Street Test NITTO 555R Drag Radials on Viper....

[Tom Welch]

Just mounted and tested on the street the new 315-35-17 Nitto Drag radials and in a word "WOW".

I also have E.T. Streets and BFG Drag Radials. The nittos performed almost as good as e.t. streets....much better than the BFG's.

In a brief comparison the nitto is a bit narrower and shorter in its circumference than the other tires but has less tread cuts which in turn increases the size of the contact patch. I mounted them first on the back rims as the BFG's had fit my back rims nicely. The nittos were a bit too narrow for my liking on the rear rims. They fit great on a set of the front rims(its just a shame that the rear doesn't look as mean with 3" less tread per tire on the pavement).

At 22 psi they gave a nice even tread mark and hooked very well, launching with a slight slip of the clutch at 3000 rpm. The roads are warm today as it is hot and sunny.

I will be drag strip testing within the next two weeks and will post results, but so far they get the thumbs up for any interested parties.

Tom
Http://btrviper.com

 

[Tom Welch]

Arizona,

I agree with you that they should make tires to fit our larger rims and newer 99+ viper rims. As for the size dimensions, in a mathematical world you would be correct. Ever go to buy shoes and 2 different pairs of your size fit different?

Part of the reason for the 3" difference is that the 13" rear wheel allows the stock tire to stand up straight, the 10" front rim pulls the tire in somewhat further decreasing the contact patch. I can snap a digital pic for interested parties. The nitto even though it is labeled the same as the BFG is about .50" narrower and has a slightly different bead seal that allows it to stand up nice on the 10" rim whereas the BFG on front rims looked way to small.

Tom

 

[Mike Brunton]

Arizona,

Tom is absolutely right on this - two tires of the same specified size often are different sizes in reality. Firestone tires are often slimmer than Goodyears, for example.

Regarding asking Nitto to make a 17" and 18" 335 tire, I have already talked to them. They say they are "thinking about it". I would suggest you call them also. The more people that call, the more incentive they have to do it. Actually, I believe a 345 size tire is a better fit for a 13" rim - 335 is on the smallish side, IMO.

 

[racewheel]

i am reposting from the corvette forum, (adam bruce from atlanta area is the originator of the post) because it best explains how futile an 18" drag radial would be

Just to clarify "sidewall flex", there is a misconception that a good drag tire must flex it's sidewall to "spring" the car off the line. sort of like what you see on top-fuel drag racers or other cars with true slicks. "Crinkle" is something that is impossible to have on a radial tire, including a BFG drag radial. So why does the BFG use a softer sidewall for more flex? Because contact area is a large factor. By lowering the pressure you "soften" the sidewall, and elongate the tread footprint (Though you should't lower it so much as to cause the foot print to buckle). At any rate traction is measured by the length of the traction area in drag racing (Where the force is in the direction of travel) and width of the traction area in handling (Where the force is perpendicular to the car). This is one reason why top fuel tires are so thin in relation to their width. Now if I had a 255/50R16, a 255/40R17 and a 255/35R18, they all have the same traction width footprint, but the 255/50R16 has a Longer traction footprint because it has more sidewall, and even at the same pressure will deform more tread onto the ground. The reason a 18" tire makes such a terrible drag tire is because typically the tire is holds it's round shape so well (good for handling, bad for drag racing). If you want to buy a dedicated tire for drag racing skip the 315/35 R17 or any drag radial all together and get a true MT ET street tire. If you're looking for a good tire to drive on the street and get good traction on, then I would say go with a 315/35R17 Kuhmo. IT has a stiff sidewall, but will hold tread for a good long time, handles well, looks good on a C5, and will give you very good straight line.
-Adam,