New Drag Radials

[gsharapa]

Picked up my BF Goodrich Drag radials yesterday.

Boy do they look good on the car. 325/50/15 fit great on a SPF. Haven't driven it yet, as it's raining this am but these should really help the gear as they are taller than my Yoko 295/50/15s were and a bit wider. Sorry no pics as I don't have a digital camera...

Couple of guys at the dealer where I got them are running some big block camero race cars in street class with these same tires and said they'll stand their cars on their bumpers when heated up.......and drive just like a normal radial on the street!

[gsharapa]

James,

You asked in the other post how these drag radials work. I took the car out today and I couldn't believe how well these tires hook up....... I tired it in second gear rolling after a slow shift out of 1st and then stabbing it. With the 295/50/15 Yokohamas I had on the car, in second and even third gear it would break the tires loose and of course you know the rest. With these new drag radials it hooked up immediately and took off like a bat out of hell......The real test then came, how about 1st gear????

Well I didn't try bringing it out of the hole but again just got the car rolling in 1st and stabbed it...............WOW again it hooked almost immediately and scrared the Bjesus out of me as it shot forward and hit my 7000 RPM limiter pretty quick. Iam really, really impressed with these drag radials. The other great thing is they are 27.7 inches high which is like the 275/60/15 tires and really help my 3:73 gear. Makes it more like a 3:50 ratio now. They are only about 1 inch wider then the 295/50/15 Yokohamas I had on the car.......

[Lew Ledyard]

How are they in the twisties?

[CHRIS DAMSCH]

I was also thinking of drag radials on my spf. How about some pictures?

[gsharapa]

Sorry no pic as I don't have a digital camera. We have a club lunch Saturday so maybe some of my buddies will have their cameras. Great on the road as they are a radial and much improved over the drag radials of years ago. Don't think they'd work to well in road course as they are made for straight line get up and go.......

[gsharapa]

Chris,

Where in Chicago subs are you?

I'm originally from Downers Grove and also lived in Naperville.
Have lots of car buddies there still.......

[Johnnyquest]

F.Y.I. you other guys might want to consider the Nitto Drag Radials.

1. Z rated, the BFG are not
2. Rated as a everyday driver tire, BFG makes no claims
3. Manuf. states 15,000 miles are not uncommon
4. Did I mention the tire pattern is cool looking?

JQ

[Ed Csoltko]

I got Nitto's on my FFR. Great traction.

[CHRIS DAMSCH]

I live in Hampshire. Near rt. 47 and I-90.
Do those Nitto's come in 15" sizes?

[CHRIS DAMSCH]

But I grew up in Schaumburg. I'm pretty familiar with Downers Grove and Naperville.

[Ed Csoltko]

See:

http://www.nittotire.com/

I got:

NT 555R
P275/50R15

[gsharapa]

There are 2 pics in my gallery of 325/50/15 BF Goodrich Drag Radials on Charmer's Red SPF he sold. Mine fit under the car more as I have more negative camber on the rear then he did. Had the car out yesterday for the January Cobra lunch and tried it a few more times in 1st and they really hook up on the street. I am affraid at the track I'd probally break something with a sticky strip......

I thought NIttos only came in 17 and 18s as my son had some Nitto Drag Radials on his Mustang GT. 275/50/15 would be wider than the BF Goodrich and Nitto 275/60/15 but a bit to short for my 3:73 gear. These 325s are 28 inches tall like the 60 series which really fill up the wheel well.......

How do you 275/50/15 Nittos work??????

[Ed Csoltko]

My FFR had four Goodyear Eagles and could not stick very well. After replacing the rears with Nittos, it was handling great and no more burnouts. I don't have the HP like you since I'm running a modified 302, but I think Nittos with my 302 is a great combination for overall driving and casual drags.

[snakeeyes]

A friend has a '69 Camaro that he transplanted a Buick 455 into several years ago. Strange combination but the Buick is a light and torquey motor and the car really goes. He put some BFG Drag Radials on and boy, do they hook. He told me he got on it in the rain the other day and the car still hooked up and went, to his amazement.

[rdorman]

HOW DO THEY HANDLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Compare them to other tires that you have run on your Cobra.

Any one running them on all four corners?

15" sizes are 275 50 and 60.

Rick

[Mark Roe]

Rick--

I just put the BF Goodrich Drag Radials on my car--all four corners. Additionally, I changed my shocks to Edelbrocks on all four corners.
I'm still in the process of adjusting the shocks to get the right height on the car, but initial impressions are good.
The car hooks up MUCH better (they are better rated--130 MPH vs 112 on the Good Year Eagles), the tires pick up rocks where the Good Years didn't.
So, I'm assuming that cornering will be much improved once I get the height worked out along with proper allignment.
It'll be about two weeks before these issues get worked through, then I'll put the new suspension/tires to the test.

I'll come back and let everyone know what happened

[gsharapa]

Finally got some pics of my car and the Drag Radials in my Gallery thanks to Mr. Ray Russell. Too bad it was a cloudy day last Saturday but 75% in Dallas............

[Johnnyquest]

I just read the information at tires.com and they stated no speed rating. They also said it wasn't a good idea for sustained high speed which indicates no speed rating. They even said it was not marked on the sidewalls............is yours? Granted it is a drag tire, limited short vaults to excessive speeds but no long jaunts.

I still say the Nitto is much better because it is meant and designed to be more a street tire. V rating, I earlier said a Z rating but forgot which.

I must admit the BFG just set new 1/4 mile records but not on the street.

[gsharapa]

I believe they are R rated. Check on BF Goodrich's home site.

"The world's first radial ply DOT- approved street-legal drag racing tire. World record setting traction/acceleration for the strip and execllent control for driving the trophy home. "

I am not into road racing or driving in the rain but straight line performance and this tire seems to be made for that. I've had 4 Cobras with some pretty healthy motors and this is the first time I could actualy get on one in first gear and it sticks!

I am not against Nitto but they just don't make a big enough 15 inch Drag Radial, as their expertise is more directed at 17 and 18 inch tires...and I wanted the 15 inch look.

[Johnnyquest]

Discount tires say they are R rated which is 112 mph and this is from the tirerack website

The Drag Radial's growing popularity has generated some questions about the tire's high speed capabilities because, unlike other Ultra High Performance street radials, its speed capability is not indicated on the sidewall by a speed symbol in its size or service description. While the Comp T/A Drag Radial has many of the internal construction features usually found in high speed radial tires, the feature that prevents it from being speed rated in the "normal" ways is its unique high-hysteresis tread compound. This compound has extreme energy-absorption characteristics that help the Drag Radial readily conform to the track surface to help launch the car and take it to victory...one quarter-mile at a time. This same tread compound, when subjected to continuous operation at very high speeds, could possibly overheat and blister (just like a super-sticky "qualifying tire" used in professional oval track or road racing competition). Thus, even if the Comp T/A Drag Radial is available in a vehicle's ideal size for use in activities other than drag racing, it should not be used in competition where the car and tire will be exposed to sustained high speeds.

Sure is nice to find a tire that hooks that's for sure. Glad you like em.

Randy