mr-pitts

I have an MY00 (the so called widow maker) thats on OEM suspension. Its been geo'd and drives like a dream on the road. It is plenty capable for fast road driving (had spirited drives on average T1-Rs down wet muddy country roads without any drama whatsoever). Superior handling would only be required on a race track. Coilovers are simply overkill for pure road use. I'll bet pound to a piece of shit the OP has sized bushes and the GEO is miles out and he's finding the handling of the car "challenging".

Just usual forum BS "you need this, yeah you need that"
[/quote]
99% of the mods on my car are probably "BS" but unfortunatly I cant stop myself,I have got Tein type flex with EDFC and when set to the hardest damping my car is a miserable place to be.But at least it doesnt wallow about like it did with the Under-dampened over-sprung stock dampers used to do.Or is it me getting confused in my old age?? My Tuono Racing had Ohlins on and that also was a miserable place to be.

tailhappy

I have an MY00 (the so called widow maker) thats on OEM suspension. Its been geo'd and drives like a dream on the road. It is plenty capable for fast road driving (had spirited drives on average T1-Rs down wet muddy country roads without any drama whatsoever). Superior handling would only be required on a race track. Coilovers are simply overkill for pure road use. I'll bet pound to a piece of shit the OP has sized bushes and the GEO is miles out and he's finding the handling of the car "challenging".

Just usual forum BS "you need this, yeah you need that"
[/quote]
99% of the mods on my car are probably "BS" but unfortunatly I cant stop myself,I have got Tein type flex with EDFC and when set to the hardest damping my car is a miserable place to be.But at least it doesnt wallow about like it did with the Under-dampened over-sprung stock dampers used to do.Or is it me getting confused in my old age?? My Tuono Racing had Ohlins on and that also was a miserable place to be.
[/quote]

Nope just classic club owners "upgradeitis". A lot suffer with it on here. There is chuff all wrong with the standard set up if geo'd properly (for road driving). All fitting 17" wheels, fancy suspension and sticky tyres does is make the car idiot proof and takes the driver skill element out of it (oh and of course gives you the bragging rights at any club meets ). I love the fact the car moves around and needs plenty of driver input to control. Its how it was designed.

The car was extensively developed see : Test driver on S2K

Gan San quote (1 mins 37 secs) while bombing round the Ring on a hot lap "the car is handling these corners nicely". That'll do for me

tmus

I have an MY00 (the so called widow maker) thats on OEM suspension. Its been geo'd and drives like a dream on the road. It is plenty capable for fast road driving (had spirited drives on average T1-Rs down wet muddy country roads without any drama whatsoever). Superior handling would only be required on a race track. Coilovers are simply overkill for pure road use. I'll bet pound to a piece of shit the OP has sized bushes and the GEO is miles out and he's finding the handling of the car "challenging".

Just usual forum BS "you need this, yeah you need that"
[/quote]
99% of the mods on my car are probably "BS" but unfortunatly I cant stop myself,I have got Tein type flex with EDFC and when set to the hardest damping my car is a miserable place to be.But at least it doesnt wallow about like it did with the Under-dampened over-sprung stock dampers used to do.Or is it me getting confused in my old age?? My Tuono Racing had Ohlins on and that also was a miserable place to be.
[/quote]

Nope just classic club owners "upgradeitis". A lot suffer with it on here. There is chuff all wrong with the standard set up if geo'd properly (for road driving). All fitting 17" wheels, fancy suspension and sticky tyres does is make the car idiot proof and takes the driver skill element out of it (oh and of course gives you the bragging rights at any club meets ). I love the fact the car moves around and needs plenty of driver input to control. Its how it was designed.

The car was extensively developed see : Test driver on S2K

Gan San quote (1 mins 37 secs) while bombing round the Ring on a hot lap "the car is handling these corners nicely". That'll do for me
[/quote]
That makes no sense to me, so you think a nervous car is a better car because your spending more driver time correcting it? And makes you a better driver?
Why does gan San said something 10+ years ago still applys now? There is a video also compares facelift and prefacelift... and changes to 17 and Geo/suspension was faster round a circuit.

WinFreak

That's the same nonsense london underground is coming out with trying to justify why 130yr old trains are still fine

Like said even gan San saw it could be improved quick enough...

And then there's the fact it's been designed for the mass market, to try and please everybody, everywhere.

vtecdirect

I drive quite a few S2K's and have to say that the standard suspension set up is certainly not great. Its ok, but thats about it, typical honda (all manufacturers) compromise between performance, comfort and above all cost.
Recently been working on Eds yellow car and that has some great mods, the Ohlins DFV suspension transforms the car, still good on our rubbish roads, but on track is amazing.
My wife's 99 car with Tein springs and koni adjustables is again a better car for the changes, not uncomfortable, but firm and planted.
Drove the 03 standard car we have yesterday and thought it could do with something to make it a bit more corner happy.

Just my opinion as someone who gets to drive more than one car a year.

s2k4tony

Barry (tailhappy), you are such a wind-up merchant... Gotta love your humour

I think the critical element that can often be COMPLETELY ignored, is the "feel" that can be lost, if upgrading to 17's, and perhaps fettling to aftermarket coilovers. Dialing back in that feel takes the work of a good tuner if you are going to "uprate" to expensive springs/shocks. I think that's what Barry means, its about keeping the "feel" in the car so when you are on your countryside blat, you're perhaps unlikely to come a cropper of snap oversteer if that "feel" has been elbowed away, due to this suspension fiddling. Geo is the way, staying on 16's with the best rubber available. It takes time to understand and TRUST the handling, and where its limits are. You'll be starting all over again if its not set up right. GEO GEO GEO is the way.
However, it is a personal decision, completely! If you don't intend to track your S, but prefer the adjustable set-up of expensive coilovers then there's nowt wrong with having them on the car. Personally, I wouldn't get anything other than stock suspension, and concentrate on the GEO and large assortment of bushes changed. I saw LG's S2000 at Oulton a couple of months ago, and was impressed with his adjustable suspension... nice kit. A certainty if I had kept mine and tracked it....
On the Golf TDi 130... its has uprated coilovers (Eibach crap, the previous owner didn't track the car, despite it being a diesel). I guess now I'll have to track the thing (yes barry, i've changed the lower arms now )

By the way... the oil filter thing a well marketed, "worry" product created by an intelligent person (hats off to them for creating the item) but it really isn't necessary. Its ok to have one on, rather than not have one, if that's your thing. A bit anal though TBH!

mikey k

I have an MY00 (the so called widow maker) thats on OEM suspension. Its been geo'd and drives like a dream on the road. It is plenty capable for fast road driving (had spirited drives on average T1-Rs down wet muddy country roads without any drama whatsoever). Superior handling would only be required on a race track. Coilovers are simply overkill for pure road use. I'll bet pound to a piece of shit the OP has sized bushes and the GEO is miles out and he's finding the handling of the car "challenging".

Just usual forum BS "you need this, yeah you need that"
[/quote]

Nope - still doesn't make you an expert or experienced enough to justify those sweeping statements
After 7 years & 40k miles of ownership across 4 standard cars (00,04,05 & 07) plus much modding an messing with numerous set ups on modded cars I can say from expereince there are gains to be had from the CORRECT mods to the suspension.

Try giving the OP and the rest of us something constructive

s2k4tony

I think many of us "uprate" for the road to unofficially speed (don't shoot me! But its the unofficial crime ) . I mean.... are you going to uprate to stay at 70mph?
Answer back is... "yes, at 70 mph I need better coilovers to hug that hedge on the B4039"

Only joking of course

s2konroids

Thanks.

I could some it up by meaning 'stability' and 'handling', for example on a bumpy B road you can have an unsettled ride that is fidgety and tends to bounce and be unresponsive and also has a vacant feel thus typically doesn't corner/handle well.

I believed that in some instances, some coilovers could exacerbate the above which for me is undesirable but i guess its the geo as much as the coil-overs, not that clued on suspension that much TBH.

tailhappy

No thats why they did all the later revisions like the Mk2 MR2 to tame the handling to make it idiot proof. The original setup is fine if you can drive.

The Gan San put it round the ring in a low 8 minute which is plenty quick enough for me. The car feels spot on for the road (wet or dry). Fitting coilovers for the road is complete nonsense.