The Best Drag Racing Tires

There are several different places where you can buy drag racing tires from. But choosing the right tire can be slightly difficult. Here are a few tips you can use to pick the right drag radials for your car.

Tread Wear Rating

Each car has a tread and a tread wear rating that is inscribed on the side of the tire. You will find that tread wear ratings are not perfect, but they will give you an idea of the tread life. But the tread life also depends on how you handle the tire. That means more handling faster the wear pattern. Check with dealers to find the tread wear rating of each tire you have shortlisted. Make sure you check with Internet sources too to find the best tire that will be perfect for your car.

Size Matters

You can choose the right size of the tire depending on the manufacturer’s original recommendation or optional sizes. But you also have to remember that most wide tires will require you to pull in more horsepower to run the wider tires. To save on power, you can choose to use a lower profile tire on the same diameter rim. That means you have to use a lower rating than what is indicated. Conventional wisdom is to follow a larger rating with the same overall dimension, but you can try a lower one that will give you better speed.

Pressure Requirements

There are no magic numbers that will tell you the precise pressure requirements in the tire. As a result, you will have to experiment with tires, tire pressures and your driving speeds to get the best out of them. Other tire factors that will work in combination with tire pressure to influence speed are cold inflation pressure, hot pressure, tire temperature and the tire type.

Treatments

You will also have to heat treat your tires. This is a simple process to prepare the rubber for the hard work that it will be doing without ripping. You can start by running the car at a lower speed and then cooling it to room temperature slowly. Once the tires are cool enough to handle, you should decrease the pressure by 4PSI, and then store them in a cool dry place away from the sun.

DOT Slicks

All tires for use in the US have a DOT Code after them as required by the Department of Transportation. The code specifies the company that makes the tire, the mould of the tire, the batch and the date it was produced. These DOT approved slicks are the best for use on drag racing cars. They are available in many sizes and can be used on racing motorcycles as well as racing cars. A few racers reduce the pressure inside the tire to make sure the tire grips the road better. As a result, they look wrinkled and old, and are commonly referred to as wrinkle wall slicks.