Just had my suspension geometry settings checked as the car had been handling strangely ever since this year's Woolly Bollard Tour, particulary under acceleration through bends. Took it to my local dealer (St Andrews Honda) who have the full kit for 4 wheel checks. Gave me some nifty illustrated before and after printouts, but as I don't have a scanner, I've lobbed them into a spreadsheet.

The dealer did mention something about there being insufficient travel on some of the adjustments to allow them to reach the minimum spec, so they've offered to take it back in when I return from holiday. Those figures which, by my calculation, are still outside the min/max specs are highlighted in bold. Basically, the toe angles.



Bearing in mind I know very little about the science of this, and therefore whether a 1, 2, or 3 degree variance to the optimum setting is material or not, I would make the following observations.

1. It looks as if the dealer has attempted to adjust the car without reference to TSB A0002294
2. The front and rear toe settings are all still outside either the Honda recommended minimums or maximums.
3. Suspect the discrepancy between left and right rear toe angles may have been the main problem.
4. Haven't had a chance to give it laldy yet, so can't comment on any handling changes.
5. Although clearly not right yet, the new settings seem at least to be closer to the optimum than they were before.
6. Not really got a clue about caster angles, although I found this on Google
"The angle between the vehicle's steering axis and a vertical line, as viewed from the side."

Just thought I'd share this. Any suspension boffins are welcome to lend us their thoughts ...

 

I was told the same thing on my Silverstone David, but then, it had been in a field.
My take would be to let them take it back in and check it out more thoroughly. The key question is why they can't get settings to optimum?
Is there something bent?

I would also talk to the service manager and ask him why they aren't using the optimum settings. ie: not following Honda recommendations.

 

They've said they'll take it back when I get back from Arran

PS Charge for the check was

 

Vs.

 

[QUOTE=Beardie,Jul 28 2005, 10:42 PM] Vs.

 

Look at the front wheel from the side.
Imagine a line going through the upper and lower ball joints.
The degree of tilt that the line has forward or backward is defined as the caster.

 

You see, you lost me just there ... Ball joints?

 

Emailed the dealer last night with my concerns and he's just rung me. Apparently the figures on the printouts they gave me are in millimetres, whereas the data on the Honda bulletin is in degrees. He assures me, that with the exception of the caster settings (where they had trouble getting sufficient travel in the adjustment), the car is in spec.

They are still offering to have it back in to apply the "optimum" settings when I get back from hols.

I can hear them muttering, "flipping S2000 owners that think they know what they're on about ..."

 

That's degrees and minutes, BTW.

The castor is tricky to adjust. Personally, I prefer less, as the steering is lighter with a less rubbery, artificial feel.

I also prefer less rear toe in, which probably makes the biggest difference to adjustability. Toe may be set between 0deg35min and 1deg11min. Mine was set at 0deg31min, so my car oversteers quite easily.

I prefer the original settings, obviously. I really dislike the 'optimum' settings.

Other than that, your car at least appears fairly symmetrical. Large variances in left/right settings should be avoided, as they give the car odd asymmetrical handling. As in the 'before' setting of your rear camber. That is a common phenomenon with S2Ks and leads to one wheel breaking away easier than the other, so the car turns keener one way than t'other.

 

The total rear toe doesn't match the toe figures for the individual wheels