DR/Slicks on the street

[tspence45]

Originally Posted by Rubrignitz I know this post is kinda old but I dug it up looking at tire specs. I've been through two (TWO!) sets of NT555R's in 20k miles and they're nearly bald again. Not sure if my suspension is wearing them out or what but don't think I'm overly hard on them. It was raining here in Austin last weekend and I lost traction in the middle of the highway, spun three times toward the inner concrete barrier. I let go of the wheel and let er' spin watching the barrier come up fast wondering which quarter panel was going to be destroyed. The tires finally hooked and I came to a stop 3 feet from the wall. My hands were shaking... What PSI were you keeping your 555R's at? If you're driving them, on the street, at any more than 26psi, that's your problem. As long as you keep them under that, they'll wear evenly, and last 15-20k, on a set, as long as you're not roasting them off all the time. I had that problem with my first set, when I had my 275/40/17 555r's on the Camaro. I didn't realize that I needed to be running them around 26, or lower. I put 12k on them, and the centers were looking pretty crappy, but the outter tread looked perfect. I've got the 335/30/18's now, and after ~4-5k, and a few trips to the track (~15 passes), they still look almost brand new, because I run them at 24-25psi all the time. I've also never had any problems in rain, that a street tire wouldn't give me. Also, with the way I drive, DR's actually last longer. Because, I like to get on it. The DR's hook, so I don't roast them. Street tires would just go up in smoke, and look terrible after just a few months. After running 555r's, I'm never going to run another tire on the street again. I absolutely love these tires. I doubt I'll get the 335's again though. These things are pricey. lol

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[Rubrignitz]

Max pressure states 44 but I've been running them at 30 since new. They were at 29 when I flew off the road so the first thing I did was go to the nearest air station and put 37#'s in each. It seemed to give me much better traction in the rain than the 29# I had in them and got me home safely. At 30#'s people would tell me my tires needed air all the time. They looked really low with 30#'s in the 35 series dr's. They're wearing pretty evenly. I'll use them for track tires and put street tires back on now. They're really, really loud as well when they wear. Sounds like tank treads. Street tires are going back on today...

[67mustang302]

Tires designed for drag always have softer sidewalls. It helps the tire wad up to a degree and stay planted. They're designed for maximum traction when going forward, and as a result their design inhibits lateral traction. The reverse is true on street tires and road racing type tires, the stiffer sidewalls help with lateral stability and better handling, but as a result don't generate as much forward bite. Everything is a trade-off to one degree or another, and a drag radial is going to unbalance the rear vs the front and create a bunch of oversteer. If DR's could be made to handle well then there wouldn't be DR's for drag and DOT competition RR tires for road racing...there'd just be one class of tire.

[Rubrignitz]

Exactly... I'm missing the oversteer already . I hope these 555's loosen up over time. I think an MSD two-step would give you the advantage over a stickier tire once you work with the launch rpm. I'll trade drag radials on the street for ideal suspension setup (brackets, pinion angle etc) along with knowing how to launch your car effectively. You never know what kind of road conditions you'll be street racing on...

[Grabber]

Any drag radial I have ever had on, I blow out of the water even with a healthy burnout. The only tire that will allow me to hook, would be a slick of some sort.

I've known a few Bolt on 2V/3V guys, that run M&H, Mickey's, and Hoosiers, and say they can roast those tires in every gear, and even with a burnout, they cannot hook at a track. I think it's funny, that a car with that much of a power difference can't hook one but, and cut worse 60fts than my car.

As far as driving around on them, I have a set of rears with Drag Radials on, which I swap out for track days, and another set with Really good All seasons, that surprisingly don't get blown out of the water like most other all seasons and summer performance tires I have driven on.

Driving on Slicks and DR's daily is very expensive, and a waste of a tire. That is, if you don't plan on racing on a daily basis, and taking your car to the track all the time.

[Rubrignitz]

i've blown through two sets of DRs on the street and had MAYBE three street races, only once from a dig. ain't worth it. they're fun to play with and see exactly how your car can hook at different rpms with different road conditions. I guess it was a learning experience. my driving skills have improved. but worth it???? not a chance.

[Solitear]

This making me wonder now i need new tires in the back was going to order nitto 555Rs for the rear mmm might still do it since the rainy season is over >=d, or might order summer tire >.>

[67mustang302]

Suspension set up really plays a huge part. Look at the SSC Ultimate Aero and Aero TT, running a street tire with no traction control and no launch assistance they break into the 9's!! I think the newest iteration of the Aero TT is a 9.40's car on a freakin street tire...it's managing to effectively put down over 1,000hp. That has got to be a KILLER suspension set up. It probably has pretty much perfect instant center and anti-squat characteristics....of course the rear tires are huge.

Edit: Just looked, they're saying 9.90's at 144mph for the 2009 Ultimate Aero. On 335 wide Michelin PS2's.

http://www.shelbysupercars.com/car-specs.php