Yep.... Didn't know about this web site until long after I had made the purchase and not too many people I talked to knew any thing about these cars so thats what I ended up with.

Here's a question you will probably be able to answer though. Can I fit those rear tires on an eight inch rim? (A question I probably should have asked before making myself sound like an ass!)

 

C13, we're all learning here. Don't worry about it and ask if you're uncertain of anything. It's just that a few of us have been living with the car a long time now and have something to say about these issues. Here's my advice:

First off, check the Tire Rack website. Every tire has a tolerance for the width of the wheels that particular tire can tolerate. It depends, also, on the profile of the tire.

Second, the S2000 absolutely demands a staggered tire combination. Running 225s on all four corners is probably why your car looks weird (you are the first and ONLY person I've heard of who's running the same tire size on all four corners). You're running 225s (same as me) which are about as wide a tire as you can fit in the front without serious rubbing problems. But you can (and I do) fit 275s in the rear without a problem. Remember that the stock tire stagger (at least up until the 2003 model year) is 205f by 225r, although the stock tires are actually not exactly of those dimensions (more like 200 by 245).

Third, because you're running close to 1 1/2 inches LESS stagger, front-to-rear, your car is going to be VERY tail happy with so much rubber up front relative to the back. In the rain, particularly if you're running the S-02s or something comparable, the car's going to be quite wiggy if you ever push it -- perhaps even if you don't push it. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I spend a lot of time at the track, and I'd be nervous to drive your car in the wet at anything more than about 5/10ths.

My two cents. If you wanna just lower the car, go ahead and do it. But I'd first look at returning the car to something closer to stock in terms of the tires you can fit on the wheels you've got. Maybe you can get 215s (front) and 245s (rear) on an 8" wheel and at least add a bit of stagger.

In any case, welcome to the community and good luck.

CB

 

The closest my car ever sees to rainy weather is the hose in the driveway. As far as being tail happy thats not really a problem to me because I've always owned trucks. Theres nothing more "tail happy" than a teenager with a lead foot and no weight over the back wheels when it rains so much around here. I learned counter steer really fast! If this car is capable of doing 2x what I do with it now by changing rear tires then thats pretty impressive. By the I run Yokohama ES100's. Maybe I'll look into the tires a little more. If that doesn't fix my problem I still can lower it.

 

C13, I respect your right to be different, but I'm trying to tell you in the gentlest way possible that running the same size tires on all four corners with the S2000 is just plain silly. Moroever, rven for skilled drivers (which you are NOT unless you've spent a LOT of time at the racetrack -- and driving a truck is no substitute for formal training), it's just not safe. If you decide to also lower it without changing tires, don't be surprised when other owners just laugh at you. With that said, I wish you luck. Enough said on this topic.

 

I think Chris is on the right track here trying to nudge you back to putting the stagger back in your car. There is a reason it was put there in the first place. Of course, it's your car you can do what you'd like, I just think we'd rather not hear about you on the 6 o'clock news.

Granted I'd not laugh at you for having no stagger, but I'd definitely be shaking my head over it.

Jim

 

I should have said, in my own defense, that my car didn't have the original wheels and tires on it when I bought it so I just put on the same width tires on when I bought new ones. I didn't know any different.

 

I'm really not judging you -- or even giving you a hard time about the fact that you've got a car with the same sized tires all around. I am suggesting, in as respectful a manner as I can, that you ought to do something about it. It really isn't safe, and you'll find the car a lot less fun if you can't push it a bit without fear of swapping ends. The S2K has a predisposition toward snap-oversteer, and (trust me on this one, as I've done it at more racetracks than I care to admit) you won't be able to catch it unless you're really alert....

 

Some spring advice - I had the HKS sport (?) springs on my s2000. They were the 1.8" / 2.1" (I think) model. They weren't bad, but I dont think I would buy them again after riding in others peoples S's with different springs, I seemed to like everyone elses better. I also had 215's in the front and 245's in the rear on 18's...


Oh and as far as installation goes, I did it myself... I have never let a shop lower any of my cars, basically cuz I dont trust anyone but myself
I did however, have a shop do the allignment...

 

Well I figured I would take the advice of the many and just made the call to my friend that works at a local tire distributor to order larger rear tires. They'll be here early next week. Hopefully this is a good fix to my problem. If not at least the car will handle better. Maybe now you guys won't laugh at me!

 

Check into the Spoon Sport progressive springs if you are looking to lower it very conservatively- about 1 inch. The Spoon spring rates are very close to stock and don't lower the car in excess which can upset the factory balance. Definitely take it to a reputable shop for an alignment aftewards.

My opinion on the matter above would be to sell the wheels and tires you have (seperately) and buy a set of MY04 OEM wheels and tires. You'll be upgrading to a larger wider wheel and tire while also adding something more aesthetically pleasing (subjective).

Here is a pic of my car- not lowered but doesn't look like a 4X4 by any means.

Good luck with whatever you decide and drive safe!