2x6spds

Well, when I replaced my rear tires I noticed that they suffered greatest wear on the inside. Dealer did a 4 wheel alignment. Ever since, the car feels unsettled, almost like it wants to do a Dutch roll in the rear. I've noticed something untidy when going over bumps while turning at moderate speeds - feels almost like it's bump steering. Anyone else ever experience anything like this in their S2000?

2x6spds

GTRPower

2x6spds-

The front and rear suspension geometry does have poor bumpsteer tendencies.

But don't take it from me- I'm sure there are others here who will tell you that the stock suspension is the BEST and cannot be improved upon... Remember, I'm the guy who thinks- a. the power can be improved upon in NA form b. the brakes need ducts and performance pads to be effective on the track c. the stock seats have poor support d. the OEM tires were a bandaid for the handling problems that couldn't be cured without major suspension redesign which Honda wasn't willing to reinvest in e. the stock rollbar is inadequate f. the suspension sucks for MANY reasons including the above problem...

Despite all these shortcomings that I see- I still LOVE this car.

2x6spds

[QUOTE]Originally posted by GTRPower
[B]2x6spds-

The front and rear suspension geometry does have poor bumpsteer tendencies.

But don't take it from me- I'm sure there are others here who will tell you that the stock suspension is the BEST and cannot be improved upon...

naishou

I've felt this too, mainly under moderate power at moderate speeds. I had wondered if the diff mounts might be to blame. Spoon makes a stiffer set....

It doesn't seem to be a problem at higher speeds - and I drive some pretty bumpy roads. I've learned to live with it.

Ray

Going fast over a bump causes the car to accelerate upward, unloading the springs and reducing grip on the tires. And if you try to go over a bump too fast while turning, the momentum of the car will force the rear end to step out a little bit. I always thought that this was pretty normal, and try to follow the car's momentum when going over a bump at speeds.



[Edited by Ray on 06-04-2001 at 08:16 AM]

2x6spds

Hi Ray

I don't think it's normal. One of the hallmarks of a car which handles well is resistence to bump steering. The first car I had with excellent resistence to bump steering was my 81 Saab Turbo. My 83 and 86 Preludes were also very stable over bumps during turns. My Legend coupes, even better. That's why I was so surprised that my S2000 demonstrated this unsettled behavior.

2x6spds

Jason Saini

I was particularly suprised by this tendency as well... in fact, it causes some weird phenomenon when we are racing. It seems that when the rear is set softly (to try and increase grip) there is so much bump steer the car gets unsettled. By stiffening the rear suspension the car gets more controllable (the opposite of convetional logic.)

In fact, I'll take it a step further and say that if it had better bump steer characteristics you could run the same tire width front and rear. I'm not sure what Honda was thinking, but there is a definite shortcoming in the rear suspension design.

Schatten

yup, I feel it all the time. especially since I've got the new tires and new alignment - 1/8th toe in/-2 camber in the rear - I'll bring it back in some on the next alignment, which will be in the next few weeks to something like -1.25 for the rear. -2 is a bit too much for me at the moment, since this is my daily driver.

Elistan

Funcar pointed something out to me recently that I never really thought about - the rear has a huge swaybar compared to some of the other FR sportscars out there. Indeed, perhaps Honda is trying to compensate for some sort of deficiency.

Something to ask about when in Japan... I wish I were better at the technical aspects of suspension tuning to really ask the important questions, though.

Schatten

speaking of which, did you notice the comptech sway bar kit includes a front and a rear swaybar?

I believe Jason and the gang have tried out the comptech front, but because of AS restrictions, not sure if they have tried out the rear 'off the track'.