First Time / Drag Radials

[Mr. Met]

In two weeks I will be going to my first drag strip. Right now I have done no modifications to the engine but I have ordered a Roush phase 2 supercharger. My plan was to go before and then after installation to really get a good comparison of stock vs. supercharged. I have never raced my car before so I am not sure what I should do/need as far as tires go. Right now I have a set of A/S 3+.

Would it be worth it to get drag radials now or should I wait till after having the supercharger installed? I have limited space to store extra sets of wheels, so in either case is it still safe to just run the A/S 3+ on the front?

Edit: I wanted to add, I will also be going to an event with a half mile rolling start. Am I right to assume a drag radial would not be the proper tire for that?

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[brucelinc]

Is your car manual or automatic? Drag racing from a dig without drag radials was an exercise in aggravation for me even when stock. With the Roush SC, it would be a waste of time. Your Michelins might be better than some but on street tires, my car will break traction at any speed under 50 mph.

 

[Mr. Met]

Is your car manual or automatic? Drag racing from a dig without drag radials was an exercise in aggravation for me even when stock. With the Roush SC, it would be a waste of time. Your Michelins might be better than some but on street tires, my car will break traction at any speed under 50 mph.

Its an automatic. I was looking at getting a set of NT05R on SVE R357 wheels. From using the search button, it seems those are highly regarded drag tires. Could I still just run the A/S on front with or without the supercharger?

I seem to be finding a lot of conflicting opinions about drag radials on half mile and longer tracks. Some say they are fine while others say they will actually cost you mph and can be dangerous. I believe the A/S 3+ are rated at 186 mph. Should I be using those instead on the half mile?

 

[LSchicago]

Its an automatic. I was looking at getting a set of NT05R on SVE R357 wheels. From using the search button, it seems those are highly regarded drag tires. Could I still just run the A/S on front with or without the supercharger?

I seem to be finding a lot of conflicting opinions about drag radials on half mile and longer tracks. Some say they are fine while others say they will actually cost you mph and can be dangerous. I believe the A/S 3+ are rated at 186 mph. Should I be using those instead on the half mile?

I believe the NT555RII are better than the NT05R's. If you have a stock Stage 2 Roush kit you should still see some spin with the DR's below 50. I have 14PSI on my Procharger and see intermittent wheelspin until at least 60 or so (Some roads up to 90) with the NT555RII's with the A10. The A10 is Just a spin beast.

 

[Vert]

You'll launch better if you've got 3.15 gears, but I spin my Rii's fairly easy with my 3.55's. They definitely grip better than G 2's. Best bet would to leave off idle at the strip and leave nannies on the first pass to get a feel of the track and prep.

 

[Mr. Met]

I have the performance pack so 3.55's. Speaking of that, I have been looking into the NT555RII and they do seem like they would be a better choice. But I have been looking at 19" wheels since that's what the pp came with, but am I right that down to a 17" wheel will fit the rear pp brakes? Is there any real performance benefit going with a 17" wheel over a 19" with the same tire?

 

[Vert]

I have the performance pack so 3.55's. Speaking of that, I have been looking into the NT555RII and they do seem like they would be a better choice. But I have been looking at 19" wheels since that's what the pp came with, but am I right that down to a 17" wheel will fit the rear pp brakes? Is there any real performance benefit going with a 17" wheel over a 19" with the same tire?

17" will give you more sidewall and help the rear squat to get out of the hole. Only issue with getting better traction are the chances of breaking a half shift or a driveshaft.

 

[Mr. Met]

17" will give you more sidewall and help the rear squat to get out of the hole. Only issue with getting better traction are the chances of breaking a half shift or a driveshaft.

Are you talking with the supercharger? I was thinking about getting the FP half shafts but then I would lose the Roush warranty on them.

The NT555RII are about $100 cheaper in a 17" vs 19" too, but it seems every place says their a special order item.

 

[brucelinc]

Are you talking with the supercharger? I was thinking about getting the FP half shafts but then I would lose the Roush warranty on them.

The NT555RII are about $100 cheaper in a 17" vs 19" too, but it seems every place says their a special order item.

Granted, Roush probably wouldn't warranty upgraded halfshafts but those are not likely to break. I would not trust stock halfshafts just because they are covered by warranty.

 

[Mr. Met]

Granted, Roush probably wouldn't warranty upgraded halfshafts but those are not likely to break. I would not trust stock halfshafts just because they are covered by warranty.

I wasn't saying I would trust them just because of the warranty. I just thought since Roush does warranty them, they were probably fine with their supercharger.

So its recommended to swap them with the supercharger install? Do you think I need the FP kit? That's another $2k I dint budget for

 

[brucelinc]

I wasn't saying I would trust them just because of the warranty. I just thought since Roush does warranty them, they were probably fine with their supercharger.

So its recommended to swap them with the supercharger install? Do you think I need the FP kit? That's another $2k I dint budget for

Stock may or may not break. I wouldn't trust them with the torque of a SC on a well prepped track with drag radials. I have seen them break on 100% stock Mustangs. I went with GT350 shafts. They are MUCH less expensive than FP but better than stock.

Wheel hop can be a problem with tires that do not hook. Wheel hop is very hard on axles.

 

[Mr. Met]

Stock may or may not break. I wouldn't trust them with the torque of a SC on a well prepped track with drag radials. I have seen them break on 100% stock Mustangs. I went with GT350 shafts. They are MUCH less expensive than FP but better than stock.

Wheel hop can be a problem with tires that do not hook. Wheel hop is very hard on axles.

I was looking at the GT350 half shafts but they didn't seem to list any HP rating. After my warranty is up I do have other plans so maybe it would be worth it to just go with FP from the start? I would be having someone install them so no sense in paying twice if I would just need to upgrade again in the future. From what I have read, they seem to come with their own warranty too. Is wheel hop something I would have to worry about the the FP half shafts?

This started out with tires and is ending with me giving Ford a bunch more money lol. Since we are on half shafts, what about the driveshaft? I know it can cause a bunch of damage if it goes. Should I be looking to upgrade that too?

 

[brucelinc]

The stock Roush kit is about 640-660 hp at the wheels. The stock driveshaft will handle that. I have not heard of anyone breaking GT350 shafts at that power level.

By the way, if your ultimate goal is substantially more power, there are kits with greater upgrade potential than the Roush.

 

[Mr. Met]

The stock Roush kit is about 640-660 hp at the wheels. The stock driveshaft will handle that. I have not heard of anyone breaking GT350 shafts at that power level.

By the way, if your ultimate goal is substantially more power, there are kits with greater upgrade potential than the Roush.

Alright, so I think I got down what I am going to go with. NT555RII 305/35/19 on SVE R357 wheels out back and either the FP or GT350 (probably) half shafts. I guess I should at least put a loop on though?

I know there are better options, but right now driveability and the warranty are important to me. I only have space for one car, so the Mustang is my DD and track car. Once I move and its not my DD I wont care so much about pushing the limits.

 

[brucelinc]

I am still not quite clear on what sort of event you are running. To me, drag racing is starting from a dead stop and running through a quarter mile. Lol. You mentioned a half mile rolling start. Can you share more about this event?

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