[Jim Hand]

Has anyone changed from Mickey Thompson DOT Drag Radials
to comparable size Hoosier DOT Drag Radials?

Any comments on traction, stability, wear, or other pertinent aspects?

The Hoosiers appear to have less sidewall width in relation to the tread width, and also weigh less for similar tread width.

But do they hook as good as the M. T.'s? My MT tires were made in 2004 so am starting to consider a newer set of tires.

Incidentally, it appears the Hoosiers are called DOT and are "partially" approved by DOT but not for any street driving (according to the Hoosier site - here is what it says:

"WARNING
NOT FOR HIGHWAY USE: All Hoosier Racing Tires including DOT labeled Hoosier Racing Tires are designed for racing purposes only on specified racing surfaces and are not to be operated on public roadways. DOT labeled Hoosier Racing Tires meet Department Of Transportation requirements for marking and performance only and are NOT INTENDED FOR HIGHWAY USE. It is unsafe to operate any Hoosier Racing Tire including DOT tires on public roads. The prohibited use of Hoosier Racing Tires on public roadways may result in loss of traction, unexpected loss of vehicle control, or sudden loss of tire pressure, resulting in a vehicle crash and possible injury or death. Exception-"PRO STREET"

So how can they be called D.O.T. tires?

All experiences and comments will be welcome.
Thanks
Jim Hand

[mchell]

I have changed directly from the MT Drag Radials to the Hoosier Drag Radials.....both sets at 275/60/15....

...For my setup the Hoosiers were more consistent at poorly prepped tracks than the MT's, ...I needed to run less air in the hoosiers for best traction at poorly prepped tracks (12psi)...

The Hoosier is basically a slick with two groove's in the center.....NOT for any type of street use..

I would choose the Hoosiers again if I needed to race specifically on a DOT tire....

I have tried EVERY Drag Radial manufactured and have come to the conclusion that if I wanted any type of consistency on marginal tracks, I would need to run a true slick....I have since purchased the MT drag slick with the stiff sidewall....they give up VERY little if any in ET, but provide excellent traction in any conditions...

my car is not what I would consider to be optimally set up for racing as far as suspension....it is truly a street car that I race frequently....your results may vary depending on your chasis, body style and suspension modifications....nothing you already don't know!

[Cliff R]

I have also been considering switching to another type of tire. The MT Drag Radials are nice tires, but I only get about 60 runs out of them till they wear indicators are gone, then another 20 or so really good runs till the cords show.

They hook pretty good, but require too much burnout for my liking, hence they don't last all that long.

I also like the fact that the Hoosiers have a narrower sidewall and wider tread in the same approximate size.....Cliff

[Herb Hagan]

I switched to a Hoosier 275/60 DR right after the Pontiacs in the Park event 2008 and they were shot by the end of the 08 season (avg 1 race/test session per month)

I sat out this season, but will be switching back to a MT for the 2010 season based on my personal experience

Hoosiers were maybe a little more consistant on a marginal track, 60' really no difference, but they did not wear anywhere near as well as the MT's

I get a solid season with MT's April - November and then some (3 seasons from 2 sets of MT's)

Cliff, you won't see 80 runs out of Hoosier's

I run between 16-18 PSI, lower pressures do nothing but make the back end squirrelly down track, no fun!

[David Holmberg]

Ok, here is my experience with the Hoosiers Vs MT's. And this from a 275 class.

The Hoosiers do hook somewhat better than the MT's do.
They need a little more air pressure than MT's, Randy is running 17-18 lbs in his.
The MT's are done when they get bald, the Hoosiers are good until the air leaves.

We've run 5.70's on the Hoosiers Vs 6.teens with MT's in Randy's S-10 with a SBC.

Almost everyone running the 275 class down here is now running the Hoosiers. Most are in the 5.30 range, some are even quicker.

Honestly Jim in your situation I doubt you'll see much of a difference between the two, and the Hoosiers really have no tread at all. With the MT's you have some if you're caught in the rain, or pulled over by the police.

[Cliff R]

Thanks Herb. Makes me want to go back to the MT ET Streets bias ply tires. I got over 400 runs out of the last set and we bought them slightly used! They require little if any burnout, and hooked equally as well as the radials which required "John Force" burnouts for consistant runs.

The reason I went to the radials is because the bias ply ET Streets had the car all over the place on the top end of the track, required less air, moved on the rims, lost air, needed tubes, screws, etc.....Cliff

[Region Warrior]

Have QPT 27x11.5-15 LT on my 68 FB(3500 lbs) with 3.42's.
10" width with 11.2" side wall.
Runs 12.0's(1.70-60ft) @ 114 mph on average.
18 lbs and very little heat needed on a good surface.
Wasted more rubber on burn outs the 1st month then the last 2.5 yrs.
Have cruised into town a few times, but dont recommend it.

[Jim Hand]

Thanks for the replies and info. It is obvious now the Hoosiers are not legal for any street driving. And since I do drive on the street, a fully approved DOT tire is required.

The MT tires have provided excellent service and traction, so I guess I will stay with a winner. Their stability, both on the street and at the track, makes the car very easy to drive. And they hook on the wagon at 20#, which makes them even more stable.

For an example of how they work, watch the wagon leave on this video and note there is no tire noise at all (the 60' was 1.61 on the 4050# wagon). The dry hop was more for the crowd as it tends to clear both front tires, but we normally don't do a hop - just clean and warm the tires and go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cu4I6...elated&search=

Also note the little one cylinder track blower was making more noise then my wagon which was setting on the brakes at 1800 just prior to launch!

Jim Hand

[77 TRASHCAN]

Jim,
I'm glad to hear you are up to "no good"...LOL
I hope you and the wagon might come to Wichita in a few weeks.
Tom mentioned in a thread that you were waiting on good weather to try
some cam shafts.
Jeff

[66bonne]

Jim - thanks for the vid - your wagon just cracks me up !!
I certainly agree that the M/Ts are the way to go for a fully approved DOT tire.
I have a set of comparable M&Hs that I used while M/T was getting recertified. As Mike Chell may have pointed out they are a good tire on the street and at a well-prepped track. But they go away quickly if the track is marginal.
One of these days I'd like to bring my Cat back to my old home town of Kansas City just for the honor and privilege of going down the track beside you.
Thanks, Jim

[Jim Hand]

Jim,
Thanks for the kind words - my wagon is the best "toy" of my life! Yes, it would be great to run our cars side by side. Your big '65 is (was?)running very well so we should be close.

Incidentally, what does you car weigh with the KRE heads - seems as if I remember seeing the 4150# weight when you had iron heads on it. My wagon dropped about 45# when I tried them.

I presume you are getting a heavy duty Ford 9" - there are several versions of the 9" and some are not very strong so make sure you get first quality. Your heavy car demands the strongest possible rear setup. My driver built a generic 9" for his drag car (Chevelle wagon with a four link, 14" tires and almost perfect traction), and installed it with a mild 535" Chev. Did the burnout, lined up, turned it loose, and immediately blew the 9" into small pieces! Didn't make even one run! So get a good one.

Jim Hand

[Region Warrior]

Cant believe i cant run those times with my car.
Amazing.
Guess i'll have to cam-n-converter up this winter.
It is nice run'n 87 octane though.

[flamedabone]

I know you aren't asking about teh BFG Drag radial, but I'm thought I would toss them out there...

I just got back from driving my hot rod 2800 miles to a nostalgia race in Joplin, Mo. My BFG Drag Radials never even hiccuped, through 14 hour streches of driving, hard rain and racing all weekend.

The car does 1.69 60's (11.30s @ 120ish) with just a quick burn out @ 20lbs. There is better ET in the car and the tires, but I still had to drive home, so I wasn't trying to hurt anything.

I am VERY pleased with the street manners of teh BFGs, I drive em every day.

By the way, every time I see your car, it reminds me how much I miss KCIR...

Good luck, -Abone.

[66bonne]

Originally Posted by Jim Hand

Jim,
Thanks for the kind words - my wagon is the best "toy" of my life! Yes, it would be great to run our cars side by side. Your big '65 is (was?)running very well so we should be close.

Incidentally, what does you car weigh with the KRE heads - seems as if I remember seeing the 4150# weight when you had iron heads on it. My wagon dropped about 45# when I tried them.

I presume you are getting a heavy duty Ford 9" - there are several versions of the 9" and some are not very strong so make sure you get first quality. Your heavy car demands the strongest possible rear setup. My driver built a generic 9" for his drag car (Chevelle wagon with a four link, 14" tires and almost perfect traction), and installed it with a mild 535" Chev. Did the burnout, lined up, turned it loose, and immediately blew the 9" into small pieces! Didn't make even one run! So get a good one.

Jim Hand

Jim - thank you for the compliments on the Catalina. I don't mean to sidetrack your thread but....the Cat was running very well when we blew out the stock rear end; disappointing but not unexpected.
We haven't had the Cat across a scale since the KRE heads and a fiberglass hood but I think we have dropped to about 4,000 lbs, maybe a little less. I'm trying to talk my son [who drives the car] into a diet !!
We had the new rear axle assembly done by Matt at ProFab Performance in nearby Thononatassa, FL. Matt is very talented and knowledgeable and one heck of a fabricator.
He put together a Moser M9 housing with back brace,heavy duty 9" Ford center section, spool, 35 spline axles, adjustable control arms, heavy duty yokes and some other bells and whistles. As Matt said - it should handle anything we can throw at it now and in the future.
Yes, it was expensive but I wanted to do this only once, you get what you pay for and I know Matt gave me a great assembly, he spent a lot of time on it. I certainly wouldn't want to end up in the sad situation that befell your driver.
BTW: I may have mentioned this in other threads but I used to watch you race when I was growing up in KC.
Again, thanks for the compliments.
Jim

[David Holmberg]

Jim B, your son is only 145 lbs wet now.

I'd love to be at the track when the Wagon and the Cat are smacking around the new "fast" cars. That would be a sight!