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Stickiest street legal tires?

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camaro man

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I finally got my motor running like a well lubed sewing machine with the procharger at 10 psi. My current, but semi fun problem is my regular 275/60/15 street tires go up in smoke at 1/2 throttle in 3rd gear at 45 mph:D. I don't like using my Hoosier Quick Time Pro D.O.T. tires for everyday driving. What is the stickiest street legal tires you can buy and run on the highway safely?
 
#4 ·
they might be legal, but that doesn't necessarily mean safe. they (mt) don't even recommend regular highway use, and most certainly not in the rain. i'm scared to hit a water puddle, cuz your great dry traction instantly turns into absolutely no wet traction. you'll also have issues with balancing since the rubber is so soft and the sidewall will swell. the handling will be horrible on a 15 inch wheel. so you can go fast in a striaght line, but be sure to grandma-crawl through the corners. i have the 17 inch wheels, so the handling isn't too bad. i wouldn't recommend them for anything more than recreational driving to and from the track. i can't wait to get some cheap wheels and mount them for track only days and run some good street tires for the highway. good luck!
 
#9 ·
Hey Marc, good to hear you got it all working together :hurray:
Your only problem (traction) is always going to be there.

Back when I first got mine running, MT was just coming out with drag radials, and that's what they were called then. The ET street name was added recently. But anyway, I tried drag radials on my 16" street wheels, what a joke:eek:. The DOT slicks are not really any better on the street. And as stated ealier, all of them are flat out dangerious in any water! BTW the DR only went 600 miles, less than a year and bald. DR also did not work at the track with my clutch. Back then I had a Mcleod Street-Twin, it would just blow the tires off. Maybe some kind of street road race tire would help, but I dought it.

Bottom line, I bought the biggest SUV tire I could find 255/55/R16 (27"x10"tread) traction is still a problem but they don't wear out :thumbsup:. Then learn to control that right foot a little. If your like me you'll need the money to replace your slicks every year or two.

It is a pretty cool problem to have, I love it when some kid in a ricer starts to play with me. Just tap the throttle in any gear, the roar and squal, tells em it just wouldn't be fair.:noway:

I will NOT race on the street anyway, so I really don't need a great amount of traction. Thats what slicks and the race track are for.

BTW I can't remember is yours an auto or clutch car?
 
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#10 ·
I dont mean to jack this thread by any means, but I am putting tires on my 75 here SOON by sat. I was originally going with these kumho or whatever they are there 16's by 10 inch 3/8 wide i dont know the rating...sorry. However I was told the wider you go you lose control at faster speeds and also takes longer to stop? With winter coming in I want a good street tire for perfomance but will grip the road in the rain since these cars are top heavy. Im aiming for about $110 a tire no more, thanks if you can help me.
 
Discussion starter · #11 ·
I'm running a nicely modified TH400 with a TCI Super Street Fighter torque converter with the steel anti-ballooning plate.

My Hoosier Quick Time Pro D.O.T. tires do a fine job on the street and track if I keep the psi down. I run around 15 psi in town and around 12 psi at the track. I just don't like the ride with them. The car floats around a lot and I have some concern about them taking them out on the interstate even for a short time. I know that I won't get the traction that I need with street legal tires. I just want to replace what I have now with the stickiest tire I can buy. Almost anything would be better than what I have right now. It's fun to smoke the tires, but sometimes I just want to get up and go. I'm not bothered by having to buy a set of street tires every year or two.
 
#12 ·
camaro man said:
The car floats around a lot and I have some concern about them taking them out on the interstate even for a short time. I know that I won't get the traction that I need with street legal tires.
Click to expand...
Marc I hear ya, my car drives terrible without a radial on the back (street driving) The slicks are fine at the track.
Good luck finding traction on the street with that much torque, let me know what you figure out.

Levi, Any good all-season radial should work fine for winter in Modesto.
The Kumhos are a inexpensive, made in China tire that actually hold up and handle well. They are round and balance nicely, I am using them on my street wheels.

---Bill.
 
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#13 ·
sc68z28 said:
Marc I hear ya, my car drives terrible without a radial on the back (street driving) The slicks are fine at the track.
Good luck finding traction on the street with that much torque, let me know what you figure out.

Levi, Any good all-season radial should work fine for winter in Modesto.
The Kumhos are a inexpensive, made in China tire that actually hold up and handle well. They are round and balance nicely, I am using them on my street wheels.

---Bill.
Click to expand...
Thank you bill. I put radials on the maro that my friend had for extras, my car just turns them there to easy to get spinning. Im thinking the wider for the winter, and radials for summer. Ill do some more research thank you.
 
#14 ·
A good sticky tire won't last very long on the street. To get longer life you give up traction. Have you thought about 2 sets of wheels and tires for the rear, 1 set of street radials and 1 set of ET Streets or Hoosier QTP's?

I've run BFG drag radials, Mcreary's, ET Streets and QTP's. The drag radials lasted the longest but didn't hook as well. The Mcreary's hooked better but didn't last as long as the drag radials. The ET Street's and QTP's hooked better than the Mcreary's but didn't last as long.

I ended up buying a second set of wheels and mounted some regular BFG's on them for every day driving.
 
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#16 ·
I would suggest STRONGLY looking into a real "CHEATER SLICK", just like we used to run way back there!!

See if Coker doesn't have them or else see if the major tire makers won't make a set up for you!

And right, I came back from the JR. College Basketball Nat's from Hutchison, KS back in the late winter of '66/'67 w/ real recap, 8.00 slicks on my car first in the drizzle, then the rain, AND finally the sleet and snow on KS's toll road and MO's I-70 and it was a real life white-knuckle trip to say the least!!

He, He!! Going over it was dry and I got pulled over for speeding on the KS T/P by a f-- plane and all I know is that I came off the hill at 130+!! We had to divey up change to pay the ticket!! He, He!! Boy me car sure ran FINE back then almost new w/ the old -151 cam in it!!

pdq67
 
#18 ·
MT Drag Radials are great on the street and on the highway. They are NOT good in the rain. They are driveable if you get caught in a storm, just not the best. I don't anticipate that you intend on driving your Procharged Camaro in the rain though . . .

The Hoosier DOT Drag Radials are also supposed to be very good but I have not tried them yet personally. My next set may be the Hoosiers -- they are about 9 lbs lighter than the Mickeys in the size I am currently using.
 
#19 ·
Until a few months ago, I did not believe the hype with the MT ET Drag Radials. I used slicks and ET Streets. Several people told me to try the DR's and I would be surprised. Well, I was... They stick as good as my ET Streets at the track. I never would have believed it if I didn't try it myself. Not sure if it's because they're "stickier" or because they're designed well. A good soft compound, efficient tread pattern, and just enough sidewall wrinkle seem to do the trick.

Oh, and I have 3 sets of rear wheels. One for my DR's, one for my ET Streets, and one for my slicks...

Jim
 
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#20 ·
XLexusTech said:
IMHO the only way to go is to have two sets of wheels.
Click to expand...
Steve69SS396 said:
I ended up buying a second set of wheels .
Click to expand...
camaro man said:
I currently have a set of hoosier slicks for the track, a set of QTP for the street legal racing and a set of plain street tires for in town.
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.gearhead. said:
and I have 3 sets of rear wheels. One for my DR's, one for my ET Streets, and one for my slicks...
Jim
Click to expand...

Ya, I now have 3 set of wheels and tires too.
MT Drags/lite weight skinnys.
ET Streets/165x15s.
& the 16" street radials.

12 wheels and tires for one car, are we crazy:confused:

---Bill.
 
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