To wheelie or not to wheelie

[Guest 6.6l_zcar]

all right guys,

I got a z with a sbc 400 about 480 hp. My buddys are saying that the only way to do it right is to put a small wheel (ie. 15") and add mickey thompsons or other non radial race tire for maximum hook, however Im loving the look of 18" wheels. Can I get a few sucess stories from some people like "I ran a 1.5 60' time using 18 inch wheels and the cheapest tire I could find," or am I just wasting my time running low pros. Im a straight line man, going in circles makes me dizzy, so I can swing either way, and tread wear is not an option (unless its like a 20 mile tire or something stupid)

[CruxGNZ]

18" wheels and 1.5 60' are a pipe dream in a Z car. They may look cool, but it's not going to net you the best results for straightline performance. 15" or 16" wheels with drag radials or slicks will get you the best results.

 

Just run around with yor 18"'s around home and when you go to the track, swap the rears wheels. It's kind of a hassle, but what are you going to do?

 

!M!

[Guest Nic-Rebel450CA]

Low profile tires are less likely to hookup in any car. The problem is that the transfer of power from the rim to the tread is much more abrupt with less side-wall.

 

I agree with Mat, swap them at the track or on track night.

[Scottie-GNZ]

I will give you a "success" story.

 

I used to cut low-1.60s with 275x50-15 BFG and Nitto DRs and even had a couple of 1.55s with the BFG (good conditions and track prep). When I upgraded to the C4 IRS I needed to switch wheels for the 5-lugs and to fit over the big Vette brakes so I decided to go with 17s. 17x8.5 all around with 225x45-17s and 275x40-17 Nitto DRs in the rear. BIG MISTAKE!!! If I try to leave with any power at all, I could spin them up to the 330' if I wanted. I still need the big DR for a rear tire on the street because of the car's power, but I must say going to 17s was (FOR ME) an absolute waste of time and money. They do look cool, but I am one of those "function before form" guys and cool to me is blowing someone's doors off at the line.

 

Having no choice, I switched to using track tires only. I ran a 26x9.5-16 Hoosier QTPs on 16x8 Z-28 and my 60' was back with consistent hi-1.40s to lo-1.50s and a couple of freaky 1.45s. After those wore out I switched to 27x11.5-15 QTPs (these tires are HUGE!) on 15x8" Draglites that just barely fit over the rear brakes. Last Wed I cut a 1.39 and a 1.41 and if I was running a solid rear I would probably have lots of air under the front tires. Zero wheelspin. NADA. BTW, I also run 25x4.5-15 Moroso skinnies on 15x3.5" Draglites.

 

You said you are a straightliner so the questions are: how quick do you want to go and how much are you willing to compromise and sacrifice? The optimal setup is something like what I run but I absolutely do not recommend you drive with those on the street. If you have stock fenders then you have a limited choice in DRs and the BFGs are not a good street tire. My Z can be driven anywhere but it is not my daily driver and I do not rely on it for everyday driving. Lucky for me, the local track is only 9 miles from home on mostly backroads so I switch tires at home and drive there with the race tires. When I have to go race out of town, I have to rely on someone to go with me to take the race tires.

 

Bottom line is, if you have serious HP and you are serious about going quick, then tires are critical. It is not about big or wide or what looks cool but about compound and the highest profile. Yep, the higher the profile, the taller the sidewall, the better a soft compound tire will hook.