Competition Slicks or 4x4 launch.

[JTroiano]

OK, all the young guys at work want me to run my truck at the Friday night drags this summer. I know that the best way is to launch in 4 wheel drive but it just seems way to hard on the drive train. I also want to do a couple of tractor pulls this summer. So my question is, is it better to get some slicks for the back that will let the tires spin just a little? I have 315/75R16" I was thinking about getting some cheap steel wheels for grag racing and to put some smaller tires on for pulling. It seems that the only slicks that you can get would be 15". Would a 8 lug 15" wheel fit over the disc brakes on my truck? I could also put some skinny tires on the front and wider on the back with the same diameter and launch in for wheel drive and this would alow the front to spin and the back to take the brunt of the load. I don't like breaking stuff, less money for other bombs.



Thanks

Jon T



Mark K, I just can't do it on dry pavement.

 

[willyslover]

JT. . Do you plan on frequent trips to the drags ??



your talking about looking for a needle in a hay stack as to the rims and tires. . 15" are available but won't fit on a rear disc set up. . maybe be easier to find another rear end " for those days"...



prolly easier to do a smaller diameter tire and use 4x4 to launch as the 2wheel drive have nasty traction issues without slicks and moderate issues with them... larger ones mean cutting sheet metal inner fender . . [although your at a much lower HP level than I have expierence with... I help HVAC a bunch at the drags. . so you might not need the tire he does. NO FLAME INTENDED HERE ]... .



also you might contact Nowel [HVAC] and get some info about his search for the tire issues

 

[Cummins4Life]

Hope to see ya at PIR this year. I would run 4x4 unless you are worried about the 315's being too tall. Then try to find some cheap 265's or somthin to swap out for racing. A friend of mine was running 225 series street tires last year but was running out of tach before the end of the quarter.

 

[JTroiano]

Well, if the 15" wheels won't fit I guess I'll get some smaller skinny tires. I just want to have a little slippage. I have found that you cannot slip a SB FE. You have to dump the clutch to get it to hook. So I need to get traction but have a balance to not hurt the truck to bad. I don't plan on doing it more than a couple of times.



Jon T

 

[Jeff Knight]

Summit Racing has Mickey Thompson street Et tires in 16" and B F Goodrich drag radials in 16". Hope this helps. Jeff

 

[Jim Fulmer]

Jeff, all I see on the search and the book is a 26 tall and 35x22. 5x16.



Jon T , I found out yesterday that there is a place here in town that will split a wheel(stock one or other) and add the piece in the middle from a donor wheel to make what ever size or back spacing you want.



I'm hearing there is a 30x13. 5x16 slick, that would be nice but I would really like that in a Street ET, supply and demand.



Jim

 

[Jeff Knight]

Hey Jim,



Will you run out of tach with a 26" tire? If you are going to do a lot of drag racing couldn't you change gear ratio? Something like a 3. 08 gear. The cost might be to high. Just a thought. Jeff

 

[Jim Fulmer]

Jim's not going to change to a short tire like a 26 or the gears, it will either work with what I have or I'll stay with street tread... . fyi.



Jim

 

[JTroiano]

Thanks for the info. guys. Jim, I have a place in town that will make wheels. I just thought a 30" dia. slick would be about the correct size but they only come in 15" rim sizes. I might go with somthing like a 12" street tire in the rear and then maybe a 9-10" wide tire in the front. This would put most of the stress on the rear and maybe I could use the same setup for pulling if the tread is a little agressive.



Jon T

 

[CumminFast]

I don't think you can have a drag racing truck and a sled pulling truck personally. I would never pull a dang sled unless my clutch was a Mitchells and I hear they suck on the drag strip. It will tear that SBC up!! I know what you mean about tearin up the drivetrain though. What about runnin some 33" slicks?

 

[Jff24Gordn]

Just goto your local 4x4 shop and look for a set of BALD mud tires. Interco Super Swamper TSL and TSL Boggers are real soft tires, and can be found in 16. 5" rim easily. Put 4 of those on there and run in 4x4. Or just put them on the back and burn the snot out of them and they will grip like a slick. best of all, bald mud tires can be found for free.

I've got a set of 33x13R16 TSl for the strip.

 

[JTroiano]

C. F. , I'm just going to do it once or twice.

I think we need to find a clutch that will do both? I know it is almost impossible. (Peter) I want a clutch that I can shift like a banchy at the 1/4 mile or light to light and be able to slip it a little and then let it all the way out and have it hook up. I am working on a Sportsman dirt track car that has a triple disk clutch that has three solid disks. It looks kind of interesting. I don't mind a stiffer clutch pedal and a little chatter but this car you need to have a leg like Superman. I think there is something wrong with the hydraulic portion.

Jeff Gordon, I think the idea of bald mud tires sounds good.

Jon T

 

[drice]

heres an idea

how about 4x4 launch and slicks all the way around



just an idea

 

[HoleshotHolset]

4x4 launch and slicks on all 4... .



It has been done before... . not sure on a Dodge, though... .



Matt

 

[KLockliear]

Slicks on all 4 corners are not necessary. It will leave hard in 4HI with regular old BFG All Terrains.



You can't get a lower gear than a 3. 23 for a Dana 70 or 80, and a 26" tall tire is too short. You can get the bigger slicks, but I think it's been seen that 4hi is the better way to go unless the truck is REALLY fast (like 10's or quicker).

 

[jpickens]

I've got a set of 8 lug 15" steel wagon wheels that are 8" wide that I throw a set of 35x16 R15 boggers on for sled pulling. I just run them on the back aired down to 8-10psi (screwed to the rims of course) and they have the same radius to the ground as my daily driver 285 75R16's on the front. The boggers don't even come close to rubbing any sheetmetal on the bed etc. and the rims don't rub the disc brake calipers out back either...

I'm sure I would have clearance problems with the brakes running them on the D60 up front...



These would work great with a slick of some sort out back... The wheels are aftermarket wagon wheels... 8 lug 15's... traded a buddy out of them for little or nothing... hadn't seen them before and haven't seen a set like them since...



I would think you would be less likely to break something in 4wd since your distributing the power to more parts...

 

[Jff24Gordn]

My truck has around 350 or so HP. I had a stickey clutch (sachs). I launched very hard in 4x4 and wold spin my 285/75R16D through 2nd into 3rd gear. The one place I didnt spin tires easilly was Scheids and put another input shaft and clutch in. So there goes the idea of 4x4 and no spin or not being hard on parts. But I did launch very hard. I plan on 2x4 with the swampers this year.

If ya want to break soemthing, rev it to 2000 rpms, at the 2nd yellow light floor the throttle, at the 3rd yellow light drop the clutch. Hold on, if your clutch grabs, you will get a head rush or hear a pop.

 

[JTroiano]

I want the head rush and not have any popping noise.



Jon T

 

[HoleshotHolset]

You can get 3. 08 gears out of a 1st Gen D70.....



Matt

 

[HVAC]

4x4 Launch

Guys with 4x have a TREMENDOUS advantage at the tree. I spent a bunch of money to get my 2wd to come off the line. Even with the slicks on we can break the tires loose.



I strongly recommend you go with the 4x launch. It's cheaper, easier, and works better