Fear Itself

My wife's 2002 has about 12,000 miles on it and the back tires are getting too worn. The front tires are still in excellent shape. I thought I had seen others on this board who had replaced their rear tires with SO3's while retaining their originals in the front. I just ordered the rears from Tire Rack online and they called me to tell me that the car could/would be dangerous like this.

Does anyone run this setup and how does it feel? My wife doesn't really push the car to the limits, I just want a safe riding car that is more stable on our wet roads with perhaps a little more tread life. Will this work or not?

Thanks, David

Quick2K

Well...The SO-3 has slightly less maximum grip potential....the problem is that this will shift the car's handling balance at the limit even farther into oversteer. the good thing is that since it will reach that limit sooner, it's possible that it will end up being more progressive, and less prone to "snap" oversteer (as some of us have had problems with...*shifty look*)

. If she doesn't drive hard, I say you'd be alright switching to SO-3's in back, but switch out the fronts too if you want to be *sure* "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

Quick2K

Jim@tirerack

The best handling is always with the same tire on all four corners. Mixing tires on the car can be dangerous in emergency situations. The problem is you never know when or where that is going to happen. If someone pulls out in front of you and you make an emergency manuver that is where the problem arises.
You should have called me first. I could have explained.

Jim

bombshellS2000

My S2000 is 11mths old. I changed my rear tyres last month - they only make S0-3's now as I asked for S0-2's (which is what I have on the front)

Does it matter??

bluejay

FYI - My local dealer just told me that S02 are no longer available and I can only get S03 for the rear - with the original S02 on the front. Not my number one choice, but since I have a flat and need to be back on the road ASAP, I'll take the dealers advise and go with the S03.

JDRACING

Yeah, many dealers will tell you that. Only need to go look at cars on a Honda showroom floor to see that they're still making S0-2's and putting them on new S2000's. Many tire dealers are lazy in that regard, want to sell you what they have, and don't know anything about these cars. The Potenza S0-2's on this car are specially made for the S2000, and you want OEM S0-2's. Worst case, the Honda dealer near you probably stocks them, probably for about $175 each (plus tax, mounting, balancing, etc). But best case, buy them from the Tire Rack for $152 each and have them installed locally. Shipping was like $16 and the tires were on my doorstep two days after the phone order. And they are the correct tires.

S0-3 are good tires, but as Jim and others have said, don't mix and match them if you can possibly avoid it.

hyperpm

I ran this set up and didn't like it at all, ended up buying SO3's for front a week later. Car felt twitchier and unstable running SO2's in front and SO3's in rear.

jcurtis

I agree, very twitchy with that combo. The back end moves a whole 2 seconds after the front. Really weird..

Jeremy

PLYRS 3

i have this combo on 18's, and it's fine.....no difference, really.

the car is stable, neutral through corners, etc....

Mole

The S03s sidewalls are alot softer, just watch a fitter putting on s02s and see how hard it is on a cold day, I ran 225 so3pp on the rears (at the time not realising they were undersized) with s02s on the front and the car was bordering on dangerous, thank god they only lasted 4000 miles.