drag radials

[NathanStewart]

They say those tires are for short distance drag racing at high speeds. 

That's all I needed to hear...er um, see.

[revolutionary]

They won't release results of destructive testing that shows what the true limits are. Same story with nascar tires. they have different compounds for different tracks designed for different speeds and loads but they are not differentiated in the scta rule book and talking with the tire reps that I have they dont have a good answer as to what the maximum speed rating is for X tire. Only that 'those' ones were designed for Martinsville or Daytona or whatever. But people still use them for LSR. Front runners when you talk with a tire rep are not designed for land speed racing. But people still use them for LSR. The only tires that are designed for land speed racing are...land speed racing tires. The question is at what point do you need them vs. X tire? 10mph? 100mph? 200mph? 300mph? I don't have $2000 for a set of tires and I don't plan on going 250mph so I'm in a tire limbo land and trying to see what the options are.
Drag radials were initially design for short distance drag racing at high speeds, yes. But you know, Viagra was developed for high blood pressure and angina, and I hear it has more than the one use...

[NathanStewart]

While I agree with the general jist of what you've said, we've allowed the use of front runners because they've widely been proven to be a reliable LSR tire to certain extents whereas drag radials have not.  So it seems to me that you're exploring this avenue because of tire availability and possible tire sizing issues.  Many drag radials are smaller diameter for use on normal passenger cars or even FWD cars.  Are you going to be running a FWD car that needs a shorter tire to fit?  If not, what is driving you to want to use drag radials? 

I may be totally wrong here but I'm ASSuming that you're running a FWD vehicle and you're assuming (well I'm assuming that you're assuming) that you can't get an appropriate LSR to fit your car.  I'd have to point out that both the Hondata cars are using small diameter LSR tires and the RSX has gone over 200 mph multiple times without issue.

Anyways, sorry for all the hassle.  Just hate to see someone be a tire failure test dummy if the don't need to be, ya know?

[Dynoroom]

I'm not trying to over simplify this but the 2010 SCTA rule book on pg. 19 under 2F clearly states what tires are required.

Goodyear does indeed make an LSR tire that is based on the "front runner" drag tire.

I myself personally would never run a drag radial.

Tire makers will never release "absolute" tire information (as you have found out) because racers run in so many different configurations. ie total weight, down force, track surface conditions, air pressure, open to air or enclosed wheel well, temperature, etc.....

If the record in your class in under 200 mph I don't understand the issue, sorry.

[revolutionary]

Are you going to be running a FWD car that needs a shorter tire to fit?  If not, what is driving you to want to use drag radials? 

96 firebird B/FALT rwd running on a 237 record. Miles away from the speeds that he ^^^ ran (incredible BTW!). I don't have anywhere near the beans for that but I think I have a pretty fair shot at getting near the 237 mark. I'd like to run the drag radials because A: I have them and they fit (275/50r15 which is 26 tall x 10.5 tread), B: as mentioned before I don't have $2000 for a set of Goodyear LSR tires C: I have access to NASCAR superspeedway tires but they are 28 x 10.5 which screws up my whole combo because I have to jack up the rear end to make them not rub D:You said yourself that front runners have proven to be a reliable land speed racing tires whereas drag radials have not - how would you plan to prove their reliability then? How did front runners prove their reliability? E: pg 19 under 2F clearly states that over 200mph what is required is "special tires for racing as designated by the manufacturer" - what it does not state is for what type of racing they were designated. i.e front runners are designed for drag racing and not land speed racing yet they are used quite often with very little issue. Actually, the Hoosier rep told me specifically NOT to use their front runners for land speed racing because he did not think they would hold up.
Dyno you said you would never run a drag radial. Even on a car going 70mph? Why not?

[Cajun Kid]

Several faster (180 to 225 mph) cars at Maxton use M/T and BFG  Drag Radials.

I guess since the 10" width helps with traction.  I watched for 2 years  Roadsters and Full Bodied Cars go down the track at those speeds with drag radials, I then asked the drivers about the tire etc... I checked with the chief tech and was told all OK to use them.

I bought a pair for the rear of my 1933 Ford Vicky.  1. yes they hooked up better than my street tires,  I only hazed the tires for a few hundred feet.  2. The car went a bit faster 3. They felt unstable to me above 150, I may have had to low tire pressure. 

I switched to  BFG G Force Sport  Z rated tires,,, a little less first gear traction, better stability and I went faster,, faster was because the car handled better....They are low profile Z rated tires and did quite well.

If I use the drag radials for LSR on the Stude,,, I will air them up more...and see how that works

Charles

[jimmy six]

If not mistaken drag radials are designed to run a fairly low pressure by LSR standards. What does your combination look like with 60 psi in them? I'll bet they are not flat.  Bonneville is not a place where you are allowed to run to a tire with "drag race" air pressure. The use of wide rim/tire combination usually ends with you getting to keen view at ALL of the race course during your run (as you spinning around)

Goodyear lists a 26" diameter front runner which meets your diameter spec. (looked up both on the Roger Krause website) You would need a narrower rim which for the most part has been much better for LSR use.

All kind of motor sports have inherant costs and one of LSR's is tire/rim combos. At least most of ours lasts for many years.............Good Luck

[RichFox]

But the point is well taken. How did it become known that Goodyear Frontrunners were safe to use. How did it come about that Dunlop Vintage race tires were accepted. People just started running them and nothing bad happened. That I know about, anyway. So it seems that a test session has been approved to see how the Drag Radials work in real life. Works for me. We will never know as long as we are  relying on debate. MT has no good reason to reply with a speed rating for the tire. As almost everyone who has tried to get something in writing about using tires for speed trials knows. It don't happen

[desotoman]

Rich,

Here is what an old memory remembers. Back sometime in the 1980's there were no tires available. Everyone was running on old tires. Old indy tires, old MT LSR tires etc, because no one was building any LSR Tires.
Gail Banks had a door car he thought would go 300. He had the pull to get Goodyear to approve  Front runners to a speed of 300. That is what I remember on the subject of front runners.

Tom G. 

[RichFox]

That may well be. But in my memory I remember having Front Runners on my coup in the 70s. And I sure wasn't breaking new ground. So how exactally it came about that Front Runners became accepted, I don't know. But it wasn't Gale Banks in the 80s.

[desotoman]

Rich,

Sorry, I should have clarified that is how they got a rating good for 300 mph for Gail's car.

Tom G.

[NathanStewart]

Why re-invent the wheel er tire?  Approved tires already exist and are easily obtainable. 

[RichFox]

Why not?

[NathanStewart]

Different strokes I guess.

[revolutionary]

Why re-invent the wheel er tire?  Approved tires already exist and are easily obtainable. 

Why try to progress? Why try to set new records? Maybe I should just buy a crate engine and bracket race it instead of trying to push our sport...Rich Fox took my point that there must be a way to figure out what really is safe or not. I have received approval to make progressively faster runs with inspections between runs which is the best way to do this. I guess you just don't like change. Keep the status quo. It's not like I'm doing something crazy like driving a stock bodied car 300mph;)  See you on the salt.