For a 3000 lb. bracket car, PG, 4500 stall, 480 HP, going 6.80's at 100 mph, what is best, ....drag radial or bias ply?

Killer prep smooth as glass surface, radial.

Everything else, bias.

What size tire ?? Suspension ??

Ladder bar, 28x9x15. Either Hoosier or M/T bracket radial.

Pro bracket radial all the way !!
Require practically no burnout and will easily go 250+ passes

Radial.

Tires need to be clean. Just enough burnout to clean them, get the water off, and get past the marbles. Any water at all and there's nothing there. Otherwise, radials are great!

If you race at a track that isn't prepped or it tends to go away stick with bias if they work. The radials will tend to be a little quicker and faster but if the tire breaks loose just a little it's over.

In a performance class or no box class,I find the radials to be faster in both et and also in quicker vehicle reaction times.
In a bracket class with a delay box,I would probably run a bias because they aren't so sensitive to track conditions.

I would absolutely run a radial of some kind.

I’ve been running the 30 x 9 radials (various brands but mostly Hoosier) for 25 years now. I’m going to try the Hoosier 28 x 9 bracket radial to start this season just for the sake of curiosity.

In that time I’ve run one set of bias tires. They weren’t any slower, and the 60’ seemed fine, but overall the car was not consistent.

quote:

Originally posted by 442OLDS:
In a performance class or no box class,I find the radials to be faster in both et and also in quicker vehicle reaction times.
In a bracket class with a delay box,I would probably run a bias because they aren't so sensitive to track conditions.

From what I have read, with a manual trans and 6000 rpm launch, go with the bias ply as it has better recovery than radial. I footbrake and leave the line deep at 1600 rpm ( no trans brake) so the car doesn't launch with any violence ( 1.60 60' is typical). It would be hard to blow the tires away. Most people seem to think the radials are good for my application... so I'll try the M/T pro bracket radial. Thanks all. See ya on the start line.

quote:

Originally posted by 442OLDS:
In a performance class or no box class,I find the radials to be faster in both et and also in quicker vehicle reaction times.
In a bracket class with a delay box,I would probably run a bias because they aren't so sensitive to track conditions.

I agree. Cooler temps radials get tricky. For me its mid 50's then we pull power out. We run the 94 rollout 9 inch Hoosier Radial. I've seen big tire cars have more issues than we did on a cool Wed night at Sonoma. Typical 1.30-35 60 foots. 3620# Bias were .08 slower on my car.

quote:

Originally posted by Lenny5160:
I would absolutely run a radial of some kind.

I’ve been running the 30 x 9 radials (various brands but mostly Hoosier) for 25 years now. I’m going to try the Hoosier 28 x 9 bracket radial to start this season just for the sake of curiosity.

In that time I’ve run one set of bias tires. They weren’t any slower, and the 60’ seemed fine, but overall the car was not consistent.

You won't be disappointed!! I am able to squeeze the 28x10.5 Hoosier DBR under my nova with very minimal rubbing. This new tire has been the best tire I've ever ran hands down. I'm going 660's with full stock interior, stereo, slapper bars and a 10 bolt and on my last set I changed them at 313 runs bc I felt guilty. More than double of what I could get out of regular Hoosier radial or slick!

quote:

Originally posted by excessive braker:

quote:

Originally posted by Lenny5160:
I would absolutely run a radial of some kind.

I’ve been running the 30 x 9 radials (various brands but mostly Hoosier) for 25 years now. I’m going to try the Hoosier 28 x 9 bracket radial to start this season just for the sake of curiosity.

In that time I’ve run one set of bias tires. They weren’t any slower, and the 60’ seemed fine, but overall the car was not consistent.

You won't be disappointed!! I am able to squeeze the 28x10.5 Hoosier DBR under my nova with very minimal rubbing. This new tire has been the best tire I've ever ran hands down. I'm going 660's with full stock interior, stereo, slapper bars and a 10 bolt and on my last set I changed them at 313 runs bc I felt guilty. More than double of what I could get out of regular Hoosier radial or slick!

I hope you’re right! I’m not worried about their performance as much as they look of the shorter sidewall back there. I like to say that 28” tires belong on the front.

I’d love to fit the 10.5” tire but I had rubbing with the 30 x 9 if I hit the turnoff too fast. Maybe the height difference would help. Everything is stock back there (location-wise) although the shocks have been moved inside the leaf springs, with Caltracs.

I have a customer who is a multi time, multi track champion, that uses M/T drag radials, and is super consistent at 5.9/6.0's.

[/QUOTE]
I hope you’re right! I’m not worried about their performance as much as they look of the shorter sidewall back there. I like to say that 28” tires belong on the front.

I’d love to fit the 10.5” tire but I had rubbing with the 30 x 9 if I hit the turnoff too fast. Maybe the height difference would help. Everything is stock back there (location-wise) although the shocks have been moved inside the leaf springs, with Caltracs.[/QUOTE]

I was also not a fan look wise of going back to the 28 on the rear but when they doubled my runs per set and now I need 2 sets a year instead of 4(400-500 runs per year), I was ok with the look and keeping the extra money in my pocket. I run and 8" wheel with 5"backspace and the 28x10.5 fits perfect. I am 100% stock in the rear other than upgraded internals of the 10 bolt. When I tried the 30x9's the tires would rub all the time if I wasn't creeping around the corners off the track. With the 28x10.5 there is WAY less rubbing than with the 30x9. If we are ever at the same track you are more than welcome to test fit my 10.5's if you would like. I imagine I'm not using the whole 10.5 footprint bc of the 8" wheel but it's been crazy good with my bracket setup. A buddy put the 28x9 on his malibu and they have been awesome but he hasn't had to chance to put a bunch of runs on them bc of the short season last year.

quote:

From what I have read, with a manual trans and 6000 rpm launch, go with the bias ply as it has better recovery than radial. I footbrake and leave the line deep at 1600 rpm ( no trans brake) so the car doesn't launch with any violence ( 1.60 60' is typical). It would be hard to blow the tires away. Most people seem to think the radials are good for my application... so I'll try the M/T pro bracket radial. Thanks all. See ya on the start line.

Yep I agree this will be a great tire on that car. We have a light car under 3K leaves pretty soft in 1.58 to 1.60s depending on what tune is in it, and have put almost 400 passes on a set. We do a relatively short burnout and go. They hooked right up to the race I seen the cords patterns starting to show up in the tread.
just ordered a new set of 3354R off Chris Barker today.

With what you run I would never consider a slick anymore. MT Pro Bracket Radial all day long.

I have run both the 13.5x31 MT pro bracket radial and the 14x32 MT stiff sidewall slick...one thing that has not been mentioned is the radial tire does not "grow" therefor it turns a higher rpm...with the PBR's my rpm jumped about 400 in the 1/8th versus the bias ply slick...

How is the sidewall durability on the Radial tires?
Have a friend that runs a heavy car with small tire 9x29???? I think he said he only gets about 50 passes before sidewalls and reaction times are done.

Myself and everyone else told him when he was building it to back half it and run a big tire but he would not. Now he cries about sidewalls going away or if track prep is not just right he claims track is junk. We just tell him that is why we told you to back half it.

Wondering if radials would work better for him.

My advice to him would be win a race every 50, laps to purchase a new set.

If it were easy on small tires, everyone would be doing it.

Just about everyone looks at tires in a odd way, I think. I always looked at it, the more races you win, the more tires you go through.

I'd put a new set of tires every 50-75 laps on my Nova... Firestone, Hoosier, M/T 10 x 28. Never bought a set that didn't win at least one race Sunshine.