Slicks versus Capped Slicks versus MH DOTs

[Shane Noone]

Guys,

Been pondering this question lately and I know most of you out there will have tried a combination of the above at some stage.  Assuming the width of all the above is the same and they are all as new and trying to remain street legal is not an issue........how do these styles of tyres stack up against each other performance wise ?

I would expect the slick to be on top closely followed by the capped slick and then the MH DOT......  But is this the case ?

Someone recently suggested to me the MH DOT tyre is made from the same rubber as a slick and reacts the same to low pressure ( tyre sidewall crinkle / flex and growth ) offering the same level of grip of the line and through the 60ft on the quarter mile.......   But is this really the case ?

I currently have an old set of 215 / 60 MH DOTs and back to back launches same day same track against my regular BF Goodrich Advantage street treads at the same pressure ( 18 psi ) there was definetly more grip post burnout with the DOT's - the street treads just broke loose and span where the DOT's hooked up and this was reflected in the 60ft times too.

Got me to thinking, if I switched again to a set of slicks would there be even more advantage to be seen  / more grip / lower 60fts again...?


What's the general feeling and consensus out there guys ?

Shane.

[richie]

Hi Shane,

1:M&H slick
2:M&H DOT
3: Re cap

that order


If you can find recaps,then they are all going to be old,Caldwell I think was the only place offering them,and they havent for proberly 7 years now,and they were made minly on old hardened worn out slicks

The DOTs are good,but still a compremise,are much heavier than the slicks and seem to need the perfect pressure to find the sweet spot,and every car seems to be different in what it needs

Slicks,just work,nice and light, but the downside is you need to bring them on a spare set of wheels or trailer it,a pain for some who just want to drive to the track, run it and drive home again

They are all going to be different sizes as well,they just are not available in the same size,the slick proberly has the smallest contact patch ut hooks the best .

cheers richie


   

[Black Sheep]

They are all going to be different sizes as well,they just are not available in the same size,the slick proberly has the smallest contact patch ut hooks the best .

cheers richie


   

Funny you mention that about the contact area of the slick Richie , last time I ran " almost two years ago " I ran with three different tyres ,
first were my own very old and hard tall avon's which just spun and went nowhere ,
 then i used some 205 65 kumho's at 18 psi and got a better time with good contact across the whole of the tread ,
 then I borrowed some 26" slicks run them at 14 psi got great 60 foot really hooked up and knocked a second off , but I was only getting the middle third of the tyre to connect .

[Shane Noone]

Hi Shane,

1:M&H slick
2:M&H DOT
3: Re cap

that order


If you can find recaps,then they are all going to be old,Caldwell I think was the only place offering them,and they havent for proberly 7 years now,and they were made minly on old hardened worn out slicks

The DOTs are good,but still a compremise,are much heavier than the slicks and seem to need the perfect pressure to find the sweet spot,and every car seems to be different in what it needs

Slicks,just work,nice and light, but the downside is you need to bring them on a spare set of wheels or trailer it,a pain for some who just want to drive to the track, run it and drive home again

They are all going to be different sizes as well,they just are not available in the same size,the slick proberly has the smallest contact patch ut hooks the best .

cheers richie

Hi Richie,

Thanks for that feedback and from what you say DOT's clearly are not the same as slicks as someone told me ! Very Interesting on the weight remark, I didn't know that slicks were lighter than DOT's so less reciprocating weight which is good.

I recently bought a set of rims to run  E marked street tyres on for driving around and up to the track so it would be no problem for me to fit slicks to my rear Erco's for racing only.  Is it a personal choice why some run Phoenix slicks over say maybe MH slicks ? or is it a size issue like 26 x 6 / 7 where MH maybe only do 26 x 8+ ?

Ah interesting about capped slicks - you seem to read about US cars running them so I guessed maybe it was a popular alternative choice in the states .....

Glenn, Hi,

Your comments are real interesting too comparing 3 sets of tyres.

Years ago I was running Eagle NCT's or similar ( can't quite recall now ) and borrowed a set of 26 x 6 slicks might have been phoenix and anyway as you say always span the NCT's but the hook from the slicks was phenomenal and actually caught me by suprise, I bogged off the line yet still went straight from 14.8's to 14.4 !!

And yes am sure I noticed my contact area was the centre of the slick only ?

Cheers

Shane.






   

[richie]

We have the DOTs at 5 lbs heavier shipping weight/pair than the slicks,I cant be any more precise than that right now,I will weigh them when I get a chance next,the Re caps were popular until M&H stepped up and made the VW size DOT then they dissapeared

The Phoenix was available in 26/6/15 and 26/6W/15,both on the same carcase but the W does have a 7inch "tread" the regular only 5 3/4,but it is heavy,I used to run the 6W with the theory that I could run more air pressure in the tyre and get the same contact as the M&H 6 let right down ,making the car more stable at the top end,I never compared them back to back so cant say if it actually made any difference.With the limited power available any weight saved is good,rotating weight saved even better

For a N/A normal weight bug[1600-1800lbs] I would use a M&H slick 26/6/15,nothing else,we do exactly that on Jo's rag top

cheers Richie   

[Shane Noone]

We have the DOTs at 5 lbs heavier shipping weight/pair than the slicks,I cant be any more precise than that right now,I will weigh them when I get a chance next,the Re caps were popular until M&H stepped up and made the VW size DOT then they dissapeared

The Phoenix was available in 26/6/15 and 26/6W/15,both on the same carcase but the W does have a 7inch "tread" the regular only 5 3/4,but it is heavy,I used to run the 6W with the theory that I could run more air pressure in the tyre and get the same contact as the M&H 6 let right down ,making the car more stable at the top end,I never compared them back to back so cant say if it actually made any difference.With the limited power available any weight saved is good,rotating weight saved even better

For a N/A normal weight bug[1600-1800lbs] I would use a M&H slick 26/6/15,nothing else,we do exactly that on Jo's rag top

cheers Richie   

Hi Richie,

Thanks for that info as well 

Just had a look on your website for the MH slick.

Looks like it's time to get thinking about stepping up !! Hopefully I'll be in touch with you and Jo soon.

Cheers

[dannyboy]

i ran some mh slicks last few years and now run dots the dots are hooking up real nice to the point im bogging off the line i think half of that might be fresh rubber
as soon as i have the cash ill be getting a fresh pair of slicks so will be able to do some compareing at the track

[Shane Noone]

i ran some mh slicks last few years and now run dots the dots are hooking up real nice to the point im bogging off the line i think half of that might be fresh rubber
as soon as i have the cash ill be getting a fresh pair of slicks so will be able to do some compareing at the track

Cool nice one Danny  and good luck at the dyno on Tuesday with your reworked heads and intake's. I can't make it this time but will call you later.

Shane.

[whirligig]

looking at slicks for our racer cos the new motor is frying the street treads ,it was ok on the old 1679,needed the wheel spin to keep it in the power band.1.9 sec 60ft.new 1903 motor best 2.1 !!!side ways still ran 14.2 instead of 15.2 :)so dont want to run 26-6 15 as will mess gearing up(stock ratio box )24.5 -6-15 any good and can you get them in uk?

[richie]

The only 24.5 15s I have seen are 8.0 wide Mickey thompson,or 8.5 wide M&H,the nearest you would get to that is the BFgoodrich 205/50/15 drag radial,I dont know anywhere in the UK that has any of those sizes on the shelf

cheers richie