Bracket Drag Racing Basics
Rims
You can use most any Rim (Wheel) on your Vehicle for Drag Racing. I would stay away from Cast units as they are not as strong as Steel, Magnesium, or Machined Aluminum Rims. Magnesium Rims are the Lightest and Strongest Rims, but will set you back a bit to buy them. Steel Rims are a lot cheaper, but the weight will hamper your Racing. Steel Rims would be to much weight for the front end for proper weight Transfer, and they would take away to much Horsepower on the rear to turn them. You want as much Horsepower to the ground as you can get. Aluminum Rims are a very good choice as long as they are of good quality.
NOTE: Aluminum does not like a lot of Temperature Changes from one extreme to another. You always want to look for Stress Cracks all over the Rims especially around the Wheel Stud Holes. You also want to Recheck the Lug Nuts on an Aluminum Rims after Every Run. Hubcaps of any kind are not accepted at the Race Track on Race Vehicles. Center caps should also be left off.
Always use Screw In Valve Stems for your Racing Rims. They are not required on slower cars, but, Better Safe than sorry and they are cheap insurance.
One Rule when it comes to Wheel Studs and Lug Nuts. The Wheel studs must extend into the Lug Nuts as far as the Wheel Stud is wide. In other words, if your Wheel Studs are ½ inch in Diameter, then the Wheel Studs must go into the Lug Nuts at least ½ inch. The Wheel Studs can protrude all the way through the Lug Nuts. Always use High Quality Wheel Studs and Lug Nuts, Don‘t trust old Wheel Studs to handle the stress of Drag Racing.
You can use Aluminum Spacers between the Rim and Hub, but only one Spacer per Hub (No Stacking of Spacers). Also the Spacers are to be Hub-Centric or Lug-Centric. This means that the Spacer must be self Centering, either on the Hub or the Lugs.
