radial front + slick rear

miniv8 · Post by **miniv8** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 6:26 am

I have read that radial front tires should not be used with biasply slicks in the rear. A disaster waiting to happen.

Why is that?

Bubstr · Post by **Bubstr** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 11:10 am

The thinking behind it is the difference in lateral movement allowed buy the radial as compared to the bias ply tire. When you think of it there is a difference in lateral movement even in different sized radial tires. wheel width and tire profile hight can add or subtract from this a bit too. When radial tires first came out, it gave me an uneasy feeling with feed back from road which we all got used to. So I believe it is more of a deal where you tend to over correct the steering more that lateral movement steering car. Most people don't feel the difference in tires but there is some lateral movement before the tire gets set for side bite. It's what you do with the feel that can make it dangerous. With a very low profile front radial and a taller profile bias plied slick, I wouldn't think it would be that bad. Especially drag racing where most pump front tires up as hard as Superman's knee cap to cut rolling resistance.

miniv8 · Post by **miniv8** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 4:28 pm

I saw somewhere a video of a car that pretty quickly got sideways in the top end and rolled. It was supposed to have happened because of that radial/biasply thing.

We lost a car very similar to what happened in that video, but the officials said it was because of funky aerodynamics. Our car had radials up front and slicks in the rear.

MadBill · Post by **MadBill** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 8:29 pm

Just an opinion (despite my sig), but slicks have horrible side bite and waddle like ducks at the best of times, so I don't know how any differences at the front could make it worse. Ever drive even a block or two on the street with slicks? Scary!

Tod74 · Post by **Tod74** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:44 am

MadBill wrote:. Ever drive even a block or two on the street with slicks? Scary!

Why, no....that would be against the law.

coolchevy · Post by **coolchevy** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 2:23 pm

I raced my dragster Jeep CJ7 all the time with Pirelli Radials up front and full Hoosier slicks in the back. Never had an issue and it never felt unsafe. Actually, it was all over the track with only bias ply tires.

it ran straight as an arrow on slippery tracks with 11oo hp and short wheelbase

Warpspeed · Post by **Warpspeed** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 6:17 pm

Suire Coolchevy.

But if it ever DID get a bit sideways on you, you would probably be sitting in the middle of a total wreck once it finally stopped.

Find a big open space like an unused airport, and try deliberately drifting your car sideways at reasonable speed. Take a fresh change of clean underwear, you will probably need it.

Sure it feels safe, like a train feels safe while still running on the rails. But once it starts to get a bit out of shape, it will quite likely suddenly become completely uncontrollable.