Nitto vs M/T DR

[mobileaudio25]

First off let me say I have researched the topic but I am looking for personal opinion because I have not dealt with either product...
I'm running a 355 sbc in a 1980 Malibu. 3500 stall, 373 gears, eaton posi, 8.5 rear, with single adjustable uppers and no adjustable lowers with poly bushing and a -2 pinion angle with a turbo 350...

I just installed my new PTC converter and it completely blows the tires off. I'm thinking of running a .5 in spacer with some moser 28 spline axels this winter to fit a 275/40/17 tire. Will a .5 inch spacer with longer studs be safe and make it so a 275 will not rub the frame?

Also the car is strictly street and only driven maybe once a week, it will see no track time. I might put 1500 miles on the car in a year.

I understand that M/Ts hook better but nittos last longer, but my car is hardly driven. With my power and driving rate , what tire would you recommend? I'd rather not have to heat up the tire prior to getting a good launch if at all possible.

Thanks for the help, kyle

 

[crotchss]

I can't say for sure on the tires because when I go to the track I throw on a set of 28 x 10 slicks. But on the spacer question you may not need to run one to fit a 275/40-17 tire. I run 285/40-17 tire on the street and have no clearance issues. It all depends on your backspacing on your rims. At the track I use a 1/4" spacer to keep my slicks from rubbing.

 

[mobileaudio25]

I believe my back spacing is 3.5 and I have around an inch before my 245s touch the frame. Will there be any traction gain from switching from a 245 sticky street tire to a 275 drag radial?

 

[techg8]

I understand that M/Ts hook better but nittos last longer

This is exactly right. The Nittos are a little harder a compound. Still much better than any street tire but definitely not as sticky as the MTs.

I have the 275/60-15 Nittos and have used them on my nitroused 72 skylark 350 with 3.73 gears to go 12.9@104 with no wheelspin. FWIW http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AT6HUpIiJQ

on the street I think the nittos will do you fine as long as youre not on anything like sand or water. Once you put them on your car check the wear pattern and adjust your tire pressure to get a full contact patch.

 

[JBreu]

I have the nitto 275x60x15 and have had them for 4 summers..Thewy hooked great at the track, but this year I spun a lil off the line as expected because I was at the wearbars on the tires. They are better on the streets because you can drive in the rain because of the tread pattern....The new MT Drag Radial 275x60x15 are sinister looking but not meant for the streets..... I was and am happy with the Nittos, I was thinking about MT ET STreets though 🙂

 

[dogsht]

Parafrase will the 275 DR hook better than the 245 sticky tire? Generally a DR will hook a lot better than any other street tire some say half way between a regular street fire & a slick. That said there is also a lot to be said about the better flex of a taller side wall and a taller larger overall footprint. I think in a straight line a 275/40/17 would still out hook a 245/60/15 in a straight line but the difference might not be as dramatic as you may want. Naturally around a corner the 275/40/17 would be dramatically better even without being a softer gripier DR. But I doubt your very concerned with cornering.

 

[mobileaudio25]

Currently I'm running a 245/40/17 and I'm looking to upgrade to a 275/40/17 so just a little wider tire. And I'm running a Nitto tire currently. It's a pretty soft compound but still a regular tire and not a drag radial. Do you think my car would hook up on the streets with 350 rwhp and a 3500 cust stall converter with 373 gears? I just wanna make sure I can hook, if you don't think it will hook I'm going to go with the M/Ts

 

[L92 OLDS]

Currently I'm running a 245/40/17 and I'm looking to upgrade to a 275/40/17 so just a little wider tire. And I'm running a Nitto tire currently. It's a pretty soft compound but still a regular tire and not a drag radial. Do you think my car would hook up on the streets with 350 rwhp and a 3500 cust stall converter with 373 gears? I just wanna make sure I can hook, if you don't think it will hook I'm going to go with the M/Ts

I chose Nitto's because they will last longer and most of my driving is on the street. I'm happy with them but if I hit it hard off the line they will spin and smoke unless heated up first. When hot and sticky, they spin very little depending on the road surface. They hook good at the track though. I'm guessing the 403 currently in my car puts out anywhere from 350-400. It has the factory D5 converter and 3.73 gears.