ralliartist

I know what I'm doing when it comes to drag radials/slicks, but for some reason, I get some wierd responses from people when I try to help them at the drag strip or over the internet.

My question is, How much tire pressure do you run in your DRAG Radials or DRAG slicks? This thread has nothing to do with street tires so don't post about them.

Most people I talk to answer with anything from 20+psi to 30+psi.

Do you realize that the best result is to keep the pressure between 10-12psi?

What do you run in your drag tires at the strip?

I bet if you lowered your psi to the tire pressure I am suggesting, you wouldn't get wheel hop anymore and you'd probably drop your 60ft times down another 2 tenths or so.

ssmokin

well, i think that 10-12 psi would be good for a slick but not a DR. I run my DR's at about 17psi. ask any slick or DR dealer and they will tell you the same.

ralliartist

thanks for responding. I think this will be a great informative thread.

What kind of DR's do you have?

thedubsack85

you may have somthing here.. i first ran my BFgoodrich TA drag radial's at like allmost 30.. i thought less wrinkle would be better.. i was wrong.. i put em down to 23-25 i cut 2 tenth's off my 60 foot. but my trap on average at the lower PSI was 1-2 mph slower but my ET was also down alittle maybe a tenth. cause on the lower PSI i usually had to shift to 4th. which aint cool in the quarter..

hatrickstu

iTrader: (1)

thats too low for a DR IMO. i was running 17.5-19 in my 555r's

ralliartist

LOL. well this isn't really supposed to help your MPH. This is for dropping those E.T.'s! Let's say you are running 23-25psi and you cut a 1.9 60ft. and run a 13.4 @ 104mph. If you drop that pressure down to 10-12psi, where it should be, then you'll more than likely cut that 60 down to either a low low 1.8 or a high 1.7 and drop your e.t. down to about a 13.0-13.1ish @ 102-103ish. More traction will drop your mph, but it will also drop your e.t.

hatrickstu

iTrader: (1)

but you also get to a point where it is hurting you, hence why people dont run them flat. there is a area some people like to run. yours just happens to be 10-12

ralliartist

ok, well I wouldn't run 10-12psi on a 18" radial that had really small sidewalls. But I picked up some 16" e.t. streets that have a beefy sidewall and I will run them at 10-12psi. In Guam, I learned from my buddy that drove, and still drives, a 300zxtt. He used e.t. streets and would just break loose and cut 1.8 60ft.s with anything over 13psi. But when he dropped the pressure down to 10/11 psi, he would cut 1.5/1.6 60ft's consistently. for him, it was the difference between running 12.2's and 11.8/9's.

I understand where you are coming from. You should definitely run your car and your set up at a comfortable level. BUT, if you have radials or slicks and you are wheel hopping, then you are just causing your car damage. LOWER THE PRESSURE! That will drop your 60ft. and stop the wheel hop.

hatrickstu

iTrader: (1)

or get mounts and never think about it again

i agree some cars will benefit from it, but you also get to a point in some cars, where you have too much traction. i was running the nittos on a 16 though

ralliartist

Like I said, as long as you were comfortable with your set up, than that's fine.

I got a friend here locally that was running the nitto 555r's on 17's and he just kept the 30+psi in them even at the track and he wheel hopped like crazy and broke the half shafts. This instance and talking to other people is what got me to start this thread. If he had just dropped the pressure to just 20psi, that wouldn't have happened to him. This was early last year that he did it though.

hatrickstu

iTrader: (1)

^^^ i can see that being true, but i hardly ever got any in mine on stock mounts

ralliartist

nice, I guess the 17-19psi in the nitto's where perfect then. good stuff.

lsjwannabe

iTrader: (1)

Yeah i run 18 psi in my 245 555r's to works well enough

ralliartist

well, for people running QTP's and ET streets, and slicks, they need to drop that pressure down lower.

maverick0716

The reason you need way less pressure in Quick Time Pro's and ET Streets is because they're a bias ply tire. If you run any more than 15 psi, they will just balloon and you'll be running on the center of the tire pretty much. You can't treat a bias ply tire the same you would with a radial.

RaineMan

I've seen slicks run at some really low pressures... the result... snapped axle...

06blackg85ss

iTrader: (1)

on slicks (hoosier QTP's) I run 11.5 psi, tried everything in btwn and that seems to be the best

ralliartist

good deal, and what are your 60ft.s like?

Area47

et streets i set them to 13
et drags i set to 11.5
et dr's i set to 17-18.


this is all dependent on track conditions as well.

ralliartist

ok, and what are your 60ft.s like? Maybe I should have put that question into the first post. lol.

Area47

this was in rwd cars. so the 60ft time is null and void.

i did pull a 1.8 60ft in the turbo civic i drove once.

the numbers posted are more of a starting point. id prefer to spin just a tad, then dead hook, break parts, go home early.

ralliartist

lol, I feel ya on that one. I'm tempted to just buy an extra set of half shafts to take with me to the track, ya know, just in case.

balla

The best psi is dependent upon your tire and car setup. You want a tiny bit of slippage and then for them just to bite and go. Running too low of pressure will kill your top end too much, almost negating the drop in et.

BlackSS/SC

I run MT ET Street Radials at 12psi and ran a 1.9sec 60'

lsjwannabe

iTrader: (1)

does it rub at all? what offset on the rim?