tires

[Kix]

A sunny day would certainly have helped the cause!  Sure looks to me like the tread gets wider right after you pull the shoot.  Nothing dramatic... but we are talking about 1/2" diameter growth spread over the whole circumference of the tire.... so it wouldn't be anything dramatic to see.  We'll mess around with the camera more at Wilmington and see if I can get one right up close in the fender well... maybe I can drill a hole in the wheel tub and look straight across the top of the tire.  Hopefully it will be smooth enough there to see what is going on.

Kix

[t russell]

OK,, seems like maybe I should buy the M/T ET Drag Radials,,, 235/60/15 (26 X 9.50 X 15)

The M/T's on the Vicky are 27.1 tall and 10.5 wide,,, they are to wide and to tall,,,

My experiance with the M/T's (on my 1933 Vicky sedan)has been much better for launch up to 1/2 mile,, but seemed greasy at the finish..
(it was a brisk cross wind that day,, and I may not had enough air in them,, only 26psi)

I will order the M/T's for the Studebaker,,, any starting air pressure suggestions ??

Charles

Start with 30psi then go up or down.dont try 40psi

[petercalaguiro]

Before you settle on a tire talk to MT, Goodyear, Hoosier etc, and they will all tell you that their drag radials (not drag slicks) are not suitable for LSR and only should be used for short bursts of speed as in 1/4 mile racing. Nitto was the only tire manufacturer that endorsed LSR for their drag radials. 
Even with the qualification that it is only 1 mile, they all stated that they should not be used. I don't go fast enough to worry about it....just saying....talk to the guys who make them about how their products should be used.
Peter

[redcatch]

Without sounding crazy {I am sure I will} I have found most manufactures as soon as you say LSR will tell you the product is not suitable. I was trying to buy a wheel from a major manf. They supply NASCAR type wheels . As soon as I told him it was for LSR racing he said they would "not sell those to me". He explained That the wheels were not suitable for those type of speeds. When I explained that NASCAR cars go 200 at Daytona. He said of course. I still bought those wheels from a  dealer instead of the factory. Seems its okay to bump wheels and corner at crazy speeds with high "G" loadings. But to go straight is a whole different matter.  In this Law Suit happy world and with the mystery with LSR racing it is not a suprise that tire manf. would say things like that. How many years was it that no one made a LSR tire for Bonneville. Just a few months ago I saw some 20 year old tires for sale. And the price was as high as new ones. Watch your tires , maintain air pressure and don't cut corners . That will work for me. Read the disclaimer on that racing tire sticker next time you buy one. Like some one said earlier there is zero warranty on racing stuff.

[javajoe79]

 My understanding is that the tire makers are fine with racing on their tires, to certain speeds. When you tell them LSR, they assume 250mph or more for an extended period of time. Those drag radials are not meant for those speeds for that amount of time and they know that and that is why they tell you not to run them AT THOSE SPEEDS. Now 200-220mph I believe is just fine but there have been failures running over those speeds in the mile.

[crossupbill]

Kumho makes a 225/50/15 that is Z rated.  They are only 24" tall but they would work.  There are also quite a few companies that make Z rated 16" tires if you havent already ordered wheels.

Here is a link to the Kumhos:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/KUM-1794213/

[Fheckro]

Well if your going to run street tires and spring for 16in wheels why not go to 17? Michelin makes a tire called Pilot Super Sport start in that size. It is a soft compound (durometer number of 69/70) tire designed for high speed. How high? I am not allowed to say but I am sure you will never exceed the tested limits in a mile... unless you are shot from a cannon. The PSS is made with the C3M process so is nearly perfectly round and uniform . No other tire is. because of this they require almost no balancing weight.   They have no "joint" to separate (the usual cause of your tire coming apart at high speed). They have kevlar windings to control growth (they do not grow). They are as close to a road race tire as you can get for the street.  I'm simply not going to say one way or the other if their durability exceeded the capabilities of our test equipment. That might get me in trouble. But i can tell you that our test equipment is second to none. Of course that is solely my opinion and does not by any means reflect the position/opinion of Michelin. I work for Michelin but their position on LSR is "stay as far away as possible". The way they see it LSR has nothing to offer except liability.  The way i see it i want the safest tire i can get that will still get the job done.

Fred

[petercalaguiro]

Fheckro is right on the money! For a more reasonably priced (read lower) similar tire (though not quite as sophisticated), check out the BFG's....owned by Michelin.
Peter

[redcatch]

R-1 is a good tire and liked by alot of people for track days. It needs to be heat cycled first. Somthing we can't do in LSR racing. A few companys offer heat cycling

[greenjunk]

The problem is no companies offer a narrow enough tire that is tall enough.  a 24" tire on a 900hp car is like trying to get traction with tires made of butter on frying pan.  we need 26-28" tall and 275 wide, thats not a 22" rim.

[redcatch]

That is true

[Fheckro]

Here are some Drag Radial tread hardness numbers from our tests.
MT          49
Hoosier     48
M&H         47
GoodYear  53
Nitto        57
BFG          51

[Kix]

The problem is no companies offer a narrow enough tire that is tall enough.  a 24" tire on a 900hp car is like trying to get traction with tires made of butter on frying pan.  we need 26-28" tall and 275 wide, thats not a 22" rim.

Check out the Michelin site and download the tire size chart for the PSS... I bet you'll be surprised how many diameters you can get.  Joe and I have both been looking for someone to make 18" steel wheels... I found someone who has 18" spinnings and he said he can make laser cut plate wheels for about $185 each... We're considering going this way because the PSS has a 27" tire that fits in the truck's wheel wells...

[Cajun Kid]

The problem is no companies offer a narrow enough tire that is tall enough.  a 24" tire on a 900hp car is like trying to get traction with tires made of butter on frying pan.  we need 26-28" tall and 275 wide, thats not a 22" rim.

Check out the Michelin site and download the tire size chart for the PSS... I bet you'll be surprised how many diameters you can get.  Joe and I have both been looking for someone to make 18" steel wheels... I found someone who has 18" spinnings and he said he can make laser cut plate wheels for about $185 each... We're considering going this way because the PSS has a 27" tire that fits in the truck's wheel wells...

What size was 27" tall ?   I need a 27" tall and narrow say 9" wide to 9.5" wide section width (tread width around 8.5 to 9.0")


Send me info on the 18" wheels as well..(my guy makes 15" and 16" wheels not 18")

Thanks

Charles

[bearingburner]

Firestone makes a Firehawk PV-41 16" V rated 26.6" Dia. These were made for Police Cars. Used to make a 15" also.