Thread: M & H slicks on the street w/ out tubes???

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Hello Everyone, I had some racing slicks {M & H} put on my '32 Ford yesterday. The holes in my wheels were to small to accept the tube stem & I don't want to drill out the wheels {plus a larger hole would be to close to the edge of the rim}. The guy at the tire store said it wouldn't hurt to run them tubeless that I just might have to put air in the tires every couple of days. Do you guys agree? Running slicks tubeless is ok? Thanks, Bill

Put tubes in em

i would not run slicks on the street i have at one time ,but there better ways to go now . with that said .you ask about the tubes .you do not need them but you may find your slicks leaking down so every now and then putting air in them. so yes i agree .i do not think you have to drill the rim if the tubes have no valve stem locks on them but could spin and take the tube out what i used was a non race tube on my small set of slicks . on my big set 19x33 i stop using tubes when i ran over a nail and spilt the race tube after that no tubes

Tried that one time wheel spun inside tire and went flat. Tubes and screws if your serious

I definitely would not run tubeless slicks ......... we put tubes in our S375x60 Pro Tracs for safety !!

You have two very different questions.

First, is running a race tire "on the street". It's a soft rubber compound, and will wearout quickly, you have to be carefull about going through water, etc. With the large selection of performance DOT tires available it's probably not the best, or safe thing to do. Yes it can be done and we have all done it at some time.

Second, "the best way" to run slicks IS TUBELESS, in my opinion. If you run low enough tire pressure to experience rim slippage (below 10#'s) your going to rip the valve stems out of your tubes which is a sudden loss of air pressure and a a safety issue. Tubes with "threaded" valve stems are not any better. We have run M&H slicks for the past 10-12 years, always tubeless. Adding the weight of tubes to the wheel/tire weight is counterproductive for performance. We replace our tires every two years because they seem to loose their 60 foot times over time. M&H slicks hold their air (tubeless) better than any other slick that I'm aware of currently. We run 13# while racing, and 25# when on the trailer to reduce the sidewall flex.

If you want good information, and directly from MR. H, contact mandhtire,com and ask John Hashim your questions. They are located in Bakersfield, CA.

Years ago I ran 11 inch M&H slicks on our 68 Mustang. One day we came home late from the strip and I was too tired to take them off to swap back to street tires. Next morning it rained and I had to go to work! Those babies are just like driving on ice in the rain. Be very careful even if you go over a wet spot on the road, your 32 will want to swap ends.

On the way home from work I got stopped by the Pa State Police, and one officer said "look how bald your rear tires are!!" His Partner gave him a look like "you dumb****" and said in a dry tone "those are racing slicks."

Don

Thanks for all the reply's. So I guess I'll just check the pressure every couple of days. Yes I know it's not a good idea on the street. I don't drive it far or often & I'm careful. I had slicks on an '84 Camaro years ago, got caught out in the rain & had to spend the night in a motel!!! It slid around like I was on ice! Thanks again everyone.... Bill