I currently have 275/60/R15's cooper cobras on 8in rims in the rear but I am not getting sufficient traction. Off the line at the track I burn out for about 2 or 3 seconds and on the street I they just roast until I let off the gas. What would be a good size, and brand for a daily driver car that likes to look at Mustangs in my rear view mirror? Oh I have 3.23 gears so I don't think I should have anything too tall. Thanks for your info. Davy
Sounds like what you need is a stickier tire. Mickey Thompson makes their new drag radial in the same size.
I would strongly recommend biting the bullet and getting dedicated racing wheels and tires. You will NEVER hook with any legitimate street tire. You would hook just fine with drag radials, but if you actually drive the car on the street you're going to go through them at a prodigious rate. They really have no tread life on the street.
I would still like to hook up on the steet so is there any thing in between a slick and street tire that would still have life on the road and be able to drive in the rain if need be? I have also heard of those new Mickey Thompsons, has anyone heard of how they work in real life situations?
IF you invent it, patent it, QUICK. :laugh: In all seriousness, Ive heard 5000 miles out of drag radials unless you race, then much less. WIth all that torque, I think its a matter of learning how to feather the throttle. Look at the fast guys running on stock type bias-plys. I like my BFG Radial TA's, but they are, by no means, a drag tire. They work well under my stock 350-2, but I doubt they'd hold up long under a 455.
rear suspension Have you boxed the rear control arms? Are the bushings in good shape? I know that there are adjustable upper control arms for A-Body's but I don't know if they can be adapted to Riviera's. When you punch the throttle does the rear end dip or rise? The back of the car should rise slightly on acceleration pushing the tires down, if the back end is dipping that means the power is lifting the axle reducing traction. Resetting the pinion angle might fix this. Drag shocks in front might also help with weight transfer, letting the nose rise easily planting the rear tires. You might consider an air bag in the passenger side spring to make sure the car is not twisting over the axle. Boattails were set up for a smooth ride from the factory, not for optimal launch, you might be able get significant improvement by making the suspension is working for you and not against.
not at all sorry An air bag in the right rear coil spring would probably help some. As stated above, I don't think anyone makes any other rear suspension upgrades for Rivs.
I have the same tires on centerline 8.5's. On the street or track I can roast them at will. The only way to hook up is to get drag radials, hoosier dots, mickey dots, slicks, etc, there are some others. With the street tires I will lose .75 sec in the 1/8th mile on the best pass. They will even spin when 2nd hits. :3gears: As stated before in this thread dedicated tires for racing are the the way to go. If not for your best times on track then best longevity for both sets of skins. A bit more of a pain changing back and forth but worth it in the long run. Bret
I do have air bags in the rear springs so that definitly helps with the twisting. About the tires I just test fitted a 295/50 under the rear of my car. Man does that look good from a back view. However the tire it self is a good 1 or 2 in shorter and doesn't look that great from the side. I know it would complement my 3.23gears but I am just not sure if I can handle how the side view looks.
Dude, you've got a freakin' big block Buick. The odds you'll NOT roast any street tire out there are slim to none. Wider won't do much. Here is how to launch (Greg Gessler uses this method and I've been told it is referred to as "The Gessler Leave"): Power brake it on the line until the convertor is really loaded. Then simply let off the brake and, without giving it any more gas, allow the pent-up torque to move the car forward. Once you are rolling then just ROLL INTO THE THROTTLE. Don't STAB it. That's the only chance you'll have to get moving in a straight line without letting your chances go "up in smoke".
Yeah, Greg told me that too! I have been using the Drag radials for a couple of years with pretty good results. (my 60 ft. time is usually abround 1.90) At the Christmas party I asked Greg about his launch technique as I wanted to try it out with my regular radials. He gave me that advice and I got to try it out at Lebanon at Musclepalooza over the Memorial Day Weekend. Result?? I'm no Greg Gessler. When I DID hook up it was with 60 foots measured in hours. While I was sliding sideways, all I could see was everyones taillights. Unless you get to practice a lot, I guess the drag radials are the best compromise. Although Bob Quigg says he is going to loan me his slicks so I can see what the car can do if hooking up is not a challenge. It's either that or else I need to learn how to drive!! Good Luck!
Give the Nitto 555r's a try. They last about 3 times longer than the BFG radials and hook just as good. If you do some looking over on Turbo buick you'll see that a ton of GN guys are running them mainly because the hook well and last a pretty long time 10 to 15k (depending on how much you heat them before each 1/4 mile pass). If your wondering how well they hook, the tires in my avatar are nitto's on 17 inch wheels. I pull consitant 1.7 60ft's with no sidewall at all. Pretty dang good for a street tire with no give.
