I hate cars

If you're having traction problems now, they would benefit you. I would almost guarantee that once you have them you won't be able to spin them.

Back when the car was my daily driver, I ran them all the time on my car, no cycling them because there's no need to unless you drive in snow or lots of rain. The only time they came off is to run slicks on the weekends. Once you run them you won't ever want to go back to ordinary tires. I only run slicks now because it only gets taken out once every few months.

Soseductivesf

hmm seems like a good investment since 2 of my tires will need to be replaced soon.... So how much do these bad boys cost?

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

How do these Drag radial tires compared to Maximum Ultra Performance Summer tires in terms of grip? And what about cornering?

I hate cars

Different worlds. The best Ultra high performance summer tire will not come close to a drag radial.

Cornering is not bad. You may lose a little sidewall stiffness depending on what you're currently running. The construction is a little different in that you can air them down into the low 20s and gain some traction.

All out stopping and cornering will be greatly improved. I put them on the front of my car for fun one time and couldn't lock them up. It's safe to say they will take out ALL understeer.

I hate cars

I should add, the tradeoff is mileage. The DRs will only give you 10-20,000 miles.

anx1300c

iTrader: (2)

I wouldn't buy them in lieu of regular tires at $163 a pop for 245/45/17's. Here's a link to the Nitto 555 below. As someone else posted, I'd look for a pair of used wheels and just swap them out when you're planning on playing around. They're only 6/32's tread depth, so if you run them constantly, they won't last long.

http://www.jegs.com/p/Nitto/752295/10002/-1

I hate cars

Drag radials were designed as a compromise for people that needed a tire that could hook but didn't want to swap slicks to street tires all the time. Swapping them kind of defeats the purpose. If you buy another set of rims just for racing, you might as well go big and get slicks.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

I don't mind having a set of these for the summer when I get some rims. So what you are saying is Drag Radial > Best ultra performance summer tires in handling and acceleration?

I hate cars

In acceleration, the DRs blow away any ultra performance summer tire. You won't ever want to go back.

In cornering, max g-force will be a bit higher. The rear will probably slide before the front does. You *may* lose some turn-in crispness depending on how stiff your current tires are.

In stopping, the DRs will win hands down.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

Well, I will definitely get some DRs then. They sound too good to be true lol, and I don't really mind the mileage since I don't drive that much.

Inaccurate

These DR's have very few thread grooves, right ? Do they hydroplane very easily ?

I hate cars

It's not the grooves that are the problem. You may be thinking of tires like the Quick Time Pros like I have on the GN which are a wrinkle wall slick with two lines on them to make them street legal. If you run over spit you will spin out lol.

DRs come with a shallow tread depth, usually 6/32. Once you get them to the point of being bald, there's plenty rubber left. I would say you have another 50% to go once they get bald and once bald they really hook well.

Brand new the Nitto version isn't too bad in the rain, no worse than any other tire with the same amount of tread.

The BFG hydroplanes very easy, at least the old style tread that I had did. I believe some of the new BFG DRs use the same style tread as the KDW-2 which I used on the TL and they were very resistant to hydroplaning.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

So are you saying that after 50%, they will not do well in the rain?

I hate cars

Once they get bald obviously. They're fine (Nittos) as long as they have tread left.

I used to tear mine up pretty bad. Even if I didn't launch the car hard but did a few 60mph roll ons when I got back home the rubber was very rough. I was worried about how many miles I would get out of a set so once all the tread was worn off I kept them on the car and I went about the same number of miles after the tread was gone. You don't want to take them to this point if it rains a lot where you live. I got caught in the rain on accident one time with no tread left and even at 30mph with a slight crown on the road the rear was sliding toward the curb without me giving it any throttle.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

I actually don't have much traction problem getting off the line in a straight line, I mean the TL isn't that fast. But when it's raining, or when I'm turning and accelerating at the same time (say, from a stop sign, trying to turn right), there's not enough grip (no LSD doesn't help either). In Vancouver, it doesn't rain much during the summer, but other times..it rains way too much...

Based on the above, would you recommend DR's if I mainly use the tires for the summer and a little bit of spring and fall?

Soseductivesf

I'm actually going to invest in some for the summer..Also I've heard you talk about methanol injection.. What's that?

I hate cars

It's for the superchaged/turbo guys. Octane booster, charge air coolant, and extra fuel all in one. It's a great alternative to expensive race gas. It won't do much for you if you don't have forced induction.

Soseductivesf

I know this may sound silly but can driving with bald tires give you the same advantage as DR's?

I hate cars

No. Drag radials have a much softer rubber. They're also made so that the sidewall will flex a little under acceleration, allowing you to take advantage of lowering the air pressure.