My drag radials are broken.

[rmcdaniels]

Went to Rockingham today, and it sucked. Something's wrong with my drag radials. They are all shredded looking, have very little traction, and when they slip, they shed little shreds of rubber all over the place. First two pics are of the tires, third pic is of the little chunks of rubber all over the inside of my wheel well. It was a relief to put my street tires on to go home, at least they have traction in 4th.

Anyone know what causes this or how to fix it?

[myshtern]

I think that is kinda like what I said in your other traction post.

***From what I was told
Some drag radials like to be heated up and spun while others do not. When you burn out in the kind that doesnt like it, they shred up into balls making tiny bearings in between the ground and your tire. Therefore you lose all and they wear out really fast.

But I have no experience with tires

[RiceNmotioN]

those BFG only last about 2000 miles...

[rmcdaniels]

those BFG only last about 2000 miles...
They only have about 10 miles on them, I only put them on at the track.

[rmcdaniels]

I think that is kinda like what I said in your other traction post.

***From what I was told
Some drag radials like to be heated up and spun while others do not. When you burn out in the kind that doesnt like it, they shred up into balls making tiny bearings in between the ground and your tire. Therefore you lose all and they wear out really fast.

But I have no experience with tires
That sounds like what happened. They've still got most of their tread, I just need to figure out how to get them smooth again.

[STIBungy]

Take it to a tire shop and have them shave it.

[doctorstupid]

Take it to a tire shop and have them shave it.
Or just man up and use a Mach3.

[rmcdaniels]

Take it to a tire shop and have them shave it.
That sounds better than my belt sander idea. I'll call around and find a place that shaves tires.

[myshtern]

Did you look up the stats on your tires?
Any reviews?

Think they are the kind you arent supposed to heat up and spin?

[rmcdaniels]

Think they are the kind you arent supposed to heat up and spin?
According to BFG, they should be warmed up for about five seconds, but they should be wet when I spin them. They were pretty dry last weekend when I spun them. I wonder if that's what trashed them? I'm thinking about finding a piece of concrete, sponging them down, and seeing if I can spin them clean.

[doctorstupid]

Sponge? Use the hose.

[rmcdaniels]

Sponge? Use the hose.
Don't want to do it in the driveway, wife would not be pleased. Figure I'll go driving around with a jug of water and a sponge and find a piece of concrete.

[STIBungy]

Might as well make a burnout video while you're at it. :D

[doctorstupid]

So do it in your neighbor's driveway :rofl:

[B16crxTurbo]

Not sure if this will help out any, but my wife uses those same tires on her car, her's look like that after a race, and we just keep using them. Still getting 2.0 60's with them too. Maybe the track surface is really beat up where you did your burn out?

[rmcdaniels]

Not sure if this will help out any, but my wife uses those same tires on her car, her's look like that after a race, and we just keep using them. Still getting 2.0 60's with them too. Maybe the track surface is really beat up where you did your burn out?
How much does she heat them up? I've been told I don't heat up my tires enough.

[MKIII-Shoopra]

That's awesome..... Wife using drag radials....
Sweeeeet..

[Prelude97]

yeah when i had bfg's they looked similar, my wheel well was covered in rubber and probably still is to this day and my car hasnt been turboed or had radials since may.

[chrisbarnett01]

Rumor has it Rockingham sucks as far as track prep.

But yeah, my BFG radials look like that after a day of drag racing. A few street miles always solves it. Or a big ass burnout.


EDIT:

FWIW my drag slicks look like that after a pass with killer traction too.

[rmcdaniels]

Cool, I put them on the car tonight, tomorrow I'll drive around with them and do a bis ass burnout.

[maz087]

i may not be making enough power, or maybe im just a n00b that cant burnout. do you hafta hold the brake or something?

[rmcdaniels]

I pull up the brake at the track just to keep the car from going anywhere, but it may be hard to break them loose in a stock EX, I'm making >270lb/ft of torque with a boosted B16.

[myshtern]

So you havent broken the stock axels yet?

[rmcdaniels]

So you havent broken the stock axels yet?
Still trying to, but no luck so far, although my launch does suck, so it may be some time.

[myshtern]

Finish the S/C
You dont have enough torque

[rmcdaniels]

Did a huge curbstone burnout, giant cloud of smoke. Drag radials are smooth and sticky again, they hook up great. Now I just gotta sell them.

[myshtern]

You dont want them anymore?
Video?

[rmcdaniels]

I got some slicks now, better than drag radials, and I burned them in the far corner of a dark parking lot to avoid anyone calling the cops on me, so no video.