Hoosier Drag Radials FTW!!!

[tohighpsi]

So my mickey thompson drag radials had seen there better days and it was time for a new tire. I really didn't want to get the hoosier because I plan on getting a big and little set up this winter. I wanted a tire that I could put some miles on. It is crazy how much cheaper the hoosiers are compared to the rest of the drag radials. More then $100 in most cases for a 18in wheel.

With the old tires first gear was pretty much like a wet road it would blow them right off. Second gear on a cold road it would still struggle for traction sometimes. Trying to leave from a stop even after heating them up was just dangerous. So I get the new hoosiers on and the thing dead hooks while rolling in first gear. I am very impressed. This is without any heat in them either. I would really like to heat them up and see how they do from a dig but with the little side wall it worries me with my irs.

I wont be driving the car in the rain so this isn't an issue for me. I also cant comment on wear. As far as traction, even compared to the mickey thompsons which everybody loves it blows them out of the water. Cant beat the price either $209 compared to I think $310 for the mickeys. Hope this helps out some people

 

[03Cobrra]

I've had 2 sets of Hoosiers and I can tell you they won't last long at all. They do work very well though especially when they are new but as they wear you'll see they start to hook less.

 

[tohighpsi]

How long are we talking? They will never see the track and prob very rarely see a burn out

 

[03Cobrra]

Mine lasted about 1500 miles, maybe 3 or 4 burnouts.

 

[02reaper]

LOL, mine lasted one race, put them in the garage over the winter and they are no better than my street tires.

 

[03Cobrra]

LOL, mine lasted one race, put them in the garage over the winter and they are no better than my street tires.

Yea from what I understand those tires should be heat cycled or the rubber gets very hard and they dont work at all after that.

 

[Avispa]

Second gear on a cold road it would still struggle for traction sometimes.

Here's what happened to me when I nailed it at 45 mph on a cold road. I couldn't even steer into the skid - the fronts had no traction either.

 

[03Cobrra]

Here's what happened to me when I nailed it at 45 mph on a cold road. I couldn't even steer into the skid - the fronts had no traction either.

What tires were you running?

 

[BigBeez03]

Here's what happened to me when I nailed it at 45 mph on a cold road. I couldn't even steer into the skid - the fronts had no traction either.

Holy shnikes! How bad is the damage, the visible side look like it might be ok?

 

[tohighpsi]

Well my car will prob see about 2000 miles a year at the very most. As long as I can get a year or so out of them I will be happy

 

[RedfireWhipple]

tohighpsi,

Different people use the DR's for different things. Some try to expect good mileage from these tires while they are constantly doing concrete road burnouts, e.t.c..

As far as hooking-- the Hoosiers did EXTREMELY well on my 03 Cobras that ran high 10's, full weight, 1.60's type launches. They also seemed to last VERY long at the track compared to Mickeys in my experience and wayy longer att he track then the BFG's. Now keep in mind -- I keep stressing "at the track".

THe Hoosiers seemed to not loose rubber that much when I would do burnouts-- and I'm talking about pretty long burnouts at the track. I just have a philosophy that when getting ready to do a run, why take a chance that you may not have heated up the tires well enough. Anyways-- after doing a track night with BFG's , or Mickeys, I would have a serious layer of rubber on the rear quarter wells..

With the Hoosiers-- Man I don't know how they do it, I woul dhave very small amounts of rubber on the wells and quarters. But they would hook as good if not better. I also noticed that the construction of the side wall felt pretty normal which I though helped whenever the car would want to pull a little left or right coming out of the gate.

I was very happy with mine.. At the track.. On the street-- I always used the Nittos.. Just lasted longer and were much better in the rain or wet.

For all the guys and gals running DR's like BFG's and Mickeys in even the slightest bit of wet roads-- it will only take one time for you to realize that you can't even think about giving HALF throttle quickly (much less shift hard and release the clutch pedal quickly, even at non-full throttle) in a car that has say high 500 rear wheel tq.. it's just common sense. You will either wreck, or come damn close.

 

[tohighpsi]

My car will never see rain unless I get caught in a freak storm. But to be honest with you I dont really understand all of these people wrecking in the rain. I had a 10 sec camaro that I drove around on quick time pros and et streets and got caught in the rain a bunch. You just drive like you have a brain

 

[Tractionless1]

Car is VERY predictable with R888's, NEVER wants to come around, goes down the road at a few degree angle which is very managable with RT615's on the front. Oh and they will handle 80mph in the rain no problem.

 

[Avispa]

The total damage was a ding in the driver door, a scrape on the LR fender and a couple of cracks in the front bumper cover. The underside wasn't even scratched. After my next door neighbor dragged it out of the ditch with a tow strap by the RF wheel, I started it up and drove it home. It was kinda wobbly, but a power wash to get all the mud off the wheels took care of that. Running Nitto NT555s; 315/35 in the back and 275/40 up front.

There was some steam when I came to a stop. Thought i banged the front end so bad the radiator bought the farm, but it was just the exhaust sitting in the ditch water.

Moral of the story: sticky tires have NO traction when its cold (was 20 outside that day. In south Texas no less. Go figure.)