Effects of facelift wheels on 02 S2000
Discussion
Hi everyone. This is my first post so thought I had better introduce myself. I am a pure bred Honda nut, I have my current Mk2 CRX Vtec in the classifides on here at the minute, and have owned 7 different sporty Hondas in the last 2 years alone!!
Right pleasantries aside I have a query I would like a couple of opinions on. I am looking to buy a 02-03 spec S2000 at some point in the future and have read and read all I can find on the forums about them. I have a slight dilema though. Im really not to keen on the look of the 16's on the early cars, and I really like the 17's on the 06- cars. Unfortunately my budget wont allow an 06 model, so . . . .
Will I encounter any ill effects of running the late spec wheels on the early car? From what I gather they may well be better then the 16's, but I would like someone with experience to be able to answer this really.
Thanks in advance, Billy
Right pleasantries aside I have a query I would like a couple of opinions on. I am looking to buy a 02-03 spec S2000 at some point in the future and have read and read all I can find on the forums about them. I have a slight dilema though. Im really not to keen on the look of the 16's on the early cars, and I really like the 17's on the 06- cars. Unfortunately my budget wont allow an 06 model, so . . . .
Will I encounter any ill effects of running the late spec wheels on the early car? From what I gather they may well be better then the 16's, but I would like someone with experience to be able to answer this really.
Thanks in advance, Billy
PS Im not by any means buying the car for its looks. It will be to replace this;
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/220258.htm
My priorities have now changed though and I want something relatively standard but still have that honda fun factor. And before anyone says the obvious, I dont want a type R of any description, Im not a fan of the image (says he who has a CRX like that!!)
I just dont want to mess up the ballance of the car in anyway.
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/220258.htm
My priorities have now changed though and I want something relatively standard but still have that honda fun factor. And before anyone says the obvious, I dont want a type R of any description, Im not a fan of the image (says he who has a CRX like that!!)
I just dont want to mess up the ballance of the car in anyway.
Thanks, I thought they were the same style. 
though!'04 wheels will cause little harm except for to make the ride a little firmer/choppier. Turn-in should improve a little, too (not that it needs it). And they do look better...
s2ki.co.uk a good place to go. You'll find out more than you wanted to!!
Piers...IIRC the dynamic changes were largely geometry, with some tweaks to the soften-off the suspension settings a little to compensate for smaller sidewalls. When I drove an '03 and an '04 while looking, I couldn't detect MUCH difference...I've noticed more difference through the changes I've made to my car (Geo optimised for agility*, plus bracing).
s2ki.co.uk a good place to go. You'll find out more than you wanted to!!
Piers...IIRC the dynamic changes were largely geometry, with some tweaks to the soften-off the suspension settings a little to compensate for smaller sidewalls. When I drove an '03 and an '04 while looking, I couldn't detect MUCH difference...I've noticed more difference through the changes I've made to my car (Geo optimised for agility*, plus bracing).
- 02/03 had granny-spec 'stability' geo settings on as standard!
Havoc, you and a lot of other people seem to mention these geometry changes and bracing? Yet Im struggling to find anything worth reading on S2ki about them, other than that people do them!!!
Could you enlighten me possibly please as to what settings you are refering to, and what braces seem to make a difference.
Could you enlighten me possibly please as to what settings you are refering to, and what braces seem to make a difference.
Billy,
Geometry settings is just adjusting the castor, camber, and toe to suit you personally. The forum should have the range of Honda-approved settings, then it's a matter of working out what you want the car to do.
Recommended chappy is Chris Franklin at CenterGravity in Tamworth, but he's got mobile kit and travels to 'alignment meets' for the forum. Not cheap...£150-200 depending on what you have done. But precise and careful, and knows a lot about geometry so can actually advise you what's best for you, rather than just giving you stock settings.
My set-up (by Chris F):-
Front
- 5°45' castor (minimum Honda setting) to improve steering feel/feedback
- Zero toe (to improve turn-in)
- c.1° camber (enough front-end grip without it being front-led)
Rear
- 0°25' toe-in (minimum - makes the rear break-away earlier but more progressively)
- 1°30' camber (reduced from the usual of 2° - same as above - reduce rear grip, make it more playful)
What I will say is that my car now requires more active 'driving' than the stock car - it'll tramline a bit, you can't just mash the throttle round corners, etc. But I prefer it...and it's a weekend car for me anyway, so if it's torrential rain I leave it at home...
Braces - cross-braces (strut braces) front upper- and lower, and rear lower. Cost me c.£300 plus £20 to get someone to fit the front lower. Made the steering heavier and more naturally-weighted, and made the car feel more planted on the road. I've now got a lot more confidence in the car (but TBH still not as much as the 'teg...which is sublime...).
Hope this helps...if you're thinking of getting one the best thing to do is join s2ki...they're a very helpful bunch and the for-sale board tends to have good ones at sensible prices...it's where I got mine from.
Geometry settings is just adjusting the castor, camber, and toe to suit you personally. The forum should have the range of Honda-approved settings, then it's a matter of working out what you want the car to do.
Recommended chappy is Chris Franklin at CenterGravity in Tamworth, but he's got mobile kit and travels to 'alignment meets' for the forum. Not cheap...£150-200 depending on what you have done. But precise and careful, and knows a lot about geometry so can actually advise you what's best for you, rather than just giving you stock settings.
My set-up (by Chris F):-
Front
- 5°45' castor (minimum Honda setting) to improve steering feel/feedback
- Zero toe (to improve turn-in)
- c.1° camber (enough front-end grip without it being front-led)
Rear
- 0°25' toe-in (minimum - makes the rear break-away earlier but more progressively)
- 1°30' camber (reduced from the usual of 2° - same as above - reduce rear grip, make it more playful)
What I will say is that my car now requires more active 'driving' than the stock car - it'll tramline a bit, you can't just mash the throttle round corners, etc. But I prefer it...and it's a weekend car for me anyway, so if it's torrential rain I leave it at home...
Braces - cross-braces (strut braces) front upper- and lower, and rear lower. Cost me c.£300 plus £20 to get someone to fit the front lower. Made the steering heavier and more naturally-weighted, and made the car feel more planted on the road. I've now got a lot more confidence in the car (but TBH still not as much as the 'teg...which is sublime...).
Hope this helps...if you're thinking of getting one the best thing to do is join s2ki...they're a very helpful bunch and the for-sale board tends to have good ones at sensible prices...it's where I got mine from.
Thanks for that, sounds good.
Ive spent thousands sorting the chassis on my CRX and it is now just about perfect. The cornering limits are so high, yet it still breaks away very smoothly and predictably. Im worried that I wont be able to get an S2000 to match it.
Its not the sort of thing I'll be able to tell on a test drive though which is a pain. I've 99% made up my mind to get one now though so we'll see what happens.
Thanks again!!
Ive spent thousands sorting the chassis on my CRX and it is now just about perfect. The cornering limits are so high, yet it still breaks away very smoothly and predictably. Im worried that I wont be able to get an S2000 to match it.
Its not the sort of thing I'll be able to tell on a test drive though which is a pain. I've 99% made up my mind to get one now though so we'll see what happens.
Thanks again!!
billysan said:
Ive spent thousands sorting the chassis on my CRX and it is now just about perfect. The cornering limits are so high, yet it still breaks away very smoothly and predictably. Im worried that I wont be able to get an S2000 to match it.
Honest answer...you probably won't, not without changing springs and dampers* and probably some of the bushes as well.As long as you're happy to spend that money, then go for it...it's a very good car with a fantastic powertrain and the usual Honda build quality.
Love to hear what you've done to the 'rex...
- There's what I think is a slight rate-mismatch at the back which can cause a small sideways pitching motion from the back over rough surfaces under cornering. The bracing reduced it but didn't eliminate it, though it's only noticeable on rough tarmac when cornering very hard.
Really? That sounds like the roads I go out of my way to drive on!! I live on the outskirts of dartmoor and predominantly use the crx up there for fun. It is very bumpy and broken, but is that much more challenging and rewarding to drive.
I take it you mean a mismatch between the spring rate and the dmaper? I dont want to go down the coilover route again as I want the car to be more livable with to take touring etc if need be. I imagine there must be some decent matched shock and spring combo's out there.
I take it you mean a mismatch between the spring rate and the dmaper? I dont want to go down the coilover route again as I want the car to be more livable with to take touring etc if need be. I imagine there must be some decent matched shock and spring combo's out there.
Yes - spring/damper rates. Bit of an odd one...
But as I said, only felt the side-to-side at high cornering speeds on rough tarmac...if you're not going 9/10ths or more, you won't feel it, IMHO...but sounds like you probably will do that.
But as I said, only felt the side-to-side at high cornering speeds on rough tarmac...if you're not going 9/10ths or more, you won't feel it, IMHO...but sounds like you probably will do that.
billysan said:
I imagine there must be some decent matched shock and spring combo's out there.
The Elise boys swear by Nitrons...think they've been mentioned on s2ki a few times...worth checking out...there's people who know more than me on there...MrFlibbles said:
havoc said:
the usual Honda build quality.
Speak of which, 2500 miles in 2 weeks, 150 of which was spent bouncing off the limiter at the Ring. Oil used = 0 ml.
I also forgot to mention this is by no means my first RWD car. Before the CRX I had an R32 GTR skyline as a toy!!
Going back to the S2000 I think it will be a case of drive one for a while as standard and see how it goes from there. If some parts are 'lacking' in some way then they can be changed, but not for the sake of it. I would prefer to learn the car first in order to understand it.
In the mean time I think Im going to go and find one in a garage somewhere that I can take on a test drive!!
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