DOT drag tires which ones

[biomedtechguy]

Rain grooves on the 555R's...
View attachment 918159

Dangerous tires in the rain. It wasn't even a heavy rain. I'm lucky my Conquest went off the highway to the left, into the grass, rather than right, into the trees!

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

Did you get out on your own or did or need a tug?

 

[biomedtechguy]

Did you get out on your own or did or need a tug?

I was able to drive out, even though the area between the two directions of traffic on the interstate highway was lower than the road surface.
The front spoiler looked like some kind of grass harvesting farm vehicle.

I was about 10 minutes, if that, into a medium light rain. Blacktop surface, major highway, road and tires in good condition, heavily traveled. NO WARNING, and I was maintaining a steady throttle in 5th gear OD, doing about 60 in a 70

 

[fullmetaljacket]

I was able to drive out, even though the area between the two directions of traffic on the interstate highway was lower than the road surface.
The front spoiler looked like some kind of grass harvesting farm vehicle.

I was about 10 minutes, if that, into a medium light rain. Blacktop surface, major highway, road and tires in good condition, heavily traveled. NO WARNING, and I was maintaining a steady throttle in 5th gear OD, doing about 60 in a 70

I'm sorry guys and gals, but any type of rain (Mist, light drizzle, steady drizzle or dogs and DOGS calls for either a dead stop on the extreme right or left of an underpass or side street or cruise at 25 MPH Lock stock and barrel. "There's nothing like locking your wheels on a sheet of water and taking stock of your life as you barrel through a roll".
Anything higher than that and you're asking for Murphy to rear his ugly head.
I witnessed an extremely confident and super sharp racer pretty much total his car wearing MT ET Streets in light rain going a tad faster than 30 MPH. Be safe out there.

 

[Budnicks]

most any performance tires for dry conditions
will never do well in the rain

I had to ol' Mickey Thompson Sportsman S/ST Bias-ply
15 x 18.5 x 31.5 soft compound, soft sidewalls
way back in the 90's
(I think they are more of a hotrod/roadster tire now, not the same)
they had a real tread, like a regular street tire,
but with a slick compound D2-3,
they barely would hook at all, even down track
in my old 900+hp 8 sec. N/A 486cid BB 67 Camaro

But; I did run 8.98 black tracking like F/C the whole way
on them at 'worlds fastest street car'
@ Super Chevy Sunday Firebird/Chandler, way back when
you had to do 50 (?) mile loop & then race on the same tires (real street)

I hit the wall on the 5th & final pass after shutting down
it got squirrelly as all hell, washed out in the rear, not even braking yet
& I even pulled the chute, to pull myself back to straight
Unfortunately;
I smacked more like brushed the wall drivers side front while trying to save it...
(I won the race, but heavy front end body damage)

they were barely drivable on the street,
especially if they weren't heated up/warm at a min.
way more so "in any sort of moisture, at all, even dew"
But were far better on the street, lasted a lot longer too
than my M/T 315/60 Drag Radials ever were,
I went 8.58 @ 156 on them my old silver 68 RR 3520# car + 250 driver,
if there was even dew on the ground
"you better be careful"

I haven't found any performance tires that were good in the rain
EVER, there may be some, for road racing etc. not dot approved
Like Avon's
but they won't hook for **** at the track/dragstrip or
on asphalt like in the stoplight to stop sign street race etc.

I'm not a fan of Toyos or Nittos either, hard compound
all purpose type tires,
IMO they don't do anything great,
they are marginal at all aspects, none ideal

I had BFG drag radials they were bald as **** in 3000 miles
drove on the street like a grandma
& IMO didn't work as well as the M&H old bias cheater slick
from Cokers (now Phoenix or Firestone brand I think)
or the new M/T Drag 315 radials,
I got a little more than 4000+ miles overall
but about 100+ passes on test & tune days, Sac. Raceway in summer heat
when it was running consistent 9.70's @ 135+

you really need 2 sets of tires & rims, if you're worried

I my experience & my HP levels the M/T Drag Radials were the best
& dangerous in the rain

 

[66Satellite47]

My experience with my Satellite, 325BFG Street Drags, in a very lite rain, was I could not give much throttle without spinning. Got home basically on idle, 20-25 MPH.

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

Both of these are the same R2 compound and radial construction. The SS being better able to handle the rain. I ran the older version of the SS which is fine unless it’s a heavy downpour.

BTW,,,,,,choice #2 the "R" stands for racing.They are a bias ply DOT tire.
https://mickeythompsontires.com/drag-tires/et-street-r

 

[33 IMP]

ET street R is available as Both a bias and a radial tire. If the tire size is typically p-something (example P325/50R15), it's a radial. If the size includes LT ( light truck) it will be a bias tire (example, 31x16.5-15LT).
In my humble opinion, the bias tire will give more ultimate traction than the radial, due to its slick-like construction, but, if a racer can dead hook a radial, it can definitely be quicker. The bias tire works the sidewall more, causing more frictional losses, but will hook up much better than a drag radial if some spin off the line is required (manual trans!).

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

IF it dead hooks,if not it's like ice

 

[biomedtechguy]

The bias tire works the sidewall more, causing more frictional losses, but will hook up much better than a drag radial if some spin off the line is required (manual trans!).

Yep. That has been the next tire suggestion for my traction woes, switching to a bias ply...Of course firmly in first place are the multiple "complaints" about my short sidewalls...
Speaking of "short" sidewalls, I saw a "resto/pro mod" Nova on Mecum that sold for a LOT. Very well done with some over the top power and supporting systems.
As the camera panned from the front to the back, I had to laugh at the black rubber bands that were passing for tires on the steamroller width rear wheels!

If those rear tires had any shorter sidewalls, they might as well have been dipped in rubber!

 

[66Satellite47]

In a drag race situation the added sidewall results in a longer contact patch, more traction. For road turning application more sidewall is more flex, no good. All depends on what we are using the car for.

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

With the skinnies up front and ET Streets & spool I don't turn