New Shoes for the Cobra!! :)

[SVTCobra306]

I wore my old BFG's bald and decided to try something new from Nitto:

Initial impression is that they're decidedly stiffer and much quieter than the BFG's.. I didn't even realize how much road noise the G-Force T/A DRII's were giving off, I've ran them for 5 years LOL.... tomorrow they're getting autocrossed, maybe next weekend I'll hit the dragstrip with them and see how they hook! Supposed to be pretty good, I've seen/heard 60' times in the 1.5's on 18" versions

 

[DVJ38]

Sounds like a great tire! Let us know how they do autocrossing, and how they hook up at the dragstrip!

Do you mean that they are stiffer in a good way or bad way? I'm assuming it's stiffer as in better for handling and maybe a little more harsh over bumps or sharp impacts?

To clearify, you had BFG DR's? As in these ones: g-Force T/A Drag Radial | BFGoodrich Tires

http://www.svtperformance.com/forum...12-lets-see-those-wide-meats.html#post2347279

I kind of like my NT555R's honestly and my car doesn't need much better, but if there was a tire that hooked as good off the line and handled a bit better (I feel the car roll over on the tires before it bites in the rear end) then I may look into them.

 

[Robuilt]

Those are great!

Btw, are those 10.5" wide wheels out back? If so, how much were they and where did you find em?

 

[SVTCobra306]

They are 10.5's. I bought them back in 05 off E-bay, they are from OE Wheels LLC. They still have an Ebay store, but the non-dish R's are hard to find in 10.5"/9" staggered like mine I used to catch hell for a played-out wheel but now they've become unique it seems LOL

I had BFG G-Force T/A Drag Radial II's (old tread pattern) like these: Tire Details - Discount Tire before the NT05R's. Same size 315/35-17, but the BFG's looked a bit wider on the wheel. For what it's worth here's an older pic with the BFG's.. they dwarfed any other 315 I ever saw, and looked to be wider than most 325's as well lol..

Initial impression is a bit more squirm than the BFG BUT the sidewall was tons thicker, I'm pretty sure I'm feeling the squirm from the huge tread blocks and the fact that they haven't heat cycled much yet. Honestly the car feels like it rotates under throttle better (no this doesn't mean sliding..). We'll really find out tomorrow at around 11am

FWIW to me stiffer is better.. to a point. These are nice and firm but they don't beat you up.. I run Eibach Pro Kit springs, I like some give so I chose a big bar/soft spring setup rather than stiff springs. Stiff springs to me would be H&R Race or Super Race springs. The rear feels more settled, I don't have to wait on the rear to roll around before the car reacts.. I was running 44 PSI on the BFG's at the autocross courses, and reading the sidewall it wanted more, I just didn't feel comfortable passing the marked max pressure from the sidewall. I have my front Bilsteins but I'm going to hold off putting them on. I don't have the rears yet and I am interested to see how much different the car reacts with just the tire change.. the rest of my setup is identical now to my last autocross, but tomorrow's course is an airstrip that's smoother than last time and is likely to have some higher speed sections.

Haven driven many cars with 555R's, these are like them on steroids!

DVJ38: Do you have a panhard bar? IMO if you don't you are waiting on the quadrabind to settle as well as the tires going into a corner. My PHB was hands-down the best upgrade I ever made to this car in the handling department!! I'm still using my "archaic" HPM Megabite Jr's in the back (they've been on the car since 2000!) and a set of Steeda DA uppers with poly bushings in them.. I don't have anything special in the suspension but the PHB, it does all the work LOL

 

[whitefiveo]

4X4 cobra FTW

 

[C O 13 R A]

4X4 cobra FTW

Wrong! FTL oke:

That is NOT stock 4x4 stance.

 

[Bouttime09]

Diggin the sliver wheels...and the blue stripe. I need to get me some new meat too!

 

[SVTCobra306]

LOL.. the two pictures post #4 it is wearing stock rears that are moved down a smidge by the HPM lower control arms, and Bullitt fronts.. the pics in the original post are Eibach Pro Kit springs that it's wearing now, but it's sitting off-camber so the rear looks jacked up

Before the next Autocross I'm probably going to take all but the bottom rear isolators out, and it'll be upgraded to Bilstein HD's

Damn and I thought you guys would hound me about the curb rash LOL

 

[Gallows]

Nice looking Cobra:beer:

 

[venom1997]

nice car:beer: now the sidewalls you say are thinner on the bfgs right? I know on my 18 bfgs they are pretty thin. How about the compound is it as soft as the bfgs?

 

[Four cam slam]

Great looking snake!!! Pull off the stripe, gas cap and headlight covers. Then you'd have the 95 R model look down perfect! :rockon:

 

[SVTCobra306]

^^^Avoiding the 95 R clone look is exactly why the stripes, gas cap, and covers are on there LOL.. Shortly after I got the hood put on (still in gelcoat) was shortly after I put the wheels on back in 2005... I pulled into the local dealership in Leesville, LA, and one of the techs ran out asking "is that a real R model"?.. I knew then I needed to make some subtle but noticeable changes Honestly I went with the hood and wheels because they were cheap and looked good.

nice car:beer: now the sidewalls you say are thinner on the bfgs right? I know on my 18 bfgs they are pretty thin. How about the compound is it as soft as the bfgs?

The sidewalls on the BFG's were paper compared to these.. you can almost push your fingernail clean into the 05R's.. very soft, should be nice and sticky

 

[SVTCobra306]

So.. On the autocross course I am pleased with them. Big improvement in lateral control over the BFG's. These were still pretty greasy from being new, the back end was much looser than before and I could actually 4 wheel slide the car on command. It rotates much much easier on-throttle, still shows the off-throttle push common to nearly any Mustang.. NT05's up front will likely quell that some, it isn't really related to these tires.

Straight line they hook WAY harder than the BFG's ever did. I used to do a 2nd gear launch on autocross tracks and spin the tires.. these hooked up all the way to a 4K clutch dump in 2nd, and that's with 42 PSI in them! On the strip these should be insane!

I would recommend these to anybody, hands down! Treadwear is the only downfall, but that tradeoff comes with any drag radial.

Got to drive them in a torrential downfall tonight also. Wet traction is more like what I would expect out of a regular NT555, not a Drag Radial. Obviously they broke loose easier than on dry, but the car did not feel like the ass end was going to come around at any moment, and I didn't have to pedal like a dirt track like any other DR I've ever had.

 

[DVJ38]

Nice, thanks for the review!