Needed, Experienced S driver...
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Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Columbia, MD
Needed, Experienced S driver...
I would like an experienced driver (autocross, track, etc.) to take my car out for a test spin and help me determine if the looseness I feel is a figment of my imagination (preferably someone in the Melbourne to Orlando area).
Here's the background. Two weeks ago I installed the racing spec Buddy Club coilovers (along with a few other assorted items, such as rotors/pads) while down in the Ft. Lauderdale area. Even without an immediate alignment, the car handled nicely on the drive home. Several days ago, a loud pop/bang while doing 80+ on the highway signaled a large hole quickly relieving the air pressure in my passenger rear tire. At that speed and losing pressure that quickly, the steering gets interesting, and the car would make relatively small (but noticable) twists from side to side (kind of like a strong side wind that catches you off guard). Lucky for me, I was less than a mile from my exit, so with a tire that still had a few psi of pressure in it (no idea why it wouldn't go completely flat) I limped it to the Tuffy's a block away. A plug was applied, we're all happy again.
Not so much! Since then, the car has been less than stable at higher speeds (60+), almost as if it's floating a bit, similar to the side wind scenario mentioned before, just not to the same degree (Edit:I also noticed a nice pop from that same corner when going over large bumps, as if that coilover has come loose... inspection by me and the alignment guy showed nothing loose, but the severity of the bump has decreased since the alignment). So, I get up at the butt crack of dawn and take my car in for an alignment before work (wanted to get the Firestone lifetime alignment deal, but the guy who knew how to enter custom specs wasn't there today
, so I went with Tire Kingdom ). Here are my current specs (measurements as brought into the shop after gemoetry change from coilover installation) --- What I requested:
F Caster: 6.1/6.0 (6.1/5.9) --- 5.2
F Camber: -1.8/-1.2 (-1.8/-1.2) --- -1.0
F Toe: -0.05/0.00 (-0.30/-0.20) --- -0.02 <<--- I think that should have been -0.2, not -0.02
R Camber: -2.1/-2.2 (-2.8/-2.7) --- -2.2
R Toe: 0.35/0.30 (0.40/0.15) --- 0.02 <<--- Same with this one, 0.2 not 0.02
The car feels better, BUT it still feels a bit light, so I want someone with a more impartial feel towards the car to check it out. The guy couldn't break the bolts loose to adjust the toe (too many Boston winter salts rusted them together), so I would also like some help breaking those so I can take it back in again and have it all readjusted appropriately (after the holidays).
Side note for the toe measurements... Honda spec is between -0.15 and 0.15, nominal 0.0, so I'm at a stock number, but I would still like the increased toe for handling.
Comments/suggestions welcome on the specs, too.
Anyone feel up to taking the car out after the holidays? I'll be in Orlando Wednesday the 28th as I fly back in from visiting family about 4 p.m. if anyone thinks they might be able to get together then. Otherwise, I'm free through Monday after New Year's and I'll gladly drive back to Orlando for the help (anyone with a lift so I can get a blow torch under there and break those bolts will receive a late Christmas present of a 6-pack of their choice
).
Here's the background. Two weeks ago I installed the racing spec Buddy Club coilovers (along with a few other assorted items, such as rotors/pads) while down in the Ft. Lauderdale area. Even without an immediate alignment, the car handled nicely on the drive home. Several days ago, a loud pop/bang while doing 80+ on the highway signaled a large hole quickly relieving the air pressure in my passenger rear tire. At that speed and losing pressure that quickly, the steering gets interesting, and the car would make relatively small (but noticable) twists from side to side (kind of like a strong side wind that catches you off guard). Lucky for me, I was less than a mile from my exit, so with a tire that still had a few psi of pressure in it (no idea why it wouldn't go completely flat) I limped it to the Tuffy's a block away. A plug was applied, we're all happy again.
Not so much! Since then, the car has been less than stable at higher speeds (60+), almost as if it's floating a bit, similar to the side wind scenario mentioned before, just not to the same degree (Edit:I also noticed a nice pop from that same corner when going over large bumps, as if that coilover has come loose... inspection by me and the alignment guy showed nothing loose, but the severity of the bump has decreased since the alignment). So, I get up at the butt crack of dawn and take my car in for an alignment before work (wanted to get the Firestone lifetime alignment deal, but the guy who knew how to enter custom specs wasn't there today
, so I went with Tire Kingdom ). Here are my current specs (measurements as brought into the shop after gemoetry change from coilover installation) --- What I requested:F Caster: 6.1/6.0 (6.1/5.9) --- 5.2
F Camber: -1.8/-1.2 (-1.8/-1.2) --- -1.0
F Toe: -0.05/0.00 (-0.30/-0.20) --- -0.02 <<--- I think that should have been -0.2, not -0.02
R Camber: -2.1/-2.2 (-2.8/-2.7) --- -2.2
R Toe: 0.35/0.30 (0.40/0.15) --- 0.02 <<--- Same with this one, 0.2 not 0.02
The car feels better, BUT it still feels a bit light, so I want someone with a more impartial feel towards the car to check it out. The guy couldn't break the bolts loose to adjust the toe (too many Boston winter salts rusted them together), so I would also like some help breaking those so I can take it back in again and have it all readjusted appropriately (after the holidays).
Side note for the toe measurements... Honda spec is between -0.15 and 0.15, nominal 0.0, so I'm at a stock number, but I would still like the increased toe for handling.
Comments/suggestions welcome on the specs, too.
Anyone feel up to taking the car out after the holidays? I'll be in Orlando Wednesday the 28th as I fly back in from visiting family about 4 p.m. if anyone thinks they might be able to get together then. Otherwise, I'm free through Monday after New Year's and I'll gladly drive back to Orlando for the help (anyone with a lift so I can get a blow torch under there and break those bolts will receive a late Christmas present of a 6-pack of their choice
).
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Sideways' Quote: "oh and just for the record.... I enjoy racing because ive been doing it since i was 7."
^sideways looks to be experienced^
ZTEC Nick lives in Orlando so why don't you just come right out and ask him since he has the track experience. Nole 99 is rumored to be a very good S2000 driver also
^sideways looks to be experienced^
ZTEC Nick lives in Orlando so why don't you just come right out and ask him since he has the track experience. Nole 99 is rumored to be a very good S2000 driver also
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McG quote: "A plug was applied, we're all happy again."
Did it get plugged or patched from the inside? ????? I would never trust a plug, it's not worth ruining a wheel and leaving you stranded just to save a couple bucks.
A few things for you to ponder.......Check your tire to wheelwell gap from side to side with a ruler on level ground and make sure it's equal. I'm sure the coilovers have set in by now. Even if you have equal amounts of threads side to side weight differences can affect the height and handling even if it's off just a bit. 200 lbs or more of driver on the left side all the time throws off the balance right there.
Since the tire went flat and you still drove on it you could have damaged the steel belting internals of the tire . It might look fine to the naked eye but be torn inside the wheel throwing off the balance at speed????
Check all of the tires again for equal inflation. Since you just had an alignment done the tires are now hitting the road at a slightly different contact patch and until the tires scrub in good in their new position it might feel a bit squirrely??????
Did it get plugged or patched from the inside? ????? I would never trust a plug, it's not worth ruining a wheel and leaving you stranded just to save a couple bucks.
A few things for you to ponder.......Check your tire to wheelwell gap from side to side with a ruler on level ground and make sure it's equal. I'm sure the coilovers have set in by now. Even if you have equal amounts of threads side to side weight differences can affect the height and handling even if it's off just a bit. 200 lbs or more of driver on the left side all the time throws off the balance right there.
Since the tire went flat and you still drove on it you could have damaged the steel belting internals of the tire . It might look fine to the naked eye but be torn inside the wheel throwing off the balance at speed????
Check all of the tires again for equal inflation. Since you just had an alignment done the tires are now hitting the road at a slightly different contact patch and until the tires scrub in good in their new position it might feel a bit squirrely??????
Thread Starter
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Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Columbia, MD
Originally Posted by hygiene boy,Dec 21 2005, 10:45 PM
ZTEC Nick lives in Orlando so why don't you just come right out and ask him since he has the track experience
Sorry, couldn't resist Sure, if Nick wants to take my little girl for a spin...er, drive, he's welcome to do so. I just want to know if I'm going crazy, as well as fix the lingering problems (like the frozen bolts). Loved this car the day I got it, loved it ever since, I just want her back the way she was, instilling confidence in handling.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 7,134
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From: Columbia, MD
I've always done plugs and they've never failed me... it's not really the cost, just never saw much of a reason to use a patch when a plug does the job well enough. They also used some new plug type that came in a few weeks ago that really melds well with the rubber of the tire (he kept using the word vulcanize, but I don't believe that's the correct process description)... as a demo, the plug company rep showed about 100 plugs in the sidewall of a tire.
By the time the tire went completely flat (and by that I mean dropped down to about 10 psi) I was on the side of the road. I limped it about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile to the Tuffy's at no more than about 20mph. I can't imagine tread damage happening so quickly or at those speeds, but I will admit the possibility.
For pressure, I checked late yesterday after the tires were warmed up... 34psi all around. I normally run 35-36 in the rears and 33-34 in the fronts. So, I'm not losing air and the tires were roughly even. One more thing to check off of the list.
Contact patch may be a possibility, but I don't have enough experience to say one way or the other. I can say I ran about 700 miles from coilover install time to alignment, not sure if that's enough time to wear down the tires. Probably not, seeing as how the as-brought-in #s in parentheses) were fairly close to what I was having them dial in for the alignment. Still, it's a possibility.
By the time the tire went completely flat (and by that I mean dropped down to about 10 psi) I was on the side of the road. I limped it about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile to the Tuffy's at no more than about 20mph. I can't imagine tread damage happening so quickly or at those speeds, but I will admit the possibility.
For pressure, I checked late yesterday after the tires were warmed up... 34psi all around. I normally run 35-36 in the rears and 33-34 in the fronts. So, I'm not losing air and the tires were roughly even. One more thing to check off of the list.
Contact patch may be a possibility, but I don't have enough experience to say one way or the other. I can say I ran about 700 miles from coilover install time to alignment, not sure if that's enough time to wear down the tires. Probably not, seeing as how the as-brought-in #s in parentheses) were fairly close to what I was having them dial in for the alignment. Still, it's a possibility.
Good luck sorting it out and have a Merry Christmas
