When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I don't really think anything special is needed for the car to feel normal or safe. The car's alignment would have to be PRETTY badly out of spec to make it feel strange. Most of the time, the car drives fine even with questionable alignments.
I would focus on finding something really WRONG.
The alignment on the print out is close to factory spec. OP's got seemingly reasonable tires and...
Well, other than one rear being bald!
Tires, tires, tires! And when you get tires, its a good time to get an alignment...
Thanks for all the replies guys. Just got a chance this weekend to work on it.
I started by checking tire pressure, I was at 35psi all the way around. I bumped that up to 40psi and the car felt horrible. Moving the wheel quickly back and forth driving straight was very delayed. The steering felt like driving a boat.
I backed off to 32psi all the way around and that feels the best so far, but still feels odd. I raised the back of the car up 1/4" also. I'm still rubbing on hard bumps in the rear. The shop that rolled the rear fenders didn't roll them all the way. I need to find someone local to finish rolling the rears and I can remove some more of the rear camber and fix the toe at the same time. Unfortunately I'm stuck with these tires but I'm thinking about ordering some Pilots and removing and selling these while they're still basically new. The car just doesn't feel totally stable, it's hard to describe. The steering is delayed, you input and it takes a beat for the car to get it. It drives totally straight and brakes straight though.
^^^Pilot super sports arent going to improve anything handling wise for you, they are still too flimsy a single ply sidewall like the tire you are on and will cause the car to sway and delay with steering inputs. You need a very firm sidewall tire on this car which is what it came with from the factory. Something from Bridgstone, like the s04 if your trying to stay in the max summer category, or even a Fderal 595ss is a great handling budget summer tire ive found. Anything in the extreme summer category will be a firm sidewall/good handler. Tires are usually the biggest factor along with alignment, but since your alignment posted isnt that out of line (other then not seeing what your front caster is) a better tire should be at the top of your list. Also when you change the ride height, expect your alignment to to be effected.
^^^Pilot super sports arent going to improve anything handling wise for you, they are still too flimsy a single ply sidewall like the tire you are on and will cause the car to sway and delay with steering inputs. You need a very firm sidewall tire on this car which is what it came with from the factory. Something from Bridgstone, like the s04 if your trying to stay in the max summer category, or even a Fderal 595ss is a great handling budget summer tire ive found. Anything in the extreme summer category will be a firm sidewall/good handler. Tires are usually the biggest factor along with alignment, but since your alignment posted isnt that out of line (other then not seeing what your front caster is) a better tire should be at the top of your list. Also when you change the ride height, expect your alignment to to be effected.
I thought that the Pilot's were the end all be all of street tires? They are listed in the max summer category also, like the S04s. I'm not really concerned with the cost so much as I am performance. I only drive the car a couple thousand miles a year so no matter what I get they will last at least a few years.
I thought that the Pilot's were the end all be all of street tires? They are listed in the max summer category also, like the S04s. I'm not really concerned with the cost so much as I am performance. I only drive the car a couple thousand miles a year so no matter what I get they will last at least a few years.
No they arent. Not the best option for this car if you want sharp predictable handling. They are good tires for luxury sport sedans and coupes. They are built around comfort, which means pliable sidewalls.
I don't really agree that pilots won't work for this car or that they were built around comfort. The steering input is quite sharp despite their 1 ply construction. I've been using the MPSS on cars for years now. The P4S is an improvement over the MPSS.
My complaint with the MPSS is that they tend to wander and tug at the steering wheel instead of feeling solid once they start to wear out.
I do agree that a tire with similar construction to the factory ones will be better for steering response. The S04 is a great option. Or BFG Sport Comp 2's.
I don't think that EP tires belong on any car that isn't going to see actual track use. There aren't any tires in that category that don't demand a LOT of compromise for street use. In my mind, their only use is for something cheap that can be thrashed at a race track.
Maybe the tires OP has are probably squirming too much. V12's have really tiny tread blocks.
I don't think that EP tires belong on any car that isn't going to see actual track use. There aren't any tires in that category that don't demand a LOT of compromise for street use. In my mind, their only use is for something cheap that can be thrashed ain t a race track.
Ironically, EP tires are not actually track tires. They are compromised in that environment as well. Their intended historical purpose is to deliver the best possible traction on the street in temperate climates, while delivering DOT approved wet traction provisions. Every tire has compromises. Its up to the user to determine where those compromises lay and where he intends to use the tire primarily. For me, nothing less then an Extreme summer belongs on the s2k, unless it is a primary 365/DD car, then a compromise in performance may want to be made for sake of longevity and cold performance consistency. I like many others I know, would prefer to get the best possible handling performance out of the car EP tires offer, while getting the benefits of the best summer traction when the car is being used, in the summer! When the car is being used in less then ideal conditions, I back off on the sport driving. The original S02 the car came with stock was prior to the advent of EP tires and were offered as best available. Compound was very good for the day for a max summer, but more importantly the handling that tire delivered in its sidewall construction supported the cars handing character and capability, which is the key/primary reason for utilizing modern EP tire availability options today.
If you have to run a lessor capable tire to gain more mileage and consistent traction all season, at least make sure its construction - primarily the two ply sidewall construction is in place to maintain predictable precise handling. If a member chimes in with a shitty vague handling S2k, which seems to happen about once a month, first question I ask is what tires are being used, and more times then not its a v12 or some other crappy max summer or all season with a single ply sidewall construction. Second question, whats your alignment.
Last edited by s2000Junky; 02-24-2019 at 10:20 PM.
After finally getting a chance to work on the car today, I took all the input from this thread and gave the car a once over. Problem solved and wow do I feel dumb. I didn’t remove the nuts from the top hats on any of the coilovers before I installed them! Fixed everything and took it for a drive and the difference is night and day.
02-18-2019, 03:57 PM
