I will be buying a set of 26 in. x 10.50 in. x 16 MT ET Streets. It looks like a Tube is "required" - but I have seen/heard of people running them Tubeless.

Pro's / Con's?

They would be mounted on my Stock Z28 16" Salad shooters.

Thanks!

 

I have heard of people going tubeless with no problem. I however, prefer to follow the instructions when it is my butt going over 100mph and I also like the reliability of maintaining tire pressure with tubes.

 

I had them on my car for a full season and didnt have any problems at all.

 

I do not use tubes in anything - including ET Streets and slicks.

 

I pulled a 1.67 60' a little over a week ago on my tubless w/ rim screws 26x11.5x16 ET streets, no problems. Only problem I've had is they seem to lose about 1psi of air pressure a day. Not really a big deal, just gotta fill them up every time I go to the track. Since I already have the impact out to do the rim swap, just fill em' on up.

 

I've been tubeless for around three years with no problems. Just don't go under 15 psi.

 

Why not? I normally never run anything above 15psi on them, except when driving to the track. I found they like 12 psi. Dunno if I'll push mine lower than that or not; car hasn't done anything funny on 12psi.

 

I wouldn't trust them much under 15 psi because they could spin on the rim and possibly spin off unless they're screwed on (mine aren't). Just me being cautious I guess.

 

I have run my hoosiers as low as 12 with no rim screws and pulled 1.51 60's. They have barely moved if at all on the rim yet,but i have screw's downstairs waiting to go on.

 

I dont have tubes or screws. no psi lost either. but its only been 2 weeks and 2 drag strip pass's since I broke my trans
chris

oh yeah, my car didnt spin at all w/18psi in them. I wont go any lower if they continue to hookup. but I will stop at 14 or so if I do lower them for same reason as above.

 

I ran tubeless & screwless for about 3 years on ET streets and ran them as low as 9 PSI on some days. I was rotating the tire on the rim about 1" every 6 passes or so. Recently I went to Hoosier 11.5 X 26 because they're just a RCH taller that the ET Streets and I was running out of RPM on our 1/8 mile track. The Hoosier QT pro's do not have near the bead seat force that the Mickeys had and I'm spinning them about 3" every pass. I'm trying to add rim screws and run tubeless but I've got massive leaks. Just ordered my Hoosier tubes and I guess I'll have to drill my stem hole out to 5/8 for the drag tubes. Anybody getting away with rim screws on a tubeless application? How'd you do it?

Thanks

Steve

 

Yeah ive run hoosiers before without tubes and screws..Use silicone in the hole before you install the screw..Pump the hell out of the tire too..Make sure your screws arent too long..

I run MT slicks now with as little as 11 psi 1/8 mile and usually 12-14 psi in the 1/4" without tubes..They do bleed air but not like the hoosiers did..Hoosiers make me think of a mugging victom after a knife weiling maniac got finished..At any rate any race tire should be deflated when you are done running them..Also you should store them inside out of sunlight..And never never leave them on a car unless they are being used...Id take mine off but its raining like hell every day..

 

If you run a tube you better think about rim screws. If you did not take the right precautions inside the tire you can snap off the valve stem on the tube.

With that said I have run ET Streets, Hoosiers and MT's all tubeless and screwed.

Here is what Mickey Thompson say's about tube vs tubless.

1. Air retention
Tube type tires are not guaranteed to hold air without a tube. If a tube type tire leaks, it is not defective. There is a liner molded into the carcass of a tire that seals it and makes it tubeless. This liner is intentionally omitted from racing tires. This is done primary for weight purposes. More on that later.

2. Consistency
Without a tube you cannot maintain consistent air pressure. Even the slightest leakage will cause a difference in the performance of the tire. Therefore if consistency is the primary goal, as in Bracket Racing, a tube should always be used.

3. Strength
The wrinkling of the sidewall that is visible at launch causes the carcass material in the tire to break down over time. The more violent the launch the quicker this break down occurs. Inconsistent 60' times or a drop off of 60' times usually indicate that this is happening. When this happens the tires should be replaced, regardless of the amount of tread rubber remaining. The use of tubes strengthens the sidewall of the tire and keeps this breakdown from happening prematurely, therefore extending the life of the tire. This will save money in the long run.

4. Weight & performance
In some cases it is acceptable to run a racing tire without a tube. When a car competes in a heads up class, unsprung weight is an important factor. Tires and tubes are all unsprung weight. One pound of "unsprung" weight is equal to 8 pounds of "sprung" weight. The average tube weighs about 6 pounds. Therefore, if you eliminate the tubes you have eliminated the equivalent of 96 pounds from the car. For every 10 pounds of unsprung weight removed you may pick up as much as .01 seconds in quarter mile ET.

5. Cost
All natural rubber tubes are expensive. All M/T tubes are made of Natural Rubber and feature a clamp down valve stem. There are some inexpensive Butyl rubber tubes on the market. Even some with clamp down valve stems. Natural rubber is, by far, the better choice. It conforms to the wrinkles better. Dissipates heat better. And it doesn't get brittle like butyl does. Therefore M/T natural rubber tubes offer superior performance and will last far longer.

6. Safety
At a racetrack you must check air pressure regularly. This is important to maintain performance and to insure pressures are not too low. Low pressure can be dangerous.
Never run tube type tires on the street without a tube. Leakage and the prolonged heat build up can lead to tire failure and serious injury or death. This is not a matter to take lightly

 

I've been running M/T 28x10.50-15 ET drags tubeless for about 9 years without problems. If you coat the inside of the tires with Palmolive dish soap before you mount them, they won't leak hardly at all. I've ran them as low as 8.5 lbs. They do slip on the rims a little, but I read an article in one of the car magazines that if it doesn't slip more than 1/4 turn per pass, you don't need rim screws.

If you're really worried about it and want to stay tubeless, I've got a buddy with a Super Stock/I '69 AMX that runs 31x14-15 Hoosiers. Some tire stores have a black glue that is used around the bead contact area of the rim for when you have a rusty rim that leaks at the bead. He had them use it on his Weld Drag Lites and the Hoosiers. They do not slip at all and he carries the front wheels four feet in the air for about 30 feet.

As for consistency in bracket racing, why worry about loosing air pressure between rounds. Every good bracket racer checks/adjusts his air pressure before every run doesn't he?

 

The rim screws that I bought from Jegs were indeed too long and went clear through the bead of the tire. I never even checked before I sunk 32 of those babies home. I guess I just assumed that Moroso had the length stuff figured out and that most rims and tires had very similar section thicknesses. I had to cut the screws off shorter and now I put drag tubes in.

So FYI

Always check out screw lengths before installation. I learned the hard way.

Steve