Mixed Results with Drag Radials

[67Satty]

I had mixed results with the drag radials last weekend. They are the Mickey Thompson 255/60-15s in the newer compound they came out with. It was really hit or miss and there didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to if it would hook or not. I got in nine runs, and maybe four had 60 foot times as good as the Hoosier Quicktime Pro D.O.T. bias ply slicks I used to use.

Sometimes I'd make a run where they would hook good, come back around and do another run back to back not changing anything and it would spin.

Once, they even hooked out of the hole, then started spinning bad about 40 feet out. They seemed to work best at 19 psi. Racers were complaining about the track prep that day so maybe it wasn't an apples comparison with my Hooisers.

Maybe I need better shocks? I'm just running long Monroematic truck shocks with my Super Stock springs. I'm also using an adjustable pinion snubber, maybe I should ditch that?

I've been able to 60 foot as good as 1.68 in the past and usually 60 foot around 1.72 which I think is decent for my combo that only runs 7.90s in the 1/8 mile. Best 60 foot yesterday was a 1.73 so the drag radials aren't totally hopeless.

They do drive about 100 times better on the street than the Hoosiers did.

 

[cdr]

not supposed to use a pinion snubber with SS springs

 

[67Satty]

I'll try it without the pinion snubber next time.

 

[383man]

I have used the pinon snubber with my SS springs and it made no difference so I left it off and have not had one on my car in years. I know with using the 30 x 9 Hoosier radial slicks I run as long as I stage in the grove where everyone is launching it seems to always hook pretty good. Ron

 

[Budnicks]

a real slick, like your Hoosiers will be better on marginal tracks, less prep than a drag-radial IMO

you need a set to drive on the street, like the drag radials DOT &
a set of race Slicks for the racetrack, you could always haul them in the trunk...

I know it's more $$$ & a PITA, but if you want the best & most consistant 60' & ET's,
that's what I'd do, or trailer the car set up for the track, I know it may not be an option..

not really a street strip tire that works well everywhere,
they are better than a slick on the street thou
I did have good luck with M/T Drag Radials 315/60 on my old 68 RR thou,
but I only had to drive to the track like 12 miles too, from Rancho Murieta to Sac Raceway
I did drive it allot around South/Eastern Sac. co. too,
but would always let it sit, cool the tires down if I was going to do a beat run on them,
race tires/drag radial too, all go thru heat cycles & don't like allot of freeway or road miles {heat},
IMO & the experts say the sustained heat kills them & you'll wear them out too {soft rubber}

some people have better luck than others

Drag Radials & too long of a burnout will give you a bad 60' too, they ball up, don't hook
they like short burnouts "In my experiences", I ran mine anywhere between 16psi & 21psi
depending on street or track conditions,
seemed to like about 18-20 psi best

I was using a narrower than recommended rim too, making more side wall seemed to help...

good luck keep us posted

 

[Roughbird72]

I have been told drag radials either hook or they don't, chassis setup & track prep is crucial. They usually break lose after the initial hit, especially if your rear suspension is unloading after the launch. This is all the burnout i was doing & running 1.60-1.62 short times, but the track was prepped.
[video]https://youtu.be/SYRGxdJAzkU[/video]

 

[383man]

a real slick, like your Hoosiers will be better on marginal tracks, less prep than a drag-radial IMO

you need a set to drive on the street, like the drag radials DOT &
a set of race Slicks for the racetrack, you could always haul them in the trunk...


Funny thing is I have been driving the Hoosier 30 x 9 radial slicks I use on the street for the last 5 years. And driving to the track and racing on them. I know its not legal but all of the Police I talk to never say a thing about them as I have had 3 or 4 Police talk to me about cars they are restoring and one of the Police men used to race an Olds in Stock eliminator. I wish they made a drag radial in the 30 x 9 size but they dont. But I do know a few guys who drive and race on drag radials and they swear the drag radials hook as good as a slick. I am surprised that in driving all these years with slicks on the street I have never had a flat and I dont use tubes. I even had to drive about 5 miles in the rain last Sunday coming home from a show at our local speed shop. I sure was glad my wipers work good and I took it easy and had no problems even on the slicks. Ron

 

[67Satty]

They usually break lose after the initial hit, especially if your rear suspension is unloading after the launch.
[video]https://youtu.be/SYRGxdJAzkU[/video]

This is exactly what mine was doing. It would hook hard out of the hole and then break lose sometimes about 30-40 feet out. Here's a picture of what the starting line prep looked like that day, so that might have been part of the problem.

View attachment 282695

 

[dvw]

Shocks,shocks,shocks. Did I say shocks? Use a good camera and slow the replay down. You'll see it crush the ture ,unload and crush it again.
Doug

 

[67Satty]

I was thinking good shocks would probably have to be my next investment to make the drag radials work. Right now I'm just using cheap Monroematic shocks for a Dodge pickup on the back for a long-enough shock to work with the Super Stock springs. I already have Calvert 90/10s on the front.

 

[69 GTX]

That track looks bad! All balled up. Should have been scraped and reprepped.

 

[Roughbird72]

That starting line looks terrible.
Doug is 100% right. shocks!
I only have CE 3 ways, but set them at 50/50 ... as stiff as they'll go.When i had them set lighter 70/30 it would unload about 20' out.

 

[66Satellite47]

OOPs, replied to your earlier post. Terrible looking starting line in your pic. With the SS springs I'd sure try it without the snubber. Back in the day LOL, I'd get that inconsistency & the break loose a ways out when I had the snubber in. I dumped it & things worked great.

 

[383man]

With the SS springs I run I just use an old set of the MP longer rear shocks and it works good for me. Ron