Do radial slicks hook better in the heat than bias?

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RockinRobin

RockinRobin

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Was at a race Saturday in 100+ heat where many of us were spinning off the line. Talked to a good racer who said his radial slicks helped him to hook better in the heat. It'll be time to buy new slicks in about 2 months. I've used Hoosier 29.5x12x15 with D06 compound for years. Maybe it's time to try something new? Footbrake car with Dana 60 4.56 w/spool. I leave at 1500 rpm and cut good lights.
 
We had our best luck with the Hoosier radials 29.5x10.5 on our IHRA crate motor stock eliminator Dakota in the hot weather. We just adjusted the air pressure accordingly if there was cooler weather.
 
My AMX is faster and more consistent with radial slicks. My first set were M/T PBR 14x32. I now have Phoenix 14.5x32 radial slicks. I love them both. I can't tell much difference between the two. I got the Phoenix really cheap and I wanted white letter tires. The M/t 14x32 PBR's are not available in white letter. But there is no doubt on my car radial slicks are quicker and faster than bias ply.
 
In my experience radial slicks are more sensitive to track conditions, but when I ran Stock in IHRA, the tracks were usually prepped pretty well. Car has good weight distribution and suspension with SS springs worked well. When I had issues, others usually did too. Radials do tend to be a bit faster in ET as well as RTs. I ran the Hoosier 9" Lightweight Radials on 10" rims with about 21lbs of air, 2-3 more than bias ply. A wider rim allows more air while reducing sidewall wrinkling and still maintaining a wide footprint. Just have to experiment with the suspension & pressures to see what it likes. Each car is different.
 
If you have a marginal track it will generally get worse in the heat.

What sixty foot and ET? Car weight?
 
My buddy in his 6.0 running 68 Camaro switched to the 14-32 radials and loves them. He’s been going rounds at Dragway 42 on rounds that I’ve suffered wheel spin or hop. I’ve been telling myself to make the switch but I keep reordering my M/T 14-32 slicks. Maybe next time.
 
My friend Terry has a 3100# 65 Mustang with him in it that runs 5.60's in the 1/8. He switched to radials last year when there were no bias plys available (14"x32").

He ran the car just a few passes and said, he would never go back to bias tires. Better stability and better times for him.

I can't see any negatives to running them, and when I need new tires I'll be switching to radials myself.

Tom
 
I have yet to run my car on the track with my M/T Radials but not having the rear end wander at end of track has to be worth it . I hadn’t considered that.
 
I have heard that if you do spin the tires with radials its harder to recover .
 
I should add my son runs the 10.5 radial at at 3200 pounds he ran 10.11 on Caltracks with one of my worn out 408 engine’s
 
I've never personally ran radials, but my observation of others is they can be less forgiving than a bias slick. There are guys out there who's cars flat out work with the radials, but I think it's the guys that have their suspension/shocks combos on point. Most of the guys I see that do well with them run powerglides (Some do leave pretty hard though). I know of a few mopar guys that's tried them with leaf spring/superstock springs and ended up going back to a bias slick after a few weeks. The tracks I race at aren't always the best prepped so I've stayed with a bais slick as it seems when you spin with a radial you loose a lot more ET on that given run.
 
pittsburghracer said:
My buddy in his 6.0 running 68 Camaro switched to the 14-32 radials and loves them. He’s been going rounds at Dragway 42 on rounds that I’ve suffered wheel spin or hop. I’ve been telling myself to make the switch but I keep reordering my M/T 14-32 slicks. Maybe next time.
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Would that Camaro be a leaf spring/CalTrac car?
 
I run a small tire radial. Ran the same size bias slick before, and on previous cars.
Radial tire is quicker, you can see it on a time slip.
Radial is less forgiving.
I have hooked everywhere I have been on this radial, except my last two outings, both at a track I had previously not been to, and both times in lousy conditions.
Track prep for the first event was marginal at best, my 60 foot moved around a good bit, spun a couple times. Could have been the older tires. But I now doubt it, is just isn’t prepped like my home track, not even close.
Just came back from same track, prep was still no better than just OK. Spun once, ran 3 off, it was all in the 60, otherwise fine.
Long story short, big tire with moderate power the radial is gonna work pretty much anywhere.
Smaller tire, track prep is more important. I wouldn’t go back to bias at this point, I love going down the track on tires that aren’t basically flat..lol
Car just drives better on a radial. It’s noticable.
 
I run 28x10.5 PBR since I have my car, never ran a bias ply. I usually have a 1.42-1.43 60' running 18psi of air. I have only spun the tires if something was really wrong with the track and that has only been about 3 times. I used to run as springs but now have the full calvert setup. My only complaint is that they don't make them in a 29x12.5
 
73smallblock said:
I run 28x10.5 PBR since I have my car, never ran a bias ply. I usually have a 1.42-1.43 60' running 18psi of air. I have only spun the tires if something was really wrong with the track and that has only been about 3 times. I used to run as springs but now have the full calvert setup. My only complaint is that they don't make them in a 29x12.5
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I currently run a 12" wide slick and I think the widest radial slick is 10.5 or 11. I'd be nervous about going down in width. Also I don't know if they will go on a 12" wide wheel.
 
RockinRobin said:
I currently run a 12" wide slick and I think the widest radial slick is 10.5 or 11. I'd be nervous about going down in width. Also I don't know if they will go on a 12" wide wheel.
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I think my wheels are 11.5 wide. I will have to look I that.
 
RockinRobin said:
I currently run a 12" wide slick and I think the widest radial slick is 10.5 or 11. I'd be nervous about going down in width. Also I don't know if they will go on a 12" wide wheel.
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Hoosier makes one that is 13.5 wide.
From what I understand NHRA stockers often run a 9 inch slick on 12 inch wheels
 
The avatar has 28x10.5W bias slicks. More width than a low 11 sec car should need. Maybe it would be fine with less. The car has split-mono CalTracs as well. 5000 stall converter with a 4.10 axle. Guestimated weight of 3350 at the line.

I ran my radial street tires once at the track - P295/55R15 ET Street S/S. Knocked em off once and they hooked once. 50% hook rate - and saw 7500 rpm on the tach (I shift at 6150-6200-ish). I was done trying them!

So when it came time for new shoes last year, I thought why go to a radial and risk spinning/track prep/whatever. I wanted to try radials but if I spent big coin to buy them and they didn't work and then had to go buy a bias set, well that might be hard on the racing budget and my ears so to speak. My wife reminds me all the time that it's not about how fast you go but only about consistency. So I just bought the identical M/T 28x10.5W bias slicks and called it good.
 
RockinRobin said:
I currently run a 12" wide slick and I think the widest radial slick is 10.5 or 11. I'd be nervous about going down in width. Also I don't know if they will go on a 12" wide wheel.
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I have gone 1.39 on 28x9 Radial, when i switched i pickup at least 500 hundreds, and some RPM at the stripe, just a small burn out and your ready.
 
ValiantRacing said:
I have gone 1.39 on 28x9 Radial, when i switched i pickup at least 500 hundreds, and some RPM at the stripe, just a small burn out and your ready.
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Thanks!
What is your car weight and ET?
Are you footbraking or transbrake?
3 speed transmission?
 
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