I just got my first S2K this morning. Very Exciting!

My first tire question is this:

It came with Bridgestone Potenza's on the back and Bridgestone Turanza on the front. Both sets are in nice shape.

Is this anything to worry about? I had always heard it was best to have the same tire all the way around.

Thanks

 

 

That is fine until you ready for a new set. Don't go out and race anyone.

 

Probably best you have the least grippy tires on the front vs rear of this car, being a new owner. But no, not a safety issue, just wont handle as sharp as it normally would.

 

 

Tires can sometimes 'flat spot' after sitting in a cool environment for a few days without being driven but generally the flat spot goes away after a few minutes of driving. If the tires were recently put on, it could be a balancing issue at high speed. Or last, it could simply be a loose suspension,worn out bushing, or wheel bearing going out.

 

I hate the way manufacturers name tires...
There are *many* quite different tires labled "Potenza" and likewise many quite different tires labeled "Turanza". For sure you have differently-performing tires on the front and back of the car, but without more info impossible to say how different they are.

What are the *specific* tires you have (Potenza RE71R?, Turanza EL400-02?)
What is your usage envelope? (possible you might need to drive in cold/snow? Track usage a possibility?)
What do you want out of tires? Max life, max wet and/or dry grip, low noise, comfort, responsiveness, etc.

Tires will have a HUGE impact on how much you enjoy the car and on safety, so it's probably worth figuring out what's best for you and if necessary getting 2 or 4 new tires.

That said if the mismatch isn't too ridic, and decently matched to usage conditions, and you are fine with them, I wouldn't worry about just using them and enjoying the drive...

 

Jack the car up and check all your damper springs for factory installed rubber isolation spacers

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/s2000-ta...od-one-629997/

 

If its me, I'd be getting a full set of new tires and a good alignment at oem specs as soon as possible. These two things combined can make a huge difference in the performance and enjoyment of the car.

While your at it check out the suspension components. Pogo stick sounds weird. Get to the bottom of that asap. I don't know if you are used to rear wheel drive sports cars, if not, be careful and drive as if you are on a motorcycle until you get used to the car. It can be a bit of a handful if you are not used to such cars.

 

Thanks for the advice. I do come from a rear drive background, BMW's, 944's, 968's and the like. But I am going to still take it easy until I get new tires in the spring. We are down to just a few more weeks of driving before it goes into storage.

I only felt the bouncing thing on one road surface but I will look where you advise, and report back.