New slicks, but which ones?

[cjshaker]

I've always had a problem with getting no smoke off of my burnouts. I run MT ET Streets, and even when they were new I would get very little, if any, smoke during my burnout. I started out using 1st gear (newbie, so wasn't familiar with using 2nd), but even when I changed to using 2nd gear, they just will not smoke. I currently have 4.30 gears and would wind it up to about 5000 on the burnout. Is that not enough wheel speed to heat the tires up?  Nobody else seems to have that issue, so I don't know.

It makes me wonder if my tires are not heating up enough to get full traction on launch, and most of you know that traction on launch is an issue I have. Even though I'm still sorting out the Caltrac adjustments and shock settings, I think the lack of smoke on my burnout is telling me something, so I was looking at getting a set of full slicks for racing this year. Looking at Mickey Thompsons' website, the ET Streets and full slicks use the same compound (M5), so that doesn't explain it. I was looking at Hoosiers' website, but they don't have much info about compounds, or at least it's very confusing, so that doesn't help. They also don't state anything about stiff sidewalls for stick cars (which mine is). So can any of the racers here give me some helpful tips or information to help me make a good choice? Hoosier seems to be a popular tire, but I've seen plenty of guys running pretty quick with MT tires.

[Russ67Scode]

My car doesn’t smoke a lot during the burnout.
https://youtu.be/3WULNOsYYeI
Here is a video of a 9.5 pass  watch the burnout and no wheel spin leaving
Now on the street a burn out like the video leaves tons of smoke  but on the street no water is used
My 2 cents

[427mach1]

Are you sure it's the tires and not your procedure?  Are you doing your burnout in the waterbox/wet area?  Try pulling forward just out of the water before doing your burnout.  Have someone check your tires to make sure they are dry before pulling up to the line.

[cjshaker]

My car doesn’t smoke a lot during the burnout.
https://youtu.be/3WULNOsYYeI
Here is a video of a 9.5 pass  watch the burnout and no wheel spin leaving
Now on the street a burn out like the video leaves tons of smoke  but on the street no water is used
My 2 cents

Russ, are those radials? Seemed like a short burnout, and if I recall, that's what they like? I have bias ply, and they require a longer burnout to heat up the compound.

Are you sure it's the tires and not your procedure?  Are you doing your burnout in the waterbox/wet area?  Try pulling forward just out of the water before doing your burnout.  Have someone check your tires to make sure they are dry before pulling up to the line.

No, I'm not in the waterbox.

[John67427]

Doug,
My experience is it depends on the mfg and the compound that is used. Hoosier with bias ply claims you don’t really need a long Smokey burnout. The tires are getting hot and as long as they are dry. I use third gear with a stick car but that is due to gearing I have. If it hooks and you get the 60’ times your happy with, don’t worry about the amount of tire smoke. Dragsters  barely haze the tires on their burnout as they don’t have front brakes and they hook just fine.
I’ve used Goodyear and Hoosier. I like the Hoosier’s a little better so far. Can’t remember the compound # I have but aren’t stiff sidewalls

[KMcCullah]

I had to really get after the M/T ET Street's on the F100 to get em smoking. They're DOT radials though. But like Blair told me, it didn't matter what the tire was. The rubber has to get smoking hot in order to bite. So once I started smoking the shit out of them, my 60' time improved.

After realizing the QC issues we had with the M/T tires, we decided to look for a different brand. So we're going to try Hoosier bias slicks this year. The Hoosier website has a drag tire section with a cool drag tire PDF download that list all the available sizes. Their range of compounds are listed at the end of the bias tire section. Will try to post a link.

https://www.hoosiertire.com/assets/Drag6.pdf

[57 lima bean]

                           
                 "No, I'm not in the waterbox"...Where are you then?

[AlanCasida]

 I was running Mickey Thompson Et Drag Slicks (Stiff sidewall, M5)on my Galaxie and they would put out a lot of smoke during a burn out. I put the same tires, I mean THE tires, on my '65 Mustang and they didn't put out much smoke. I never figured that out either.
 

[Posi67]

Take this for the little it's worth. I used to have hardly any smoke with both the Goodyears or M/T's. Currently doing 2nd gear burnouts at 6000 which seems to be better but you also don't want to smoke your tires until they turn to mush. M/T says "little to no burnout required" and I've seen an 8 second car hook and go with almost no smoke. Older tire will require more heat.

Here's what I think is essential with a stick car. You need someone you can trust to put you in the box. Make sure there actually is water (not flooded) and slowly roll ahead to be just inside the water. Let her rip for however long you feel comfortable then thumb off the line lock. As soon as the car bites then put in the clutch. Problem is.. most burnout box guys don't know that a stick and auto need a different procedure. I watch what they are doing at all the tracks I run and they will stop you in the pothole or wave you ahead 1/2 way to the start line as they watch some Ducks fly over. Have a crew guy spot you.

As for tires, some smoke more than others but I think it's a wheels speed thing. Jerico's don't like 3rd gear burnouts so you need to up the RPM (maybe). Really hard to beat a M'T 28x10.5Wx15 on a stick car. Mine are 4 years old and still work. They are also a stiff sidewall whereas my Goodyears aren't.

Minimal tire smoke video. 8.81 @ 151 MPH.

    https://youtu.be/dyfvOPxi9gE

[cjshaker]

                           
                 "No, I'm not in the waterbox"...Where are you then?

Just outside the water. Maybe that's still considered "in the box"? Track guy usually pulls me just ahead of the water until you're clear of the spray down area. Maybe I need to pay attention more to exactly where I am outside the water.

Thanks for the input, guys. Maybe I'm making more of the tire than needs to be, and that most of my problems probably still stem from getting the suspension right, and needing to slow down my front end rise. The tires are 6 years old though, so probably have reached their limit for lifespan, even though they don't have all that many runs on them.

Dale, I wasn't sure, but wondered if my wheel speed was enough with the steeper 2nd gear and 4.30 gears. I didn't want to go to 3rd for the burnout, so that's out. And I hate to run it at 6000 for the burnout (if I had to count, probably 5-6 seconds), just because it's a factory block and I don't want to stress it more than need be. Engine will get replaced this year, so then it won't be an issue. Maybe I'll just replace them with new tires. I've been pretty happy with them otherwise.

[cjshaker]

I was running Mickey Thompson Et Drag Slicks (Stiff sidewall, M5)on my Galaxie and they would put out a lot of smoke during a burn out. I put the same tires, I mean THE tires, on my '65 Mustang and they didn't put out much smoke. I never figured that out either.

Alan, I wonder if weight has something to do with it? Your Galaxie is obviously heavier in the rear.

[57 lima bean]

I was running Mickey Thompson Et Drag Slicks (Stiff sidewall, M5)on my Galaxie and they would put out a lot of smoke during a burn out. I put the same tires, I mean THE tires, on my '65 Mustang and they didn't put out much smoke. I never figured that out either.

         

                      Weight of car perhaps? ....My wonderfully slow computer.I bet car will work a little
                     better when the bar is installed.

[Russ67Scode]

Doug,  my tires are M & H racemasters they are bias ply tire wrinkle wall tires     I believe I went thru three gears during that burnout!   I was just trying to point out that my tires don’t smoke a lot at the track like yours  and my car hooks well at the track

[BattlestarGalactic]

I count to 3 for my burnout and that is all it gets no matter(I don't look for smoke).  I use 2nd gear in my nash and 4.56 gears.

I have a spot mirror stuck to the lower corner of my drivers door.  I pay little attention to the typical person in the waterbox.  I roll into it, give it a quick whip of the throttle and roll way out and pay attention with the mirror to make sure I'm not sitting in water(I also pay attention before driving into water and find myself a point on the track/wall that I know is ahead of water line).  6000 rpm, count to three and let go of line lok and let it roll forward.  Just as it starts to grip I lift the throttle and push the clutch.  Don't drive it out as at lower rpm your clutch will not be fully engaged and could start slipping.

With yours being treaded tires, maybe you need to make sure there is minimal water as it could build up in the tread.  If backing into water, make sure you stay in damp spot, not the deep puddle(depends on the track).

[AlanCasida]

I was running Mickey Thompson Et Drag Slicks (Stiff sidewall, M5)on my Galaxie and they would put out a lot of smoke during a burn out. I put the same tires, I mean THE tires, on my '65 Mustang and they didn't put out much smoke. I never figured that out either.

Alan, I wonder if weight has something to do with it? Your Galaxie is obviously heavier in the rear.

I don't know, it's only about 1000 lbs heavier. When I did the burnouts in the Galaxie I would shift into 2nd gear. In the Mustang when I did this it would immediately pitch the car sideways so I quit doing that.