Can anyone tell me the proper way to heat cycle a pair of Nitto drag radials? I just put a set on my 02 and I want the best performance I can get out of them. Also what tire pressure nets the best results at the track? Thanks in advance for any help...

 

ttt

Nobody here has Nitto Drag radials??????

 

dealerjim,

The following is prep advice from a fellow LOOM member named Ebbsnflows who has extensive experience with Drag Radials:

I've never ran Nittos on my L, but I used to run them on my SS (many moons ago when it was relatively stock ), so I have a pretty good understanding with what makes them work.

First off, To be effective, Nitto's have to be HOT. A little pansy burnout will not do.....they must be flaming! Here's what I used to do to get maximum results:

-Start them off at around 17-19 psi warm (sometimes it took less, somedays I could run more...it all depends on track prep) .
-Drive thru the water and stage yourself about 6-8" out of the water box.
-Angle your side mirrors downward so you can see your rear tires (or the Flareside at least), once you're satisfied with the Mirror angle, just hang tight.
-Let your opponent begin his/her Burnout first. You want them to already be staging as you're midway thru your burnout. (That way you're not sitting around waiting for them to stage, while your tires get cold)

-Once your challenger is finishing up his burnout, go ahead and brake it up and begin your burnout.
-Get them spinning pretty good, so they'll get hot quickly.
-Once you see smoke, continue the burnout for another 4-5 seconds.
-Ok here's the IMPORTANT part....SLOWLY decrease brake pressure (but maintain throttle!), and allow yourself to spin forward. DO NOT just stop the burnout and roll up to the light.
-You want to continue spinning (heating) them as you approach the staging lights.
-As you get close to the staging area quickly release the throttle and GET ON the brakes. (Judging your stopping distance vs Burnout threshold will take practice....you may accidentally trip the lights the first few times).
-This prolonged burnout method allows the tires to retain heat longer, as well as keeping them clean right up to the staging spot. (You'd be amazed at how much crap your tires will pick up just rolling from the water box to the lights. That Crap will cause you to break traction.)
-At this point the Nittos will be nicely prep'd and ready to rock. -Be sure to light the bulbs as quickly as possible so that they don't get cold. When the yellows drop....it's PARTY TIME!

Experiment with various Air-pressures and Launch Rpms to compliment the track prep of the day. Low 1.7's should be EASILY attainable using this burnout method

<rant>I hear people cryin' and whinin' about how much "Nittos suck", and how they didn't help their 60fts at all.....but 9 times out of 10, it's "user error". When I see how these people prep them, and I totally understand why their results are so lackluster. Most people only half-a$$ their burnouts. A cold Nitto is a worthless Nitto....period. I say, If you're not willing/able to use them properly, then take them off and go home. You're only crowding the track and preventing real racers from doing their thing. </Rant>

Good luck! Let us know how they work for you.


BTJ

 

dealerjim,

Take the above advice and experiment with tire pressures. I am running mine at 22psi and cutting 1.81 60' times. With practice I will be easily in the 1.7x range.


BTJ

 

what Ebbsnflows said.



You gotta do a long burn out with the Nitto's.

 

Thanks for the advice guys. Did any of you heat cycle your Nitto's before taking them to the track? I have heard that this will make them hook better over time.