I was able to get ahold of some 300zx tt wheels that I plan on using for the drag strip. For those who arent familiar, they are 16x8.5 in the rear and are forged wheels. I'm trying to decide if I should go with a Drag Radial or Slick setup. I'm also planning on running stock 17" wheels on the front at the moment because I have them with fresh tires.

One thing I'm concerned with is the fact that I live so far away from the drag strip presently. It's about an hour drive to get there. If I had slicks I definitely couldn't make the drive. With drag radials, this would be possible. I do own a truck to carry them down there, but the only person I can imagine would help me with that is my girlfriend, which I will have to teach how to drive manual transmission to do so. In the next year, it's possible that I might move closer to the track (within 10 minutes of it). So, at that point I'll definitely be doing it.

My goal now is to break 11's on my current setup. I should be tuning for a little more power on race gas once turbonetics releases their stage 1.5 setup, and eventually I'm going to be doing some line locks.

Any suggestions on tires? As previously stated, right now I'm seriously debating either the ET Streets or ET Street Radials. Thanks for the help!

 

do what i do and drive your car and have your girl drive seperately and throw your rims and tires in her car. just buy her gas and she will be happy that she is doing something with you that makes you happy...


OR i would get some big sidewalled BG drag radials, as wide as you can cram on there, then you could just drive on them.

if you can possibly bring them in a seperate car and bolt them on at the track i would get some MT ET streets. these you can drive to and from when you move closer..

 

simple. remove the passenger seat to make room for the track setup and floor jack .... dont get some 26x11.5x16 et streets. my old na 250rwhp stang vert pulled high 1.6s with those

 

Intersting thought. I'd just have to find somewhere to stash my good wheels when I got there.

 

i used a bike chain(rubber coated) and chained them to a fence post. just FYI, i have put about 1200miles on my et streets and about 50 passes. they still have about 35-40% tread left. I think with hwy miles you would get a lot of use out of yours as well. the only thing i would worry about is getting caught in the rain, of course i wouldnt want to drive on dr's that far either

 

If you choose to run the ET Streets, make sure you have a skinny up front. The bias ply tires kind of float side to side as you go down the track. Your regular front radials try to keep the car straight and don't "float" like the rears. On the big end, you'll feel the car wagging the ear end and the faster you go, the more pronounced it is. If you run a skinny tire or another bias ply tire up front, it will allow the front to float wth the rear.
You should be able to get to your goal on drag radials. The Mickey Thompson drag radials hook pretty good at around 15 psi of tire pressure as long as you don't run a 40 profile sidewall tire.
Regards, Mike

 

Because of the distance Id suggest the MT dr's. 11's are right around the corner for you...

 

eh, ive run bias ply tires out back on stock wheels and my stock wheels and tires up front on both of my mustangs. down the track is not bad at all, sometimes i get some top end sway, but no big deal in the mid to upper one teens

 

of course, the sway will depend on how much air you run in them as well. i about totalled my Z when i kept dropping the air down with nitrous trying to get them to hook. found out that i just needed to heat them up WAY more (around 10 seconds) and then they hooked nicely.

 

Exactly what I am talking about, but the faster you go, the worse it will get...
Personally, I prefer to be as stable as possible at speed. Things happen real fast at the end of the track.
Tire pressure plays a huge role too ofcourse, but to really take advantage of the bias ply, running less pressure (12 psi or so) in the tires will allow the tires to wrinkle and bite. My best 60' on DR's has been a 1.48, but I hope to be cutting some 1.3xx with the ET streets and skinnies. This is on a 2750 lb 240z and not a 350z though.

 

Or you could install this hitch: https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....t=tire+trailer
I was coming down I-75 one Sunday and saw about 5 350Z's going North with this set-up pulling their track tires. Looked good and they were haulin' ****!!

 

I personally would just run in the front what you run on the street, then bag the radials or slicks and throw them in the trunk and front seat. Unless you have stereo stuff back there.

I remove my spare tire, and use that space for one of my MT Streets, then put one in front of the strut bar, behind the seats. Once bagged, they don't dirty my car either.

 

Which car is yours. i must have seen it a few times

 

Yellow 71 Datsun 240z
I posted a short vid in this link
https://my350z.com/forum/drag/213890-drag-section-in-a-slump-3.html

I go out to OSW for test and tune when I am able.
Regards, Mike

 

Thanks for all the replies, guys. However, I'm still not sure which to get. I know it will be MT of some sort. I guess it all boils down to if I ever intend to take them on the street (for fun or transport to the track).

In the future, I plan on buying some 18" forged wheels for running DR's on the street, but that's quite a ways down the road.

 

I know the car...that ***** mmoves out top end, actually everywhere down the track. you run dr's mainly right?

 

You need to make the decision on whether you want you GF going to the track with you or not..
My friend has both the MT ET's and the BFG Drag radials on his Camaro..
WE live about an hour from the track as well, and he uses the BFG drags to get there and run, and uses the ET's for the street..

He did trailer the car to the track once with the slicks, for his car it gave him another .6 and 11 mph at the trap..its up to you

Either way, I'm anctious to see what you run

 

Thanks man, I have run DR's to this point, but was blowing them away up top the last time out... kinda scary to have them start spinning at 120+ mph... I have now gone to an ET Street and skinny and will be testing tomorrow night at OSW (weather permitting)..

Anyway, back to the topic, I would have tried the M&H 275/55/16 drag radials if they would have fit under my 240z. They may work under a 350z. It would give you a nice wide tire and plenty of sidewall for crush.

 

That's a great find. The Z32TT wheels are light, especially with a nice light tire like an MT ET Street, however, they are not forged.

I run the stock Z32TT tire with the MT ET Streets, and launch 3500# at 7kRPM and >600RWHP in them. I have only mustered a 1.6s 60', but others have hit 1.4s and 1.5s. They are also DOT-legal, so you could drive them (full tire pressure) to the event, lower to 15psi or so to run, then reinflate to drive home. Otherwise you can finnagle a way to take them with you like others have stated.

I have experienced some side-to-side sway near the end of the strip, which is a bit unnerving at 130mph. Just be careful.


SS

 

I run the z32 TT rear wheels also with 26x11.5 et streets. I have driven an hour to and from the track on them without issue and I have also thrown them in the car and swapped at the track. Just don't get caught in the rain with them.
I've fit 4 wheels with 275/40/17's, tools, helmet, jack and luggage in the car when going road racing so there is plenty of room for transporting two tires to the strip and back.
I have no experience with the ET street radial, but from what I've read it's performance is quite similar to the regular et street with added stability on the top end and for regular street driving. I have not heard what kind of mileage you can get out of them.
Good luck in your quest for 11's.