p3tah

Hi guys, just recently bought a 2006 AP2 and noticed the front wheel/fender gap is larger than the other stock S2000s on both sides. The rear seems to be alright. The previous owner had coil-overs on and returned the suspension back to stock.

Any ideas on why the gap is so large? I know wheel gap is not an accurate measurement but I would presume if the suspension is at the correct height the fender gap would not be so large with all OEM components.

I am going to get a shop to loosen, re-tighten the suspension while the the car is at ride-height with wheels on the ground. Other than that I am out of ideas.

Thanks.

Mine:


As a comparison.... another S2000 that doesn't seem to have as big of a gap:

thomsbrain

You're probably on the right track. The suspension bolts all need to be tightened when under load or things will be off. You can load the suspension with a floor jack on the lower ball joint if the car is on stands. No need to physically have the car on the ground. Start there and see where that gets you.

p3tah

Thanks for the reply. Will book an appt. going to get new tires, then retorque the suspension bolts and then an alignment.

I thought the fender was rolled but that is not the case.

Will report back next week.

jsb06s2k

My recent experience with my 2006 S2K might be helpful. It has 35k miles and I bought it new.
The car had always felt somewhat unsettled in (bumpy) corners (relative to my Focus ST, for instance). Overall it felt a little 'flabby' and even unpredictable near the limit.
I found the thread on the forum where spring rates for AP1 and AP2 are listed https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/818...nsion-springs/

The 2006-7 AP2 is the softest-sprung of any S2000 and my son always made fun of the ride height of my car (to which I replied 'Stock is rock').
I suspect the marketing department was trying to make the car appeal to what was perceived as a 'broader' market that wanted more comfort at the time.

Here's what I did to improve the handling without straying far from stock:
Used 2009 rear struts with springs were $80 per side and obviously bolted right in. In addition to a better-controlled ride, the rear ride height dropped 1/2".
I left the front alone. Measured at the front and rear of the rocker panel, the car is now level rather than raked slightly forward.
Eibach adjustable sway bars made a further improvement. I settled on the soft rear setting and firm in the front.
The ride and handling are significantly improved.

So the bottom line is that I suspect your 2006 is sitting as it was delivered from the factory.

p3tah

Thanks a lot for your suggestion! I have figured out the issue. In the process of figuring out the issue I have learned a lot about suspension!

My problem with the gap is the suspension was not pre-loaded when the previous owner had the suspension returned to stock.

I just finished pre-loading both front suspensions and re-tightened the upper control arm bolts, shock tower bolts, lower shock bolt.

The excessive gap looks like it has closed down to the proper OEM spec. I didn't test drive yet since I am also going for an alignment tomorrow.

Will post a picture tomorrow after alignment to re-confirm everything is good.

p3tah

Lesson learned! Always pre-load the suspension before tightening the bolts! There is about almost 3/4" difference when I measure from the ground to the edge of the fender. There is no more gap that made the front end look like a 4x4.


Measurement from the middle of the wheel hub/cap to the edge of the fender.
Before (FR, FL):
IMG_1265
IMG_1266

After (FR, FL):
IMG_1297
IMG_1298

Front end looks so much better:
IMG_1287
IMG_1306