Skinnies
 

In general, are all skinnies going to be the same? Aside from looks and small weight differences.

Yeah skinnies are just like chicks.....they are all the same except for looks and small weight differences....:mrgreen:

Any good recommendations for a cheaper set?

Radial and bias-ply tires are totally different.

Go to a local tire guy for a set of ~72 VW bug tires.

sidewalls aren't made to hold the weight of an f-body, lt1 nonetheless. thats just a disaster waiting to happen. nice sig though, bastard :lol:

what wheels are you going with? thats a big determining factor in what tire you will run, obviously.

Thats what I am asking....

oh i thought you were talking tires. fitment is big, what size you lookin at? you stated the obvious though with weight and looks. you can get a pair of zr1's and narrow them down to fit skinny's. that way you match your rear wheels with the et's on them. you also need longer wheel studs with open ended lug nuts to be legal

That would cost a lot of money, no?

$100/wheel

edit: $300 for tires

Ouch.

i still dont understand the longer stud thing... one more reason to screw ya...

Longer studs = track rules.

I haz street car.

maybe if you get some air under the front tires and come down hard enough, the studs could break? i'm sure there are members who know why, i'm just guessin and always wondered why

usually when u run skinnies on an f-body, u need to run a spacer to clear the brake calipers=need for longer studs. Stock studs work, but are very unsafe because they only hold the rims on by a few threads.

This is 100% true. If you run stock studs on wheels like Draglites or similar they will eventually break and chances are it'll happen when you're turning :shock:

I run 15x3.5" Draglites with Futura 165 "metric radials" from Pep Boys. I hear they no longer sell these though. Kumbo makes a 165/80R15 tire for $43 on tirerack...

Thin street tires are different than skinny race tires. Skinny race tires have tread designs that reduce rolling resistance and are designed to have a smaller contact patch on the top end.

As for weak sidewalls, I don't think that is the safety issue on the street (IMO). The VW's were made to hold a load of 4 passengers which probably offsets the weight of the V8 LT1 (or whatever) and one driver. I think the issue is the small contact patch on the two wheels that do the most of the braking. That's bad. I always laugh when I see someone with a big brake kit running skinnies.

i was reading an article on ls1tech about it, guys fill them up to 40 or 50 psi and they still look low. this is because the sidewall can't carry the weight. you really need to look at the ratings on the tire to be sure though. just my thoughts. why cheap out on safety? the tires are the only thing between you and the ground, you shouldn't cut corners there.

I've run my Futuras for 5+ years now and have seen quite a few 8 and 9 second cars with them too :shock: I'd say they're safer than running a bias-ply front runner on a street car.

If you are straight line racing and driving carefully otherwise I don't really see why not. For taking turns and braking hard then it's a bad idea.

true, but if you drive to the track with them on then it could turn ugly.

does this apply just to racing or even street use? Cause i just got my 15x4's for my truck a week ago and i drive it around on the street alot and i didnt get longer studs cause the lugs fit fine on the studs

Do you get full lug nut thread engagement?

I used to stock the VW tires referenced (IIRC 165/80/15 or something). For every pair I put on a VW I sold like 10 to drag racers.

Edit: From Tire Rack
Kuhmo Power Star 758
165/80R15
Speed Rating “T” = 118mph (190kph) 87T  SL
Load Index 87 = 1201lbs (545kg) per tire
Rim Width Range 4-5.5"

Get your car corner weighed at JS Performance and see if you surpass the 1201 lbs

Personally, I would not use them on the street, but I probably would on the track unless I was really flying past that 118 speed rating.

it hasnt been, nor couldnt be, said any better

Or brakes stop the wheels, tires stop the car.