Drag radials/best buy?

[Guest zfan]

Im looking for a set of drag radials 235/60-15 or 225/50-15. Does anyone have any suggestions as to who may have the best prices or where is the best place to go .

 

Also heard they should be heat cycled?

Thanks for any imput you can give.

 

Mike W.

[Scottie-GNZ]

Mike,

 

firstly, there is a big difference in the diameter of those 2 tires, 26.1 and 23.88, so understand how that impacts the final drive. The taller tire will give you a higher ratio but a V-8 or powerful turbo can overcome that and even benefit. The BFG DR is the only one that has those sizes. The Nitto is the better overall street tire but has limited sizes in 15", 205/45, 275/50 and 275/60!. If you go with the BFG, just be aware that they are not very good in the rain and wear quickly in everyday driving.

 

As for price, compare the big mail order houses and check the classified of other forums for good used bargains, especially if this is just a "go to the track" tire.

[Lockjaw]

I think I got mine from the tire rack, and I got the 235/60r15's, and even with the turbo, I stepped up to a 3.90 gear in the back to overcome the taller tire. I would go with the 50 series.

 

BFG's do not like water either. They hate rain, so you have to be careful when you are out and about with them on. On regular pavement I can stand on my turbo car in first with no wheel spin, try it with street tires and it is wheel spin thru first and second.

 

The Nitto is supposedly a longer wearing tire that gets good traction in wet, at least according to some Mustang guys I talked with at the track.

 

One other thing, if you let the pressure down in the BFG's to race, you have to inflate them back up to normal pressure to drive home. I usually take a portable airtank with me to the track, although the last couple of times I did not drop the pressure.

[Guest zfan]

The reason Im looking at drag radials is my best 60 ft. times are 2.08, that sucks. I currently am running 235/60-15's, they are cheapo radial tires. The problem with 235's is they scrape on the fender lips out back when launching or when I hit bumps in the road.

 

I Have a 1971 240Z with Datsun/Nissan comp springs or so that is what the previous owner said.

 

What about spacers in the top of the rear strut tower to raise car 1/2 to 3/4". Something like a aluminum spacer.

 

Does anyone else have 235/60-15's on a 71 240Z?

 

Mike

[Bob_H]

Have you rolled your fenders yet? The tires hitting the fender is a common problem with a very easy fix. You can fit a 245 under there with some fancy backspacing work. You are only rolling the fender from about the 11 o'clock position to the 1 o'clock position. You can take a baseball bat, or a "professional device" to to this. I actually used a hammer. What you are doing is taking that lip behind the fender edge and pounding/pushing it up to a near vertical position. It will gain you almost an inch of clearance in some cases. (When I say almost, I mean like 3/4 of an inch).

And 2.08's aren't bad for cheap-o radials as you say. I managed the same on 195 cheap-o radials, so you aren't far off. How serious are you for track stuff? If you aren't running in the real low 13's or faster, I just don't think drag radials are called for. Have you seen a honda running high 14's with DR's? Yea, it helps their time, but come-on! DR's on a 14 sec car!?

Don't take that the wrong way. As I said, 2.08 is pretty good for crappy street tires. If you really want DR's, I would say go with the Nitto's. They stick good and are still a decent street tire. (i.e. no swaping back and forth). Remember, once you start to get it to hook, things start breaking....

-Bob

[z ya]

I am running the 235/60/15 BFG drags on my 70 240.

I love the way they hook and look. I am running

coilovers in the rear with 7.5 wide wheels with

5 " bs. I would not go for the 50 series if it was

me. Your rpms will be way up there on the highway

and you have less sidewall to wrinkle on the take

off. Also with the tall tire you dont have to drop

the car much to get rid of the gap in the wheel

wells. With the 50 series you would have to drop

it a bunch and then your angles on your rear shafts would be not good. Go with the 235's.

[Guest zfan]

Yeah I would like to keep the tires at 235/60-15.

Im worried about the paint getting messed up if I try to roll the fender lips. Ive got cose to 3k in the paint(ultra violet metallic with a hint of pearl) My car ran 13 flat at 110 the other night with a 2.08 60 ft. I launched at idle and that kills me as my motor is built to come on at 2200 to 2500 rpm's.

 

My friends seem to think my car should run low 12's very easily. I also shifted under 6k on that run to keep tires from breaking loose even worse.

 

Mike

[Bob_H]

Mike, by "professional equipment" I meant just that. You can rent a fender roller from some places. It bolts to the hub when the tire is removed. It has a roller on the end which you adjust and work it back and forth. You progressively increase the amount it rolls. As long as you don't have a bunch of bondo down near the lip, you should be fine. If that lip inside the fender is straight metal w/paint, I believe you can accomplish it w/o damaging your paint. It leaves about .25-.5 inches to the edge of the fender so its not like it becomes a sharp edge.

The following page shows what it looks like. Plus he rents his out if you can't find one somewhere else.

Fender roller page

I would check with your locak body shops first. I think you will be happy with the results.

-Bob

[z ya]

z fan, I sent ya an e mail.

[1FASTKINGCAB]

I work at at tire dealer and can tell you the BFG drag radial is a better tire than the Nitto 555R. You'll get more miles out of the 555's than the BFG's but the BFG's will get you down the track faster. The nitto's are made with FWD cars in mind and have a stifer side wall where tha BFG's are made W/ RWD cars in mind an have alot more give in the side wall. The nitto's also tend to slip on the rim (rim spins tire dosen't) on high powered cars. another one to think about is the BFG GForce T/A drag radial though I don't think it's avail. in the size you want.it is made like the nito 555 drag (FWD's in mind) but had a better compound.

[Guest zfan]

Thanks Guys for all your imput, I may just try the fender roller.

 

Mike

[Lockjaw]

What is up with your car? Is it a turbo?

 

I have run 1.99 60 ft time with radials when the track was prepped really well, and before the ricers found it. Now with drag radials, I usually run run 1.8+ with sucky track prep. Or actually, water from the ricers running thru the water box and doing burnouts on street tires. I launch about 4k and just drop the clutch.

 

The regular drag radial is a better choice then their new one. My friend ran mine the other day on his lowered 280z with no problems. I have no problems either in a 280zx using the turbo rims.