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Need a set of track tires

4K views 39 replies 12 participants last post by  TheSatinPumpkin 
#1 ·
I'm in need of a set of track only rubber. I ran this weekend and with the NT420S, the only way I was getting traction was getting through 1st gear then spraying, or running in 4x4. My all motor pass was 15.02 and my best 100 shot pass was 14.79, quite a disapointment with the nitrous, plus DA was in the 4600s all night. I am spraying right off the line since my window switch is giving me troubles and I plan to keep it this way since I'm trying to move 5900lbs

I don't want to keep making passes in 4wd because it's just killing my times and I do worry about my transfer case in the long run, so I'm in need of some traction to hook in 2wd. I know there was just a thread about rubber, but I've been looking at the M&H DRs in the 275/50R17 and picking up a set of stock 17s wheels to mount them on.

Thoughts?

Do I need to find a set of tires the same diameter for the front in order to run properly without messing around with my front end?
 
#3 ·
hey man i have some ALREADY mounted wheels and radials your looking for. bolt circle on the wheels is 5-5 1/2 17x9's. The tires are Mickey Thompson 26 x 11.50R17. I may consider selling. Ive made 12 passes with the radials. no road mileage so these are practically brand new.



 
#5 ·
I just saw this thread. Kurtis, did you end up getting a set of DR's? I really like the M&H's myself. I ran their 3 major 17" sizes...275/50/17, 325/45/17, and the 390/40/17's. I personally liked the 325's the best, but for a high 12 second or slower truck, the 275's are good enough...assuming you have caltracs or some other form of traction aid. Tires will make a big difference, but as you start going faster, it is going to take some suspension upgrades to get even the drag radials to stick.
 
#9 ·
Never ended up getting any. Started my own consulting company and just waiting for the cash flow to catch back up right now. Plus, been working a new contract so much lately that I've missed all the track days and I won't see the track again until October, and they normally close down mid-october, so I may not see another pass this year.

The winter mods will be making some big differences once I get the cash to carry on. Will be doing Lakewood cal-tracs, D-Rs, and adjustable remote gas shocks so I can soften them up when I'm racing. I'll also be doing a shaft loop as it's a requirement for my track at 13.99 or faster, or if I launch in 4wd I'll have to rig a half-shaft loop because they've had too many 4wds go wrong and score up the launch pad.

subscribing. sorry I missed this thread.

Kurtis, if you find an aluminum set of four 17s and they aren't willing to seperate I'll buy 2 of 'em.
Will do, Right now I'm thinking I may just pick up a set of light weight 17" wheels for the rear and 18" for the front, the 22s weigh a TON! The 18" to clear the SSBC big brake kit I've been eyeballing for a while.

Just launch it in 4wd. We've been doing it for years with the diesels.
Drive around the water, throw it in 4wd, load up the converter and let it eat.
Disengage 4wd at the end of the track.

Your 1/4 mile times are dictated by the first 60'...everything after that is just steering it straight. You have traction built in...use it.
You hit it on the head... with the diesels. With the torque they put down they can launch in 4wd and still pull good 60' times, unfortunately, the gas engines just don't put down a high enough torque to compensate. The transfer case attached to the 68rfe is also a lot beefier and can handle being shifted out of 4wd at WOT to reduce the drrivetrain losses. The TC on the 545rfe is woeful and even around the 500hp mark you have a good chance of stripping input shafts if you try to shift out at WOT.

As for running in 4wd the whole way, with the passes I've done, 4wd gives me traction for sure, but it also adds .6-.7 to my ETs. When I do hook in 2wd, I can get much better times as I don't have the same drivetrain losses. The whole point of running in 2wd is so I'm not forced to turn two additional 8.6N-m moment arms with the additional frinction and fluid drag losses from the transfer case.
 
#7 ·
Just launch it in 4wd. We've been doing it for years with the diesels.
Drive around the water, throw it in 4wd, load up the converter and let it eat.
Disengage 4wd at the end of the track.

Your 1/4 mile times are dictated by the first 60'...everything after that is just steering it straight. You have traction built in...use it.
 
#8 ·
I run 28" Hoosier slicks. They haven't done me wrong since I got them!
 
#10 ·
FWIW we don't shift out of 4wd till the pass is over....even on 9 second passes.
I find it hard to believe you can lose that much time running in 4wd. The transfer case internals are always spinning no matter what so there's very little in the way of extra losses there. I suppose if the truck just doesn't make any power it could...guess I'm not used to the anemic power levels in these things yet.
I'm used to 16-1800 ftlbs of torque...not 400. lol
 
#15 ·
I have not run the Generals or the Yoko's, so I cant comment on them. The Falkens are cheap, but their compound is harder, so I wasnt impressed with their dry traction. The last set of tires I ran on my 03 were the Nitto 420S. They were by far my favorite street tire for overall wet/dry traction on the road. They also come in a 285/50/20 which is 31.3" tall and 11.4" wide.

I also ran Hankooks, Toyos, the old NT404's, and stock Goodyears. The Nitto 420S was my favorite of the bunch.
 
#16 ·
My favorite tires so far on a street truck were the Kumho Ecsta STX...it was a very well rounded tire. Wet or dry traction was as good or better than anything else I tried. Those were followed a close second by the Toyo Proxes.
I'm really, really liking these Pirelli Scorpion Zero Assimetricos running now...so far anyway. Not enough miles to tell and definitely not enough power to tell.

I tried a set of the Falken Ziex on my last truck and could spin them at will anywhere under 65-70 mph. The Kumhos I could only spin up to about 45-50 mph.
The sidewalls on the Falkens sucked too...felt like I was driving a boat with all the sidewall flex.
 
#19 ·
I'm running the Yoko's staggered 275/55 up front 305/50 in the back.
 
#20 ·
As for street tires, I have also been impressed by the Nitto 420S. Had the same set on for 2 seasons now and they've been great for long drives, street events, light track use. The are even OK in snow, so if we get one of our fluke July snow storms I can still drive the truck. Went to a Mopar meet in Red Deer 2 years ago and of the 15 trucks that showed up (SRT-10s + Rams) 10 of them were running the NT 420S, so that tells ya something.
 
#27 ·
Yeah man the big meats in the back are nice. I mean we can still break em loose just not a easy ;)
 
#30 ·
If you want to run 305/45R18's on the rear and need more traction than the 555's provide, Nitto has the NT05R in the same size but softer compound. Both are 28.9" diameter and 12" wide. I run the 555's on 9" rims with 17's up front (see signature). The combination works very well on the street and, although I haven't been on a track with them yet, when properly warmed, they hook for me (at 30 psi) during street launches when I pull the fuse for traction control and torque management. At normal psi, if not warmed, they spin hard though. http://www.nittotire.com/Tire/nt05r#size
 
#36 ·
If you want to run 305/45R18's on the rear and need more traction than the 555's provide, Nitto has the NT05R in the same size but softer compound. Both are 28.9" diameter and 12" wide. I run the 555's on 9" rims with 17's up front (see signature). The combination works very well on the street and, although I haven't been on a track with them yet, when properly warmed, they hook for me (at 30 psi) during street launches when I pull the fuse for traction control and torque management. At normal psi, if not warmed, they spin hard though. http://www.nittotire.com/Tire/nt05r#size
War Baby, get that thing to the track already! You should be well into the 13's, sweet truck!
 
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