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M/T drag radials or M/T ET streets

10K views 60 replies 19 participants last post by  NOVACA1N 
#1 ·
I have a 72 novathat has been 7.505 at 93mph in the eigth. I am in need of new tires to race on I was thinkin of a 275-60 15 M/T dragradial so I could drive it on the street some. Im am woried that my 60 foots will fall dramaticly. I used to run 26x11x15 hoosier Quick time pro d.o.t.'s but they were spinning on the launch with the nitrous. So I was also debating on the M/T et streets ( the slicks with the groovs) thought they would be awsome in a 28x11.5x15 and they would hook better than both of the other ttires. Any opinions would be greatly apriciated! thanks!
 
#2 · (Edited)
Your dead on!

The radials will have the worst performance.

The MT Et's will have the best.

Been there done that with same car is same speed!

275/50-15 Radials, great street tires, suck on the drag strip.

ET Streets are a handful on the street because of sidewall support is minimal. Back of car feels very loose. VERY LOOSE!!!!
On the Drag strip, most consistent and faster.

I have the 26 10.5 15 ET Streets and wish They had the 28x11.5-15's but none to be found when I need tires after selling the Radials.

YOUR GONNA HERE, I SEEN THIS WITH A RADIAL TIRE, SO AND SO RUNS THIS??? AND TRUE ENOUGH. BUT ASK THOSE WHO OWN THOSE CARS WHAT THEY RUN WITHOUT THE RADIALS! YES THERE ARE VERY FAST CARS WITH GOB'S OF HP RUNNING FAST! AND A LOT OF STREET CARS WITH LOW HP RUNNING THEM ALSO WHO CAN NOT EVEN FEEL OR SEE THE DIFFERENCE!
RADIALS ARE NOT THE BEST TIRE!

I HAVE HAD BOTH, run them back to back without changing the car and the ET Street Was faster and more consistent. YEA, DO THIS DO THAT AND THE RADIAL WILL WORK BETTER! BUT IF I DID THOSE CHANGES TO THE ET IT WOULD RUN FASTER ALSO.
YOU CAN NOT OVERHOOK A CAR!
If my car was a slower car then the tires would most likely be the same! BUT THEY WERE NOT.

I HAVE STRONG FEELING ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I WAS TOLD THEY WERE BETTER OR THE SAME AND THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. I WAS GIVEN WRONG ADVICE FROM THOSE WHO TRULLY DO NOT KNOW AND BASE THERE FACT ON THE PRIDE OF WHAT THEY HAVE ON THERE CAR. THEY HAVE NEVER RUN BOTH.
I HAVE, THE RADIAL IS SLOWER!
 
#9 ·
Al you weren't misinformed, and a bias ply tire is not faster. I think we can bot agree that a bias ply is definitely more forgiving and will be much easier to hook over a radial. In some cases they may be more consistent, but it is the car that determines that. A radial ply tire will always be faster than a bias play, if you can get it to hook consistently. My friend Ed's Chevelle is one of the most consistent cars I know of. The 60 foots vary within thousandths from run to run, and it has been 1.28 to the 60 in a 3880lb nose heavy Chevelle with a bolt in suspension and radial ply tires. Granted they are not DOT radials, but rather Hoosier radial slicks, they are still radial ply. If bias ply tires were faster Stock Eliminator guys would NOT run radial tires!

Al, the reason why they didn't work in your car is because your car doesn't work efficiently/consistently. Please don't take this the wrong way, but I've seen your video and your car squats bounces a lot. No properly working car squats, other than a Pro Stock/High powered tube chassis car.
 
#3 ·
There are guys running serious numbers with the drag radials. The correct chassis setup and air pressure and I don't think you will see a significant 60' drop if any at all. The radials are less forgiving with a bad suspension setup though.
 
#5 ·
The E.T. Streets are a lot more forgiving if the track isn't prepped well or your car isn't set-up well. I've run 1.34 60 fts. with the tire you mention on a 200 shot--I've run 1.45 on the 275 radial, but I didn't try different set-ups because of a lack of time(they were borrowed) The radials are much nicer to drive on the top end as they don't squirm around like a slick--E.T. Street's are stiffer than a slick, but still move around a little bit if you go too low on air pressure. If your best e.t. is 7.50 it shouldn't take much of a tire--Dale(teddisnoke) runs 7.60 on a 235/60/15 drag radial; and 60 fts in the 1.6's, but that's without nitrous--the hit from the nitrous can be enough to break the tire loose if the suspension isn't right.
 
#6 ·
I haven't tried a ET street on my car so I can't comment on them. I do use the M/T radial 235/15 car has been 7.05 with 125 shot. They work good on my car, pulls the left front tire off the ground. BUT the track has great prep too. Also I have a mild 3.50 gear and that helps too.
 
#8 ·
Now when I had my 67 SS Nova I ran MT'S ET Street's. 26.x11.5x15's. And work wonderfull at the track. They also work on the street, but like Big Al said. The rear end felt real loose on turn's. So I just played it safe on turn's. And just made sure I was not hauling but thorugh them. The only other thing is I "NEVER, NEVER, NEVER" drove the car when it was raining. I did not want to take a chance. That's only draw back I can see.
 
#11 ·
Its true a bias ply is forgiving and will work on most anything, I knew a guy who took the shocks off because the slicks rubbed on them, car hooked, but no way to control squat or seperation.
A radial car works with a good chassis setup, There are guys that ran on a 28 12.5 or 13.5 et street and switched to the radial for the SSCN race and went faster and quicker, Mannys car made its first 7 sec pass on a radial, George stood the nova on the back bumper on the radial. They WORK!!!!
 
#23 ·
I currently have moroso front trick springs with competition engineering 3 way adjustable drag shocks set to 90/10. on the rear I have the stock multi leaf springs with slapper bars and the CE 3 ways on the rear set to 50/50. I have not tryed this set up yet . Last year with everything the same except for the rear shocks which were pep boys specials I went a best of a 7.505 at 93 with a 1.62 60 foot with a 100 shot of nitrous on 26/11.5/15 hoosier quick time pros. I am afraid that if I try the street radials I will regret my purchace. I am also wondering if I should go up to the 28 in. tall tire or not. On the street I run the 275/60/15 so I know that the 28/11.5/15 will fit. Again thanks for all of the replys!
 
#41 ·
If everyone can stick to the technical debate and leave out personal attacks, knock yourselves out, discuss away. From past experience I knew exactly where this thread was heading. If you want to make sideways digs, buck up, be a man and PM me. If not, keep it to yourself or go to Yellowbullet.
 
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