How many of you run drag radials on the street?

[d0n_3d]

I am thinking about buying a set of Comp T/A BFG 255/50/R16 drag radials for the street. I am sick of not being able to build any boost at the line without frying the tires. Is anybody running these and how long will they last? Is it wise to run these tires on a mostly street driven car? It's not really a daily driver anymore...just comes out mostly on nice days and short trips with a few long mile trips here and there.

 

[daturbosix]

i have those drag radials on my dads stock gn. they are great! ive had them on there for about 2 years now, and there about half way gone. but thats also with 4 trips to the track on them too. they will last you a decent amount of time. they out lasted my radials on my t-type. but i also DRIVE my t-type alot more than the gn. they say that the drag radials have a life expectancy of about 10 - 15k miles. i really doubt that. i think its more like 10k. but they are a great tire. i would get them if your just bringing the beast out on nice days. its worth the extra money when a mustang pulls up next to you at a light.

hope this helped you, jeff

 

[TR Custom Parts]

Doesn't hurt to run them on a limited use car, just don't get caught in the rain. They will last for a while for the type of use you describe unless you are doing burnouts all the time with them. I am running 275/60/15's on mine and it was a big improvement over the regular BFG's.

 

[BLACK6PACK]

BFGs will last about 5-10k miles, they stick good, and are very very scary in the rain.

Nittos don't stick as well, but they keep my car going strait when I roll into the boost on the street. Before the Nittos the car was downright scary. They are great in the rain and last 10-15k miles.

For street tires I recommend the nitto drag radials over the BFGdr. At the track the bfgs are probably better, but slicks are what should be used anyway.

 

[Two Lane]

A NITTO DITTO!

Originally posted by BLACK6PACK



Before the Nittos the car was downright scary. They are great in the rain and last 10-15k miles.

For street tires I recommend the nitto drag radials over the BFGdr.

At the track slicks are what should be used anyway.

DITTO ON THE NITTO!

 

[jdodman]

I use the Mickey Thompson Street/Strip ET's. I am in my first season and here are my observations. They are DOT approved.

I cannot get below a 1.85 - 60 foot, no matter what I try. I boiled the SHeat out of them a few times and still nothing. Just do not hook up well IMO. Does not seem to matter how much boost I launch with either. 3 0r 9 pounds, still cannot come out under 1.85 at the track..

On the street they are fine at 35 pounds air, and as long as it is not raining. In general, you do not want to be caught in the rain with drag radials, no matter who makes them.

I hear a lot of good press on the Hoosier Quick Time Pro's which I believe is the Mickey Thompson competitor..for the ET's. If I had to do it over, I would look at Hoosier.

 

[ijames]

In general, you do not want to be caught in the rain with drag radials, no matter who makes them.

I beg to differ. I think my Nitto 275/50-15's are the best street tire I've ever had, wet or dry. They are a definite step up over the bfg ta radial 235/60-15's for normal driving, and even with 2" of water in the ruts in a driving downpour at 75 mph I've never hydroplaned them. ta radial 275/50-15's, on the other hand, are scary - they hydroplane with 2-4 drops of water, as easily as people say the bfg drag radials do. I'll never own another pair of those pieces of garbage. I'm sure something like an Aquatread would be better than the Nittos in deep water, but only because of the deeper tread. I drive my car every day, rain, shine, snow, sleet, ice, whatever, and I only take the Nittos off after the first or second snowstorm of winter and put them back on as soon as I can - they really are that good. My first pair lasted 20,000 miles with 20-30 burnouts; my second set is over half gone with at least 30 burnouts already at about 6,000 miles.

 

[striker_29]

I run Nittos all the time, but my car hasnt seen a lot of street time lately. I couldnt imagine going back to normal street tires.

 

[kenny]

I have 275/50 BFG drag radials, tread life isn't the best and they pretty much suck in the rain, but they hook like crazy.

They're not too horrible in the rain, as long as you're not on the freeway...

 

[bigz]

Based on everything I've heard the Nittos are the way to go. I just bought a set to put on my 16" wheels. The downside is they don't make them in a 255/50/16 that I'm aware of. BFG drag radials suck in the rain. I thought they would be ok and found out the hard way by wrecking my car when I got caught in a rain storm. Where I live it can be a sunny day and turn to crap within a matter of minutes so it's important to have a street/strip tire that will be ok in the rain.

Mike

 

[gnfanatic]

sheesh, I used to drive my gn in the snow with dr's in the back when I was in high school. I soemtimes get caught in the rain with my dr's and never have a problem. they arent scary at all, jsut drive cautiously. I want to sell them and get et streets but worried how they are the street, are they squirmish ,sloppy on the highway? like sway back and forth??

thanks
Ralph

 

[BLACK6PACK]

I've got caught in the rain with my nittos on the interstate down here and slowed down just because I didn't know how they would react, my brothers Camaro SS with BFGDRs was scary at any speed in the rain. Even making a u turn at 3mph the thing was all over the road. Anyway, once I noticed that it felt solid at 55 I went up to 60, still felt good, so I went back to cruising at a little over 65 mph in a pretty heavy rain. The nittos have an aquatread pattern to them, and like ijames said, its one of the best tires I've had in the rain.

 

[jdodman]

The ET's are great on the street with 35 pounds of air.

The ET's are Not great in the rain, but - I have low expectations from a tire that is basically a slick with no pattern in the tire to speak of.

The ET's are NOT great at the track, which is what I bought them for. I would not buy them again.

 

[Kid with a toy]

A big NO on the ET Streets. I borrowed a set and put the GN in full 360* spin...all I did was turn right from a stop light near my house. Not a downpour, not a monsoon, just the automatic sprinkler system mist on the road. I run BFG DRs full time on my car now, but would recommend the Nittos as I've borrowed a set of those too, and love em.

If you're a Friday/Saturday night street racer like me, you might get 3500 miles out of the BFG DRs compared to 12-15000 out of the Nittos.

HTH

Erik

 

[machinegun]

My ET streets run good. I run a 28-12.50-15 with 12 PSi at the track and have so far launched on 10 psi boost and been 1.60. Going to turn them up a bit and see what more they will handle. They really hook dry. anything that looks wet they are scary but then that is not what they were designed for. The BFG drag radials in the 50 series have a pretty good sized center patch. they are very nerve racking in the rain. Now I have a 275 60 15 BFG DR and drove to Bristol in the rain at 65 with no problems. Size in these does make a difference. Of course so does driving. The Nitto's seem to be the best all around tire. They do not work really good at one thing but do all fairly well. I do not daily drive my car so my ET streets stay on just about all the time anymore. The BFG's I like but the Nitto's are good drivers. My personal opinion.

 

[jdodman]

Anyone have an opinion on the Hossiers ??
I kept hearing how great they were 5 months ago, right after I bought the ET's...of course !!

 

[squeeze87]

I tried a set of 275/50 BFG drag radials and never could get them to hook. If yer racin, run slicks, if driving on the street just run t/a radials. Without heating the tire, i could burn those things to pieces, the same as a t/a radial.If your thinking of stoplight action the drag radials wont work unless you heat them a little, and who has time to do that? IMO the accelerated wear and cost dont warrant buying them. I'm sure someone will swear by them but they didnt work for me.

 

[turbowrenchhead]

I have got a 1.77 60 ft with the BF drag radials. With 28 psi in the tire. But mine only lasted maybe 3k miles if that. I would heat them up alot at the track. When they became bald they wouldn't hook at all. BTW, where is a good place to get the Nitto's? I am going to try them verses the BF's.

 

[Roger]

Nittos 275x50 & I don't slow down at all in the rain. Best tire on the street for a daily driver. I tried many street radials & the Nittos are best on dry pavement & as good as anything else I've tried in the rain. I don't get the mileage out of them I'd like, but the Toyos, BFGs, & others put me in a 360* spin & I can find a way to either afford Nittos or ride a 10 speed bicycle if I can't afford the NIttos.

 

[onefastjackass]

Ok everyone is talking up nitto's.Have any of you tried them on the track?? If so what is the best 60 foot time with them??