Do you plan to turn your vehicle into a racing machine? One of the first things you will probably consider is your tires. Road-legal tires make poor drag tires, and most drag tires are not legal on the roadways. However, street tires are not effective on the track. This is what you should know.
Manufacturing Differences
Manufacturers of street tires create products that keep you safe on the street. They tend to be more durable and have harder rubber. They have deep tread patterns that have specific purposes. For example, they push water away from your tire so it can get a better grip on the road. These tires tend to have strong sidewalls and are safe at different speeds.
Drag racing tires tend to have little to no tread. They are wide so they have more contact with the road. However, the rubber is much softer. In fact, some of their traction is the result of the tires heating and becoming a little sticky. These tires also have softer side walls that flex when racing vehicles take corners at high speeds. These tires are not street-legal and can actually be dangerous on regular streets.
Drag radial tires are a mix of both drag and street tires. They have tread, but it isn’t as deep as street tires. They also have larger contact areas with the street. They may have somewhat more malleable rubber with some of the bend and flexibility of drag slicks. These tires are street legal, but they also perform well on the track.
Racing Tire Options
Just like adjustments to your vehicle, such as using a cam and lifter kit for your racing vehicle, you need to have the right tires. If you plan to use your vehicle only for racing, you need maximum traction on tires that quickly respond to rapid acceleration and high-speed maneuvering.
However, if you also plan to drive on the street, you need a different kind of drag racing tire, a radial. These tires work better on sprayed tracks, but they do not perform well on marginal or unprepared track surfaces.
Things To Consider When Purchasing Racing Slicks
For slicks or radials, your tires should perform consistently. They need to fit your wheels properly and stay out of the way of your brakes. Slicks tend to grow a little as they absorb energy and heat up on the track. Therefore, there should be at least three-quarters of an inch of clearance on all sides of the tire.
For racing slicks, the first thing you should consider is how much the tire contacts the road. Your traction is fully based on how much contact the tire has with the road because the tires themselves do not have tread. Consider the suspension, which may require clearance of one inch or more. Consider the tire’s rollout length, which tells you the size of any tire once you inflate it sufficiently. Your tires should also have firmer sidewalls and construction if your vehicle is over 3,000 pounds and has high horsepower.
As you prepare your vehicle and purchase the tools you need to maintain it, including an engine lift, learn how to care for your vehicle and its parts, especially your racing tires, so you can extend their lives and reduce your costs.
