BUILD THREAD Street/Strip Cutlass Build: Race it, break it, fix it, repeat.

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bracketchev1221

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Jan 18, 2018
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I have been looking for a used set of lightweight wheels for the front for a while. I couldn’t find anything decent in my price range. I finally bit the bullet and just did a set of Jeg’s wheels for now. These are 15x4. I’m hoping to shave 40-50 pounds off the front with these. My current street front wheel setup weighs 50lbs each! Now I just need to find a set of 26x4.5 bias ply front runners.
I used the m/t sportsman bias tires on mine for years. I also had a Goodyear tire and finally an old Moroso drag special.
 

Kwik_Cutty88

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Nov 22, 2011
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It seems most of the respected brands (moroso, hoosier, goodyear, mickey thompson) people don’t have much bad to say about from what I’m reading so far. I actually found a pair of Moroso DS2 for $125, so I may jump on those.
 

bracketchev1221

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Just check them for sidewall cracking. A lot of times the sidewalls deteriorate before the treads wear away.
 

Kratos

Greasemonkey
Nov 7, 2017
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I have been looking for a used set of lightweight wheels for the front for a while. I couldn’t find anything decent in my price range. I finally bit the bullet and just did a set of Jeg’s wheels for now. These are 15x4. I’m hoping to shave 40-50 pounds off the front with these. My current street front wheel setup weighs 50lbs each! Now I just need to find a set of 26x4.5 bias ply front runners.

You could also seek out a pair of 165/80/15's that were very commonly used on Old VW Beetles. they are a little over 6 inches wide and about 25.4 inches tall.
I think I am running a 205/75/14 on my cutty. I am sure those 235/60/15's are heavy.
Good Luck!
 

Kwik_Cutty88

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Nov 22, 2011
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Just check them for sidewall cracking. A lot of times the sidewalls deteriorate before the treads wear away.

Yep, I bought my slicks used so I had to watch for that.

You could also seek out a pair of 165/80/15's that were very commonly used on Old VW Beetles. they are a little over 6 inches wide and about 25.4 inches tall.
I think I am running a 205/75/14 on my cutty. I am sure those 235/60/15's are heavy.
Good Luck!


I considered a tire like that because they are cheap and would fit. But there were a few things that made me decide against it:

1. They are typically a little heavier than a dedicated drag front runner
2. I'm trying to get away from that "sway" you get when running a radial tire on the front, and a bias ply slick on the rear.

And yes, the Steel 15x7 and 205/70/15 BF Goodrich Advantage TA I run on the front currently weigh in at 49.8lbs each!
 

Kwyk85_442

Not-quite-so-new-guy
Jan 15, 2019
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Man! great job, those 275’s look mean. I may have to trade out the 255’s for the look and stronger launch!
 

Kwik_Cutty88

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Nov 22, 2011
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I found a set of Goodyear 28x4.5 for around $90 shipped! I couldn't pass them up. They look like balloon tires, but I think maybe with a 28" on the back they might look pretty cool. I've been doing some research on front tire pressure, and really can't find a whole lot of reputable information. Most people are just saying what tire pressure they run, but they have no basis on why they run the number they do. I want to know how to monitor the performance of the front tire, and how the pressure you set changes the way the car reacts. Goodyear has no recommended spec that I can find. Can anyone chime in good information? So far I've found this article which is decent but mostly seems like a Mickey Thompson tire ad.

https://www.dragzine.com/tech-stori...o-the-front-mickey-thompsons-front-tire-tech/

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bracketchev1221

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Well the pressure doesn’t change the way the car reacts. It adds or reduces rollout to your car. For a footbraker it’s more important. For small changes in r.t you can alter pressure up and down. Lower pressure flattens the tire and makes the tire longer in the beams. That way you don’t change the way you stage or leave. The tire makes the change for you. You will have to get a routine down and be consistent and then when you can repeat make a pressure change and see what you get.
 
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Kwik_Cutty88

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Nov 22, 2011
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Well the pressure doesn’t change the way the car reacts. It adds or reduces rollout to your car. For a footbraker it’s more important. For small changes in r.t you can alter pressure up and down. Lower pressure flattens the tire and makes the tire longer in the beams. That way you don’t change the way you stage or leave. The tire makes the change for you. You will have to get a routine down and be consistent and then when you can repeat make a pressure change and see what you get.

That seems pretty consistent to what I’ve read so far. I did test fit them today, and at 30psi it seems like I’m getting a good contact patch out of the tire. Its not so inflated its riding on the center, and its not so flat it seems like its riding on the sidewalls. I did go for a quick blast down the street just to see what it felt like. I was surpsied at how less responsive the car was to steering input. I don’t know why I was surprised, its a flimsy lightweight tire that is 4.5” wide, lol. They look great though!

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A47C7762-CF54-4C9C-AB12-4951485491F5.jpeg
 
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bracketchev1221

Royal Smart Person
Jan 18, 2018
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Try to run as much pressure as you can get away with. I ran 40 psi in mine weighing 3200 lbs. The more air, the less rolling resistance from the tires.
 
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