Ardent Fabrication Autocross Truck

[sewlow]

Watch out on the drag radials, not all are created equal. I don't know that the hoo hoo DR will take a corner, but it will definitely out hook the F out of a Nitto DR in a straight line which, I suspect, will out corner a Hoosier. Pick the right tool for the job. A DR is not it for turning a corner. A skid pad logs peak constant Gs and will not give a good indication of how that sidewall deals with transitions.

True on the skid pad thing.
A good lateral G-force reading does not necessarily mean that the vehicle is a corner-carving monster.
Same as if the vehicle is great through a slalom.
Some vehicles are better at one than the other.
It's the combination of the two tests that reveal the vehicle's capabilities.
...and it's usually not the vehicles that excel at one or the other that generate the best track times or handling characteristics. The vehicles with a 'middle-of-the-pack' readings in both tests usually were the ones with the best track times.
So yea, the drag radial's construction, (treadwall stiffness, tread block design & the compound they're made of) may (probably!) show they're limitations in situations involving drastic cornering.
When we were doing the skid-pad testing, I spent a fair amount of time messing with the tire's air pressures.
Used in the drag-racing situations that they were designed for, 12-16 lbs is the recommended.
I had 'em pumped up considerably more. Trying to overcome the limitations of the D/R soft sidewalls. Through trial & error, we found that 42lbs. for the fronts & 37 for the rears gave the best readings.
More in the front & the front end would push. More in the rear & the tail would start to skip. How those tires would react, or how long they'd last on a track involving quick transitions? Probably not so good or for very long. Those soft sidewalls are not designed for cornering.
I don't have a suction cup mount for my vid camera. It would of been nice to be able to get a recording to see how the sidewalls were deflecting with the various air pressures.

 

[Supercharged111]

Skid pad is excellent for other aspects of setup like alignment and tire pressure as you indicated.

 

[ArdentFab]

Some better pictures of the sway bar.

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[Curt]

Yea, that's the obstacle I knew I was getting myself into; finding a tire in the size I use.

If they made BFG Rivals in my size, I'd be all over that.

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If you're open to a 16" wheel, it opens up a lot of tire options. https://www.tirerack.com/tires/Tire...e&pagelen=20&pagenum=1&pagemark=1&RunFlat=All

 

[ArdentFab]

Thanks for sharing that. Yea, I looked into those but I want to stay with the wider sized tires even though I have more options in the smaller size.

I think I'll plan on using this setup until I can afford an 18×10+ and get tires that start with a 3×× [emoji41]

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[Supercharged111]

295 and 305 is kinda no mans land with the 18s, gonna be looking at 315 or better.

 

[Curt]

Thanks for sharing that. Yea, I looked into those but I want to stay with the wider sized tires even though I have more options in the smaller size.

I think I'll plan on using this setup until I can afford an 18×10+ and get tires that start with a 3×× [emoji41]

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Oh my bad, I thought I read the tire as 295/50/15 but then your sig said 255s all around so I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me haha. You probably already know about this but I stumbled upon it last night as figured it might help: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/sizes/results.jsp?diameter=15 . It shows all the tire sizes available for every wheel diameter, which is pretty cool.

If you do end up getting 18s a good choice for tires would be Michelin Pilot Sport 4S's, if they make em in the size you're looking for. I run them on my C63 and it is a phenomenal tire. I don't run it on the track, but with some spirited backroad driving they grip.

 

[ArdentFab]

295 and 305 is kinda no mans land with the 18s, gonna be looking at 315 or better.

Yea, that's what I meant, 315's. Ultimately I'd like to run 18×12's with 335's [emoji41]

Oh my bad, I thought I read the tire as 295/50/15 but then your sig said 255s all around so I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me haha.

Oh, I'm glad you pointed that out, I totally forgot to update that. My sig doesn't show up on my phone app lol.

And yes, thanks for bringing out that tire rack page, it comes in handy! Took a while to find it at first but it's a great tool to help see what's out there [emoji106]

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[sewlow]

I like this tire size calculator, too.
Go 'Tire Size' instead of 'By Vehicle'.
When those results pop-up, then 'Manual' & you can add additional sizes to compare side by side.

https://www.1010tires.com/Tools/Tire-Size-Calculator

 

[Supercharged111]

More tire, more better. You're talking about 4000# of truck. It's more important on a road course where the sessions go longer and you need more rubber to dissipate the heat, but then again autox heats tires much more quickly than a road course.