, if you keep the same outside diameter of the tire then there won't be any difference. A heavier wheel will slow you down though, plus if you're FWD you're more likely to get wheel hop with a lower profile tire.

[hipogtr]

I think its the profile of the tire and the inherent wall flex that has the most to do with all this. Why else would all the quick AWDs (and obviously FWDs) run a higher profile tire? The rolling circumference of different size wheel/tire combo's are generally negligible which leaves the tire wall flex as the main impact on grip. Am I right on this? I'm only questioning it because someone tried to suggest to me that the smaller rim (holding all else constant) was what made the difference in traction.

[dsm4eva]

All things being equal other than profile, the higher profile will always have the better traction potetial. The wall can absorbs some of the shock and helps to transfer the power to the track surface easier. So yes, the wall flex is the key.

[PumaGSX]

Atleast that makes more sence to me now.
Only problem is that I have no clue how much my new rims weigh? But they can't be heavier then the Oh so cool swirlies...those things weigh a ton!
I guess I'll find out this weekend when they finally come in? :)

[DSMing91]

I have 17x7 with NT450s. can you say "gripp like a motha f^%!"?! they stick to the road like you wouldn't believe.
i'd reccomend them for street and for an AWD which i have.
just my 2 cents =).

[spoulson]

My input:

To the question about tire profiles:
You want the highest profile tire you can get. The low-profile tires like 45/40/etc series tires can't grip as well. Ok, well technically the tire can grip great but the sidewall will not flex because the sidewalls are so stiff. For drag racing purposes the sidewall has to flex. This gives the wheel some buffer before losing grip. That is why top fuel dragsters run effin HUGE drag slicks with teensie little wheels. That is also why in the import drag scene you'll see a lot of drag cars running 'wrinkle wall' slicks. With those, you can visibly see the sidewall wrinkle from the flex.

Low profile tires can't have wrinkling properties because the tire would just collapse underneath the wheel.

To the question about tire size:
My car came stock with 205/55-16's. I went out and bought 17x8 wheels with 235/45-17 tires. They're just about exactly right for overall tire diameter (~2% difference). Some have gone with 235/40-17 and that's ok too, because they're both 2% smaller or larger than stock, which is insignificant.

Personally I'd go with 225/45-17 on 17x7 wheels if I did it again. 235's tend to stick out a little much and does occassionally rub on the rear suspension over hard bumps with people in the car.

[Donnie]

What if you were to get some 13" or 14" rims for a GSX? That would decrease the size of the rotating circumferance, lighten the unsprung weight (if the wheels are lighter), and give you a little extra room to put the big walled slicks under the car. Or maybe even run a standard walled tire under the car that way you can get out of the hole REALLY quick. It would hurt your top end, but who races top end on a 1/4 mile track.

Besides, isn't there a such thing as too much traction? With a AWD during launch, something has to give, i.e. tires spin, clutch slips, or engine bogs, otherwise something breaks. With the small wheels and tires you would be able to spin the tires easier, and that would be my preference as opposed to burning the clutch up or bogging the engine and waiting for it to build back up.

I might be off in left field, but it makes sense to me.

[spoulson]

Originally posted by Donnie
What if you were to get some 13" or 14" rims for a GSX?


You're on the right track, but 13"/14" wheels will not fit a GSX. The brakes are too big. For 2G GSX's, 16" is the smallest you can fit. I know because I have GSX brakes on my GS-T. My OEM 16" wheels mount but are a real close fit.

[reptiles]

They're a bit expensive, but I've had great results with Dunlop's SP9000 DSST. They are the thickest walled tires I could find. The walls are so thick, the tires are rated as "self-supporting" if you lose air pressure, you can still drive on them up to 55mph to get repaired. They are best in warm weather but have good rain shedding tread (sorta like the Nittos) and a good contact patch. Not good on ice or snow, though. There is a photo and links about them on my website.