Drag tire question

[MustangChuck]

Hey folks. Hope all is well with you all. Im still sitting here in Afghanistan waiting to come home.

Got a question I hope you guys could provide some answers to:

My 2008 Mustang GT is a stick shift car (I had Cincy Speed swap out the Tremec TR-3650 5 speed in favor of the Tremec TR-6060 6 speed) and will soon have 4.10 gears.

For a while I have been using Mickey Thompson ET Street Radial IIs for drag racing. The size is P305/35R18, which is equivalent to a 27X12.50R18 drag tire (according to the Mickey Thompson website). The tires have started to look like they need replacement (the treads are getting pretty low and I have noticed that my 60' times are not quite where they should be), and I had also heard that a bias ply tire is better for stick cars since the soft sidewalls will wrinkle a bit upon launch, therefore compensating for the sudden shock of a clutch dump.

I recently purchased a set of Mickey Thompson ET Streets and some new rims to give them a shot. The size of the new rear tires are 26X11.50-17LT.

The width of the new tires (the ET Streets) is 292 millimeters (approximately 11.5 inches), as opposted to 305 millimeters (approximately 12 inches) wide in my old tires (the ET Street Radial IIs). In addition, according to the Mickey Thompson website, the ET Street radial II compound is listed as R2, which they say is a little bit softer than the ET Street tire compound, which is M5.

My question is this: in your experience, will I get better traction on the ET Streets since they are bias ply tires and have less tread than the ET Street Radial IIs, or will I suffer since the ET Streets are 13 millimeters (approximately half an inch) smaller in width than the ET Street Radial IIs and/or because the ET Street Radial IIs have a softer compound?

[mustang8998]

In my experience with the two, you are correct. The ET Streets worked better on my car when I had a stick. The radials work better, with the auto.

There are trade offs. ET Streets seem to hook better on the street. Radials can handle a little rain. ET Streets get a bit of a sway, on the big-end. Radials seem to last a bit longer. Radials fill out the wheel well better.

BTW, this was on my Fox. My sizes were 26x10.5 vs 275/50/15.

Good luck, Chuck!

[MustangChuck]

Thanks for your input. I run a separate set of wheels and tires for the street and for shows (BF Goodrich KDW2s on chrome 20" NASCAR Fontanas), so im not too worried about street drivability as all I do is swap out the street tires for the race tires whenever I go to the track.

It should also be noted that I will also be beefing up the suspension (better axles, subframe connecters, control arms, panhard bar, swarr bar, etc.)

Anyone else have any input?

[jlt2006]

ET Streets was used on Ponymom05's 05 at some UMTR races and they worked alot better that radials did.

If you decide you want to go to MT Drag slicks 26x10.5x15. I have a set of wheels that fit on my 06 without changing anything in the rear set up. I got them from John on here.

[MustangChuck]

ET Streets was used on Ponymom05's 05 at some UMTR races and they worked alot better that radials did.

If you decide you want to go to MT Drag slicks 26x10.5x15. I have a set of wheels that fit on my 06 without changing anything in the rear set up. I got them from John on here.

Thanks i'll keep that in mind. Probably won't be feasible tho since im from Cincinnati, but stationed at Fort Benning, GA lol. You said she hooked up better on the ET Streets than on her previous radials. Do you happen to know if her previous radials were actually a little wider than the ET Streets?

[MustangChuck]

Wanted to bump this just once to see if anyone else has any input.

[jlt2006]

They would have been the approx. same width.

[MustangChuck]

Ok. So that .5"-1" of smaller overall tire size in my situation really wouldn't matter in my car then, im assuming.

[jlt2006]

I would say your assumption is correct.
But I am sure others have there opinions.

[2007ShelbyCobra]

id say youll hook better now based upon what ive Seen, i have no personal experience with them

[mustang8998]

If you don't plan to drive with them on the steet, why not just run drag slicks?

[Jeff88coupe]

With a stick car you will almost always hook better with a bias type sidewall tire vs. a radial in a street/strip car. The bias tires side wall stretches like a spring to absorb the initial hit of dumping the clutch alot better than a radial. Not to say that you can't make a stick car work with a radial..you can..just takes testing and effort (look at NMRA F/S cars..high tens on a 275/60 bfg dr). If your only going to use the tires at the track..I'd look for a set of 15" rims that will clear your rear brakes and get a set of m/t 26x10 stiff wall slicks to run at the track. You will get hooked on 6K+ rpm launches:D

[MustangChuck]

If you don't plan to drive with them on the steet, why not just run drag slicks?

I would, but im big on my car being "street legal" and being able to run in a "street class". I know that even Thursday Night Lightz is allowing slicks now, but as of right now I still want to be able to truly say that I could legally take my car out onto the street "right now".


With a stick car you will almost always hook better with a bias type sidewall tire vs. a radial in a street/strip car. The bias tires side wall stretches like a spring to absorb the initial hit of dumping the clutch alot better than a radial. Not to say that you can't make a stick car work with a radial..you can..just takes testing and effort (look at NMRA F/S cars..high tens on a 275/60 bfg dr). If your only going to use the tires at the track..I'd look for a set of 15" rims that will clear your rear brakes and get a set of m/t 26x10 stiff wall slicks to run at the track. You will get hooked on 6K+ rpm launches:D

Yeah i actually got 17" wheels and tires to match because one day I want to upgrade to bigger brakes (i would like to build a good cross between an autocross and a drag car, something to where all I would have to do is tweak the suspension depending on what kind of event I was at). Found out later that for right now in regards to big brakes, they only make them for the front and the rear brakes remain stock. I may end up getting some slicks or wider ET Streets with a 15" or a 16" rim one day, but I dont know how weird that would look with 17" wheels up front.

[Jeff88coupe]

It's all about compromise then. Stiff springs and short sidewall height tires that work well for autocross work crappy for drag racing. Can't have the best of both in one package.

[MustangChuck]

It's all about compromise then. Stiff springs and short sidewall height tires that work well for autocross work crappy for drag racing. Can't have the best of both in one package.

Yeah thats why for autocross kinda stuff im gonna run a new set of ET Street Radial IIs and have a separate set of tires and wheels for shows or for the street. Just swap out the tires and tune the suspension between going to the strip or just street driving/autocrossing.

[MustangChuck]

You will get hooked on 6K+ rpm launches:D

And I already launch at 6k with my drag radials. Lol it's nice, but I dont dead hook. It spins just a little then takes off. I'd link some videos, but I cant watch videos on these guvmint computers lol. I am however looking forward to no spin on the launch!