I was talking with local tuner(who is also a good friend) and I told him I was looking to sell my wrx and get a new/er S2k. He started to tell me about all the "problems" with the car and how I would not be happy with it.

Did honda fix these issues with the AP2's?
major bumpsteer
bending rear control arms
rear diff cases cracking
Are these things something only the ap1's are dealing with?
Are there any other issues I should be looking into?

Im not a stranger to mod'ed cars and Im not looking to "Race prep" my car. Ive been through that with the wrx. Im looking at the s2k as a mature car that I can have fun in. Sure Im going to mod it with the normal mods and maybe even a SC in the future and I will DRIVE the car, it will even see a track day or two in its lifetime.

Ive have been reading the board for a while and have learned quite a bit. I figure the best place for me to ask for a unbiased opinion is on the board...

If this is in the wrong fourm please move it to the correct section.
thanks in advance
-nick

 

wow, i'm guessing your friend has nooooo idea what hes talking about. for the majority of s2k's, i have never heard of those things happening. but maybe to someone that has pushed the envelope on power. actually 'top gear', tv series, rated the s2k one of the top sports cars for price, reliability, etc. this car is extremely reliable! tell your friend he should do his research before opening his mouth.

 

actually hes worked on a good amount of them, He worked on my other buddys turbo ap1 but he drive the hell out of the car. this car had a v-mount system before the Aem driftcar did. I believe Aem talked with him about it. Not sure, I know the driver of the aem car is friends with him.

Im in chicago also, elgin really. thanks for the reply
-nick

 

In my 2 1/2 years of ownership only problem i had was the elastic on the top went out so my top wasn't working properly.I understand the problem since I live in Vegas and the temps get to 120 in the summer time and could have melted the elastic.but other then that i have had no problems.

 

Diffs break because people launch them improperly. Launching this car is an art form, but I'm sure you can appreciate that coming from an awd platform.

I have never heard of rear control arms breaking. I think your friend has probably heard of a few cases here and there and is taking at an epidemic with the car. I think you'll find that this car is very reliable. I've had mine for 2 years this coming march, and I have not had ONE single problem with the car. Not one. The previous owner never had one single problem either, as I've looked over his extensive receipts and records.

If you drive it properly, you'll find that it'll give you years of reliability and tons of fun. I think you'll love the switch

 

Bumpsteer is a problem on AP1...was corrected on the AP2. There are bumpsteer kits available. Megan now has one for the car for less than $200.

I don't think the control arms are likely to bend...they are more likely to break. Look at their design and you will see why. The only time I've ever heard of an a-arm breaking is when someone wrecks.

Justin is right...the diffs only have problems if you launch the car often and baddly. A more popular mod is to get gears...you can get a reinforced diff if you do that mod.

The car should be very reliable with "normal" bolt on mods. Going SC can cause some problems given the extreme extra power and torque. It is probably best to get a reinforced diff and upgraded axles (check the Driveshaft Shop) if you go FI and plan to track.

 

May I ask what bumpsteer is?

 

When cornering on a rough surface the car's tail will jump out. It is caused by changes to the suspension geometry as the suspension reacts to the bumpy road. The bumpsteer kit replaces a link in the suspension to reduce the effect.

Not to be confused with normal oversteer wich is somewhat more progressive.

 

Formally, bump steer is a change in toe as a result of bump or droop. This can cause undesirable effects during acceleration/deceleration, or cornering over bumpy surfaces, as mentioned above. Bump steer is caused (or corrected) by the length and location of the steering link (front suspension) or toe link (rear suspension). Also, semi-trailing arms create lots of bump steer.

A couple of other notes:

Bump steer is a characteristic of independent suspensions. Obviously, a solid rear axle will not have bump steer.

Interestingly, some suspensions are designed purposely to have a certain degree of bump steer.

 

You have a link for this...ive never seen this mod
Megan...or Mugen?
Isn't Megan a bad knock off?