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Radial or Bias Ply slicks...your choice and why ?

Mike Gaines

Mike Gaines

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Getting ready to buy a new pair of slicks for my new 11.50ET Maverick.
Because of wheel well constraints I am limited to a 28" tall tire with around 11" section width and tread width of not much more than stated 9"...(although the car has M/T 28x9x15 Drag Bias Ply Slicks on it now the tread width actually measures right at 10"s with my ruler...go figure)
The Hoosier Bias Ply 28x9x15 show 10" tread width...and I don't know if the real tread width will be MORE THAN 10's or not. Real 10" tread width will barely fit but don't know if the Hoosiers will actually measure more than 10".
M/T has their Pro Drag Radial (28x9x15) that would fit just fine but I have never used radial slicks or had a discussion with racers who have used them.
I would buy the Hoosiers if they in real life were NOT wider that 10" tread width but...since I am on the fence I was now considering the M/T Radial Slicks.
Your thoughts ..
 
Bias Ply if car is a stick and Radial or Bias Ply if automatic to get best performance.
 
I have had great results with the ProBracket Radial. They are faster. They are deadly consistent. They last. I have a few buddies hitting them with trans-brakes with good success. Great tire; Doubt I’ll ever run a bias-ply slick again.
 
usually the section width is more of an issue with slick fitment than tread width, unless you have a round wheel well shaped like the tire,which I think the maverick has, radial slicks usually have a flatter side wall than a bias slick. the probracket radial is a newer tire and i heard they work great!
 
Mike Gaines said:
Getting ready to buy a new pair of slicks for my new 11.50ET Maverick.
Because of wheel well constraints I am limited to a 28" tall tire with around 11" section width and tread width of not much more than stated 9"...(although the car has M/T 28x9x15 Drag Bias Ply Slicks on it now the tread width actually measures right at 10"s with my ruler...go figure)
The Hoosier Bias Ply 28x9x15 show 10" tread width...and I don't know if the real tread width will be MORE THAN 10's or not. Real 10" tread width will barely fit but don't know if the Hoosiers will actually measure more than 10".
M/T has their Pro Drag Radial (28x9x15) that would fit just fine but I have never used radial slicks or had a discussion with racers who have used them.
I would buy the Hoosiers if they in real life were NOT wider that 10" tread width but...since I am on the fence I was now considering the M/T Radial Slicks.
Your thoughts ..
Click to expand...

Mike it is my understanding that the MT Pro Bracket Radial is better suited for brackets than the Pro Drag Radial. I use them on my wagon and really like them. They don't grow like a bias ply and take almost no burn out. They have been very consistent for me.
 
Well my car is a street/strip car that gets way more street miles then I race it. And I can say I will never go back to bias tires. I have a street radial up front and run Hoosier radial 30 x 9 slicks and drive them on the street all the time. But its like a new car as how much better it handles and drives on radials. Its no swaying on the top end and no following lines in the road. Dont know if they are faster but my car is an auto and it always hooks fine on them 9" radials. And I only use SS springs and the longer shocks. Ron
 
Mike,
To me, in your original post, clearance IS an issue regardless whether radial or bias. I myself, will never buy another tire without actually measuring them myself. I have N-50 15 Mickey Thompson Sportsman's on my car. They were advertised as 28" tall. "Baloney!" I measured them and they are 26" tall, mounted. You couldn't get them to 28" unless you ran them on a top fuel car with 10,000 HP and at full throttle. In my experience, there seems to be way too much fudge factor involved or people who can't read and write English! Good luck sir and God Speed for Good Speed! :D
 
Lots of my friends run the Goodyear radials in stock classes.Brand is your choice.I ran the M/T's on my last car and really liked them.
I know that due to the covid stuff tracks are just getting back to running again.
Buying from the race tire trucks during NHRA events(maybe others) the tires are matched for runout and dates.The tire truck guys really know their stuff and are helpful at picking out what can be right for you.Something you may not get buying online warehouse stock. My 2 cents.
 
I have 10 1/2 bias slicks on one car that need replacement (but im gonna try and get a few more laps out of them, its just a tnt) and they are gonna be replaced with some new 10x16s that i got dirt cheap (cause they were 16s, odd size for slicks). The fifteen inch wheels are gonna get some et street bias too, cause i have them. The most recent purchase was 315 drag radial pro's, to compare heads up against some giant bias hoosier quicktime pro's.
I suspect the drag radials will be the fastest. I bought the bias 16s and the et streets because of the price.
Mike, i would try the radial slicks on your car.
 
Better invest in some adjustable shocks when you go Radials.
 
never ran radial racing slick
ran DOT Drag Radial tires,
M/T 315/60/15 decent luck & outcome, went 8.58 @156

I know a couple people that do now
& they say less tire growth, it helped consistency
but they needed a wider/taller tire
(one guy said he had gone to a wider rim too)
to get the same contact patch
they also run more air pressure & are tubless

then when they had, liners, tubes & a bias ply slick

none of them are in the 7's or faster, really fast cars
but they said 'they like them'
mostly S/G 9.90, S/C 8.90 or some Comp Eliminator stuff,
they also are guys that use all the electronic stuff
to run the #'s or kill the ET, their cars are much faster than the class
5500+ stall, delay boxes, throttle stops, air or electric shifters, transbrake etc.
it's a follow the leaders stuff, keeping up with the Jone's
or afraid to be left behind, whether you need it or not

there's been some impressive #'s posted of people
running the new Radial Racing Slicks

good luck
 
Last edited:
I have several friends that switched to a radial,but still bring a set of bias due to track prep. I understand the prep is different for the radial VS the bias.
Have any of you that now use the radial have a problem some days with traction??
 
HEMI-ITIS said:
I have several friends that switched to a radial,but still bring a set of bias due to track prep. I understand the prep is different for the radial VS the bias.
Have any of you that now use the radial have a problem some days with traction??
Click to expand...

I have ran at 3 different tracks using my 30 x 9 Hoosier radial slicks and it always hooks good. Ron
 
I'm going to chime in, because I run a 3rd pedal, naturally I've been told to try a bias ply rear, at least at the track.
BUT
I have been using my car 95% for streets and highways
AND
I had a bad experience in my 89 Conquest TSi on Nitto 555R drag radials w/very good tread in a light rain on the highway and my Toyo Proxes TQ drag radials have NEVER made me fear rain or given me any problems other than traction at the track
BUT
Since then I've done so much to drastically improve traction...
So since I can get a 315/35/17 that fits with ZERO rubbing, I am going to get another pair of those for sure as my everyday tire, and with all the new stuff on my car see how they do at the track.
If I need better traction after tweaking all the different things I have for traction and they don't cut it (I think they will) I'll try a pair of these probably (I still want a DOT street legal tire, but I will probably use them mostly at the track) :
Screenshot_20210330-102455_Chrome.jpg

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/mnh-rod20
 
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