Drag Radials

I will be purchasing new tires for my wagon. Have narrowed it down to Mickey Pro. Bracket Radial 28- 9.00 - 15. Or the Mickey ET Street Radial 275/60/15.

Does anyone have any experience running these. My car is heavy 4k runs 7.0 in the 1/8th which is what most tracks are around me.

The wagon is a 67 so I'm tire limited. The reason I bring that up is that I have heard the 275 ET street runs big.

Thanks for your help.

If it is not a street driven deal the pro bracket radial is awesome. I have been very pleased with mine, they are wearing very well and hook great. I do have maybe 100 or so street miles on mine but I try to keep that to a minimum because they aren't cheap.

I had a little trouble with them on a very marginal track but I have learned more about shock settings and will likely be able to tackle that problem next time I run into it.

^^This^^ If it's not going to be on the street buy the Pro.

Hoosier drag radial and PBR are both great. I’ve used both with great results. I too am 4K +.

Thanks for the replies. The rims I currently run were drilled for screws as I always ran slicks. Will these holes be a problem when I switch over to radials? Would rather not have to buy a ne set of rims if I don't need to. They are just steels but its still another couple 100 I can use elsewhere.

For my drag radials, I sanded the inside of the rim smooth and filled the holes with silicone. I also had a oval racer friend cut some additional grooves in the tread for rain when I'm caught in a summer rain and need to get back home. Works well.

Yeah just fill the holes with silicone, they will be fine.
The Pro's are softer and a bit more sticky than the standard ET.
The big problem with them is that they do not start out with much tread depth from new, if you have a 10 second car go with the Pro but expect to wear either of them out fast on the street.

I run the 275 pro's on the street and track. Way too much fun. 18psi everywhere.

How true are the 275 size wise. Mickey says 11.4 section width on a 8" rim which will fit. But if its much larger it will be too wide.
That would be the ET Street Pro.

Love the 275 Hoosiers

Tom, if your wagon has stock wheel wells (which I think it does...??), the. 275’s will be hard pressed to fit. The 28x9 PBR’s should fit and would be my choice.

Thats exactly what I needed to know, thanks. Yes the wheel wells are stock. So it looks like the PBR's will be my choice. We will see if the side walls hold up better than my Hoosier bias plys. Even at 18 lbs the sidewalls balled up badly. Never spun but always felt I wasn't getting all I should have out of it.

I’ll be up for new tires after this year and have been looking mostly at the PBR’s. Please keep us posted on how they work out. Good luck in that big bad wagon this season!
👍

I got the 275's in the Barracuda but I had to change the offset/backspace of my steel rims, 5" BS 15x8

Ozymaxwedge,

Tell us about those beadlocks on the steel wheels.

The tires these days are just incredible, lots of good choices.

Thanks,
Bill

Ok so I drove to Summit Racing and picked up the 29/9.0 PBR. First impression WOW they are small compared to my Hoosier 28/9.00 bias ply slicks.

I had forgotten my tape so I could not measure rollout there. Got home and one is 86.5 and the other 86.75 so difference is small and will be ok.

What I dont see them doing is growing at least 1.5" when mounted. My bias ply only grew 1" and that was w/20lbs in them to seat the bead.

I need 28" min preferably 28.5 (89.5) which is what I had. What do you guys think? As you know once they are mounted they are mine. The tires are supposed to be 28-28.99 which would be 88- 91" circumference.

Hey Bill, my Son and I have a little cash on the side bogus business Dream Build Fab making up custom steel wheels, basically give us your old steel rims and we turn them into any size and back space you like.
The rims in the pic are 1969(aussie chrysler) 14" centres, 15x8 outer band that is flipped, close to 5" backspace and a 16" fake beadlock The beadlock actually works as the bead is on the 15 plus hard against the 16 lock, tire must be fitted from the back .

https://www.facebook.com/Dream-Build-Fabrication-118542518695958/

You will be surprised on how much ET and MPH your car will pick up going from the old bias ply tires to the new smaller radials
I use to race NHRA stock back a long time ago when the radial slicks first came out for stockers, every one I know that bought them complained about the circumferences until they made the first pass with them on, all of the their cars picked up ET and mph with no other changes
I ran Firestone 9x30 on ten inch wide rims and always ask for the biggest circumference tires they, Parnelli Jones Firestone race tire division in Torance, CA, had in stock. They where all above 95.0 in circumference I sold my stocker before the radials came out, I use to help several other Division 7 racers after that and learned form them about the radials being better
Please let us know your results

Do NOT expect a radial to grow at speed. If you need a taller tire to keep the RPM down at the stripe, what you just bought aren't it.

I believe the pro bracket is an x5 compound and the Et street radial is R2 compound. Just looked at those 2 at mcCormac racing tire last friday. The pro bracket is much lighter in weight compared to the street radial as well. Gonna get the ET street radial R for my deal.

Yes if you need the growth it is not there. I went from a 28x10.5 stiff slick to a 28x10.5 PBR. My car picked up Everywhere but MPH because I am out of gear.

How fast do they wear on the street. I drive my car alot and I kind of get tired of changing tires at the track. I'm thinking about buying a new pair and just leaving them on the car all summer.

Yeah I knew the radial would not grow at speed. But I do need a min of 28" if I'm going to do any 1/4 mile passes. Most will be 1/8 but I would like to see if I've been able to tune it anenough to get a high 10 sec time slip out of this tank.

Called Mickey Thompson and they said it should measure 88" in circumference when mounted on my 8" rim. Was told the radials do not vary like the bias ply. If not it is defective and I could return them. I'm going to follow up w/Summit and see if everyone is on the same page. Me

I got about 4500 miles and a probably ~100 dragstrip passes on my previous set. I'm a little easier on this set and don't beat on them as much....except for the other night...when I had to punish the motorcycle for thinking he had something for me...

4500 miles and 100 passes out of the 275 Pro's

I was wondering if they would last 450 miles and 10 passes

I drive my car a lot, but not THAT much. I'd be thrilled with that kind of wear. My car hooks great with the Pro, I'm wondering if it would be ok with the regular Street SS(or the ET street R) drag radial that has a lot more tread. It's just a mid 10 second footbrake car but I go to some test-n-tunes where they don't prep much.

Cudatom check you PM's, thanks!

Just to clarify, do you have the M/T ET Street Radial Pro or the M/T ET Drag Pro Drag Radials that you drove for 4500 miles on the street? They make the Street Radial Pro in a 275 designation but not the Pro Drag Radial.

I was lucky to get 1500 miles and maybe a 100-200 or so passes on my regular ET Street Radials. I always left them on my car year round except for when I did drag week, I would change to a radial TA for the road sections just to save tire wear and to be able to run 65mph in the rain if needed.

That's closer to what I figured they'd be good for. It's probably best for me to buy a new pair every spring(or every 2 years). Expensive but it would eliminate Changing tires at the track.
I thought a spool and alot of street driving would kill a soft set of drag radials. And I'll be bumbed if the Street S/S doesn't hook as good as the Pro.

Ok so today I had my 1st outing with the Mickey Pro Bracket Radials. Have mixed reviews so far but only 4 passes.

Temp was 88, it was hot, did I say it was hot. Lol
DA was 3700' and 55% humidity. No wind.

1st pass car was slow a 1/10th off from similar conditions. Ran 7.21 w/only a 1.585 for the 60'. Checked tires and the drivers moved 2" and pass about 1/2".

2nd pass lowered pressure from 18 to 17lbs. The car did not like it. Slowed to 7.22 and 60' went further away to 1.598. Left tire spun 2" on rim again. The right moved maybe 3/8".

3rd run pressure back to 18lbs. Car ran 7.17 , the 60' was back to 1.585. Again the left tire spun on the rim 2". The right did not move.

My 4th pass the left tire finally seated and only moved 1/2". The sixty 1.579 and ran a 7.12.

With bias ply slicks I'm usually 1.55 for the 60' in similar conditions and run 7.08- 7.10.

So my question to those that run the PBR's is do they get better with more passes. Other than the 1st pass my burnouts were very short. Mickey tech told me to do it this way. And also is it normal for them to take several passes to seat. They were hi tack'd. I plan on continuing to play with tire pressure and shock settings but need to get to a TT day instead of normal race day.

some will seat straight off others
I have found a few runs then they will settle and be more consistant
Foot or transbrake ?
I had to go up 2 lbs or so psi when I went to tbrake . Consensus go up till they spin . Shock setting way more important than with rags , track prep less than ET street radials
I am looking at tightening extension and maybe going a little higher psi
Fairly solid burnout for me , short will often me turn tyre , mate does even bigger burnout


Tex

I know it's said that screws are not needed but why not just screws the ties to the rims?

I foot brake. Ran 18 psi on bias ply and had best and consistent 60'. Would go 1.53 on cooler days. The track had good prep today. The car is heavy at 4k and then some.

I will say the car does run straighter and less sway down track w/radials.

Not sure why screws can't be ran but Mickey Thompson says not to run them. Maybe someone that knows more can answer that.

Because of tyre design at the bead , no way Jose'
I know my mate 4000lb chev has run as high as 22psi with t brake
I use the 28x10.5 he runs the 29.5x10.5
I borrowed his and ran 18.5
I use a 10" rim ge uses a 8

Tex

being it is a heavy car you might go up on pressure. Wade Metzinger a member here spoke with MT at a recent divisional race. They had him increase his tire pressure, he was up as high as 20psi with his 68 Barracuda with no problems. It was 60 footing in the mid to high 1.4s IIRC. He also runs the 28x10.5 PBR

I have run mine at 17 and 18 PSI and my last outing there is a good shot where I have a lot of sidewall wrinkle so I am going to go up a little bit next time out and see what I have.

Thanks for the reply that was good info to know. I will increase the psi 1lb at a time and see what the wagon likes.

As heavy as that ride is, I'd start at 20 and go up from there until the 60s dropped off. I wouldn't be surprised if the "sweet spot" is around 22. Pressures that work with bias-ply slicks don't mean much when you're using radials.

I have found that different tire gauges on the same tires one after another will not read EXACTLY the same pressure, especially low pressure tire gauges
My message is use your tire gauge only on your tires and don't EVER loan it out
I have had three low pressure analog tire gauges that I loaned out at the races come back reading 3 to 8 lbs. instead of zero because some rooky who drove his car to the track and didn't have his own tire gauge ruin mine

Agreed Cab. I use the same gauge every time. And ifI do loan it its in staging w/me right there.

Good point Brad. I will try 20 and go from there the next time I go out.

Pump the pressure up a 1/2 lb. at a time until it spins and then go down the other way 1/2 lb. from where you started to see what the high and low pressure limits are for your car and these tires
Test, tests until your the fastest guy in your deal

Cab thats what I did w/th bias ply tires. Just need to get to a T&T.

Hey Tom...Bob put some PHX radials on last year; Good for a .08 better ET in the 1/4 and 3 final rounds later he says he likes them. They like lots of air pressure...Also figure on a little more RPM at the finish line, because they do not grow like a bias.

And NO SCREWS!!! if they move a little, rotate and make a pass to lock them in. If that does not work a little tack will help.

Hi Mike. I like them so far. I'm off about 30 thousands right now. Once I get the air pressure set where the car likes it that should come back. Hope to get out to Quaker Friday for test and tune. If not I will run at Mag on Sunday and play with the tire pressure then.