How does tire pressure affect traction? Proper inflation is one of the single most important factors in the
performance of a drag slick (this includes slicks of the DOT-legal variety). Traction can be dialed-in by adjusting tire pressure up or down. In order to determine how much pressure your particular tires require you must find a clean piece of pavement, preferably off the highway. Next, make sure that both rear tires have identical air pressure. Then, do a short burnout and examine the marks. As the pictures indicate, an over-inflated tire will leave a mark that is dark in the center, but light on the edges. This is known as ''crowning.'' An under-inflated tire on the other hand will show dark edges and a light center indicating that the tire is cupping. This procedure can also be used on radial tires. The final picture of this series shows what the proper pressure looks like: an even contact patch the entire width of the slick.
That’s not all there is to it, though. Small incremental changes in tire pressure can have a meaningful affect on traction. Mickey Thompson Tires recommends adjusting your tire pressure up or down in half pound increments to precisely tune your slicks to the race track's conditions. Tire pressure will affect your reaction time. Keep in mind that an underinflated tire reacts more slowly than one with more air pressure.
So, you keep reducing the pressure in your tires and your 60-foot time (also known as your short time) keeps dropping. All well and good, but you also begin noticing that the car is no longer stable on the other end of the track. Reducing air pressure in your slicks often improves traction, but often the tradeoff is reduced stabilty. They say you haven't lived until you've done the ''slick dance'' through the lights at a buck-fifteen-plus. Remember, eight pounds of tire pressure is great at the starting line, but those same eight pounds are holding up the back end of the car while you are hurtling down the track. Be sensible with tire pressure. It's better to give up a couple of hundredths of a second on your 60-foot time to avoid a catastrophe on the big end. How do you get a handle on air pressure? Don't expect to use an ordinary
auto parts store tire gauge; you know, the type that fits in your pocket like a pen. The instrument used to measure tire pressure in a drag slick needs to be capable of reading accurately at low pressures. Any mail-order parts house offers a variety of good tire gauges for this purpose. Expect to pay between $20.00 and $250.00—it's a worthwhile investment.
http://www.jegs.com/p/Moroso/748767/10002/-1/10585 http://www.jegs.com/p/Moroso/963656/10002/-1/10585
with all that being said ....I'd start at 14psi
breakage.....axles, the T-5 or driveshaft
if you have not already.... i recommend a driveshaft safety loop.....
My First Set of Slicks 
