Have you considered changing the traditional tires on your street vehicle to drag racing wheels, also called drag slicks or drag radials? You may appreciate their look, traction or ability to handle high horsepower, but these tires have advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, these are the pros and cons of putting racing tires on your street vehicle.
Pros
Drag tires perform best on the strip and give you exceptional traction under these conditions. They also have decent street performance. Due to their composition, these tires tend to have little burnout. In addition, they are available for a wide range of vehicles because they come in a wide range of sizes.
Drag Slicks
Drag slick manufacturers wanted tires that had enough pliability to increase the surface area of the tire on the road. This gives them better stability when you drive in a straight line. As they warm up, the side walls fold, giving you much more surface area on the tire. The warm rubber also gives you greater stickiness on the road.
Drag Radials
As you search for Jeep parts to update your vehicle, you may come across drag radials. These tires have steel-belted construction, so they are stronger than drag slicks. They have stronger sidewalls and are heat resistant. They have some tread and can move water away, increasing their weather-handling capabilities. These tires are also legal for street driving.
Because they do have some flexibility in their sidewalls and sticky rubber, they have much better traction.
Cons
One of the primary disadvantages of any racing tire is its longevity. These tires have rubber that does not stand up to extensive driving. In fact, you may get 3,000 or fewer miles out of your tires, depending on the type you choose. This significantly increases your vehicle maintenance costs. These tires also tend to be expensive.
In addition, these tires have a rubber composition that thrives in warm temperatures because the rubber becomes sticky, giving you greater grip on the road. However, in cooler temperatures, even as high as 60 degrees, the added traction you expect is typically unavailable, making driving in cooler weather dangerous.
Drag Slicks
Not all drag racing tires are street-legal. In fact, the Department of Transportation does not allow drag slicks on the street because they do not have appropriate tread and their rubber is much softer than traditional tires. These tires are not safe on highways due to the heat generation, which these tires cannot handle. In addition, they do not do well in inclement weather, especially wet roads, because they don’t have the tread to grip the road. You can also find it difficult to properly turn or corner in these tires due to their flexible sidewalls, impacting your handling capabilities.
Drag Radials
Many drag radials are street-legal. However, they have significantly less tread depth than regular street tires. They also have fewer channels, so you are more likely to hydroplane when you drive through standing water. These tires are also not great around corners, especially if you drive fast around them or need to drive on twisty, winding roads.
Just as you weigh the pros and cons of an EFI conversion kit, you need to recognize the benefits and drawbacks of using racing tires and evaluate your track time and budget.
