Who here balances their slicks and who doesn't? I received some wheels and slicks mounted but no weights on the wheels. I am getting mixed reviews when I search the web.

Also, would you trust this slick with the slash it has in it going 10s at 125+ mph in the 1/4 mile? I think I should buy a new slick.

 

I'll help ya out as i have just gone through this with multiple different sets of slicks and qtp's.

With all my slicks i do try my best to have them balanced and with my small brake set-up and 15" wheels it was sometimes very difficult to keep the stickied weights from coming into contact with the caliper as there is very little room to begin with.

My QTP's and ET Drags i had balanced (the ET Drags needed the most weight and caused the most problems but i was still able to run them with weights w/o any issues.

With my newer set of M&H slicks i once again tried to balance them but again ran into the weights not having enough space between the rim and caliper so i was on a time contraint issue and removed them all and went out and made some passes and i was happy to find out that even up to 160mph that they did not cause any vibrations

Before this i had heard and researched about 50/50 of people who did and did not try to balance out slicks as in theory when you air them down and they grow the balance goes out the window anyway.......

Hope that helps a little and i'd be a liitle worried about that cut even though it looks like it may have been just cut by the fender and maybe not deep enought to cause issues but it's a gamble!

 

i had mine balanced but mine are the 17' m&h slicks

 

When the air pressure is as low as you would run on a slick... The balance kinda works it self out... The tire is able to deflect enough to absorb the vibrations... Street tires the tires cant deflect due to the 40psi of air pushing on em... It doesnt hurt to balance em.

As for that rubber... Idk i personally wouldn't but given where its at i would say it should be fine... Do a burn out and see if it separates... Thats when the forces should be the worst.

 

I had my 15" rota's balanced with the Hoosier QTP's mounted. I told my buddy he didn't need to when he mounted them but did anyways

Most people don't balance them as it really isn't needed. My FD RX7/QTP setup wasn't balanced and was perfectly fine.

5 second pro-mod cars do not balance their wheel/tire setup.

 

I balanced all of my rim and slick setups over the past few years. I have heard you don't need to as well, but I did it anyways.

I suggest replacing that one slick you have with the lash in it. It looks a little sketchy and since you will be going 10s and 125mph+, might as well just buy a new slick to be safe.

 

I had clearance issues with my rims and small brake kit, wasn't able to run the sticky weights. When I ran my MT slicks with no wheel weights, never had an issue with vibrations. On my QTP/Slipstream setup, I was running the weights on the inside lip of the rim.

I would definitely replace that slick, but also determine how that happened, or you will be replacing them again.

 

personal preference about the balancing. my friends who run nasa and win the majority of the time dont bother balancing their slicks because they go through them so quickly. but thats road racing and not drag. I wouldnt worry about it, but up to you.

replace the tire. could be fine, could be a problem. dont want to find out at 125mph with 2 walls on either side. spend money now, potentially save a lot later.

 

what are you guys running as far as air pressures in your slicks?