Current 18" street legal drag radial choices are?

[FE 065]

Current 18\" street legal drag radial choices are?

I haven't kept track of what's been going on the DR world for a year or two. I've read some mention of Nitto 555's - how are they compared to BFG DRs? Any other 18" legal DR tires to choose from?

 

[mntngts99]

Re: Current 18

I normally hand wash before applying two coats of my favorite wax. lather,rinse,repeat.

Oh my bad,,, You asked about racing not WAXING.

BFG's for now. I have heard that other are working on the 18". I thought M/T DR's were out, but haven't found them.

 

[FE 065]

Re: Current 18

No 18" DR info on the M/T website. I'd gotten a reply email from someone at M/T some time ago promising 18" DRs,and posted about it here. But it seems they've changed their minds.

Someone said Nittos are shorter than BFG's but the respective spec pages seem to show them almost equal-at least in height.

 

[JZ 97 SS 1500]

Re: Current 18\" street legal drag radial choices are?

I'm waiting to hear a comparison as well. The nitto's are only offered in a 335/30-18. The BFG's are 345/30-18, so they are a little wider and a little taller.

Jose

 

[mntngts99]

Re: Current 18

I know over on the dark side, I thought someone last year at Bradenton was running on M/T or Hoosier DRs.

Are you looking for just Straight line or all around performance?

 

[FE 065]

Re: Current 18

I want something I can drive to the strip 50 miles away.

Can't find any tread width specs but diameters are very close between the two.


BFG 345/30 R18 26.2" tall

Nitto 345/30 R18 26.06" tall

 

[Earl_H]

Re: Current 18

I have the Nittos on both my Z06 and GTS, both twin turbos at about 700-800rwhp. Nitto's are better all-around tires. When heated they provide decent grip for an 18" tire. Yet they will last up to 10K miles. The BFG's will provide "marginally" better grip, but a buddy of mine could only get 1K miles out of them. If you want an all-out DR go with a 15" or 16" if you can. The Nitto's got my vote twice because of the overall durability and flexibility. Also, they aren't too terrible in the rain.

 

[2002_Viper_GTS_ACR]

Re: Current 18

\Also, they aren't too terrible in the rain.

Tell my buddy that.. I watched him hydro plain on wet pavement (not really raining, just drissle and standing water from earlier rain) on the highway at 50 mph. I was the guy who took all the photos. I happen to have a camera, because I took my dads viper to go drag racing against him 1-2 hours earlier.


Sunny day at the track, viper vs vette:

About 1-2 hour hours after photo above was taken on our way home (Vette was on Nittos):

Nittos just like BFG's are NOT a good idea in the rain, sorry.. dont do it.

 

[FE 065]

Re: Current 18

I wouldn't be on the road with either DR in the rain. Even if I had to pull off for a while.

 

[JZ 97 SS 1500]

Re: Current 18

Who's got the best prices on those tires?? I have looked around, and the BFG's are around high 200's and Nitto's are around the same.

 

[Earl_H]

Re: Current 18

You said your buddy had raced 2 hrs prior. I wouldn't race on the tires and then go in the ran right after. After you do a few burnouts or run them at the track, they do get pretty squirrelly. You need some normal street driving to sort give them some additional texture and get all the small pebbles and dirt out of the grooves/off the tire material. I've run Nitto's DR's on 3 cars (Cobra, GTS, Z06). For a time the Cobra was my daily driver and I had no issues at all rain or shine. Btw, sorry about your buddy.

 

[2002_Viper_GTS_ACR]

Re: Current 18

You said your buddy had raced 2 hrs prior. I wouldn't race on the tires and then go in the ran right after. After you do a few burnouts or run them at the track, they do get pretty squirrelly. You need some normal street driving to sort give them some additional texture and get all the small pebbles and dirt out of the grooves/off the tire material. I've run Nitto's DR's on 3 cars (Cobra, GTS, Z06). For a time the Cobra was my daily driver and I had no issues at all rain or shine. Btw, sorry about your buddy.

That may very well be the case Earl, but you didnt seem to qualify that originaly, and my friend too had a false sense of security with the tires, and uttered a similar phrase as you did about its relative safety in the rain, due to his past experience. I guess at a minimum we must say if you do any passes with them, you cant run them in the rain right after? I'm not sure, but he and I obviously didnt plan on getting caught in the rain after the track event, it just happened. Its not worth the risk, its a safer bet to just say no rain.. its not worth the cost of a nice sports car

Jon

 

[FE 065]

Re: Current 18

I used to stand a mounted pair of BFG's upright in the trunk of my '94 RT/10 and head off 50 miles to the strip where I'd put them on the car..

 

[JZ 97 SS 1500]

Re: Current 18

I called MT and they expect to release a version of the ET drag radial (335/30-18) around Dec. So for now looks like its a toss up just between the BFG and Nitto. I think the new BFG will last longer then the old version.

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[QUICKV10]

Re: Current 18

What about KUMHOS are they not in the same category?

 

[JZ 97 SS 1500]

Re: Current 18

Kumhos are for roadracing and come shaved down as well I believe.

 

[Jack B]

Re: Current 18

The kumho is not for drag racing, wait for ythe new ET,s