Sticky street tires, any suggestions?

4628 Views 14 Replies 8 Participants Last post by marksbug, Feb 3, 2014

57 rag

Discussion Starter · Jan 19, 2014

Street and drag race GHIA. Car is more of a show than drag car but I do race it too. Tire size is 195/50-15 but tire just
Rubs the fender and want to put a little taller tire so wanna go to a 185/60-15. Any tire brand recommendations for a street tire that would be sticky for the dragstrip? Thanks for any advice. QUESTION MARK SMALL

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Jeff Rice

· #2 · Jan 19, 2014

M&H dots work well

JK Fab

· #3 · Jan 19, 2014

X2

Chip Birks

· #4 · Jan 19, 2014

Doesn't sound like he has room for a 215x65x15 guys. At least not without changing his rims first.

Mark Lawless

· #5 · Jan 20, 2014

My dad ran 205/50r15 bf goodrich drag radials on the back of the Ghia with Porsche 2 liters

57 rag

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jan 20, 2014

Thanks for the input. I have stock rear drums on my 69 GHIA that has a IRS trans. It's drilled out for Porsche and I have 7" Porsche fukes. I have a 1/4" spacer on it so the wheel can go on without pushing off the center cap (I cut down the stub axle to the nut for max clearance and it just barely allows the cap to push on all the way) Also the Porsche lug nuts bottom out on the studs if the spacer is not installed so I will have to either shorten the studs or find deeper Porsche lugs or go to open stud bus type.

Question-1: Does anyone know where I could get a deeper Porsche center cap so it does not hit the axle without wheel spacer? It would have to be at least 1/2" deeper than OEM.

Question-2: Who sells Porsche ball type lug nuts that are deeper than standard Porsche lugs need about 1/4" longer

Any advise is greatly appreciated!!!! Aloha, Kurt

Fiatdude

· #7 · Jan 20, 2014

I got my last set of lug nuts at costco tires area -- they had a cute rack of all kinds of lugs and found just what I needed there

57 rag

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jan 29, 2014

Mark Lawless said:
My dad ran 205/50r15 bf goodrich drag radials on the back of the Ghia with Porsche 2 liters

Hey Mike, How did those BF goodrich tire work for traction on the dragstrip?

57 rag

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jan 29, 2014

Mark Lawless said:
My dad ran 205/50r15 bf goodrich drag radials on the back of the Ghia with Porsche 2 liters

Also how wide was the rims he put it on, whats the tire installed witdh and total diameter hight across the tire installed on the rim? Sorry for
so many questions but trying to search out a good tire to put on.
Any info is GREATLY appreciated.

Fiatdude

· #10 · Jan 30, 2014

Mark Lawless said:
My dad ran 205/50r15 bf goodrich drag radials on the back of the Ghia with Porsche 2 liters

x2
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They stick real good -- just heat them good -- -- 5.5" rim

Mike Lawless

· #11 · Jan 30, 2014

57 rag said:
Also how wide was the rims he put it on, whats the tire installed witdh and total diameter hight across the tire installed on the rim? Sorry for
so many questions but trying to search out a good tire to put on.
Any info is GREATLY appreciated.

I had 'em on 5.5 inch wide Genuine 2L Porsche wheels. The backspace on those are different that the fakies. They were about 7" across the tread, and about 23 inches tall.

It needed a 1/4" spacer to clear the spring plate.

They were OK. They needed to be run at real low pressure with a good burnout. The best it ever ran was dang near from an idle. Dump the clutch and mat the throttle at the saem time. Come up on the two-step, and they would spin pretty hard. The best the car ever ran with 'em was 12.14 and averaged 12.25. By comparison, after I put slicks on it (then proceeded to blow two trannies in a row), it ran 11.80. It was still a streetable car then, with a fan shroud, and all the gizmos in working order. The DRKC days

I think the optimal solution for the '69 Ghia would be to find some stub axles that have been cut down to the early length, and cut the drum snout to match. I know the stub axles are out there. That way the caps will fit. Shortening the wheel studs by the least amount possible will be the best way to get the lug nuts to fit. Or use open ended lug nuts.

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Mike Lawless

· #12 · Jan 30, 2014

Chip Birks said:
Doesn't sound like he has room for a 215x65x15 guys. At least not without changing his rims first.

They won't fit without a bunch of work. Not even on an early Ghia. You have to get the wheel offset exactly right, trim the fender lip, and they still rub.

Fiatdude

· #13 · Jan 30, 2014

I've got 225's on mine with a little bit of fender rolling

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57 rag

Discussion Starter · #14 · Jan 31, 2014

Thanks guys for the great info. Looks like I got enough info to get it to work.

marksbug

· #15 · Feb 3, 2014

check the hoosier site.Ive used thier tires for many years,but havent used the dot stuff,but Ive never had any issue with hoosier tires. a;lso check out thier clearance pages, awesome deals. :th_DragRacer: :drivingskid:

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