So, my S2000 is my daily driver and the roads really suck here between San Francisco and Palo Alto in Northern California. (Granted there are some incredible driving roads like Skyline Blvd, 92, etc...) but the city roads are awful.

Anyhow, the stock suspension on my 2003 (33k miles) is so jarring. I've got some 17" wheels on the stock config and its getting pretty painful. I would love to improve the suspension, but is there any possible way to get a tight responsive suspension while having something that is able to absorb the bumps in the road on a consistent basis?

I'm not looking to go lower, and I already scrape getting into my garage, but a smoother ride would be awesomely beneficial to my kidneys

Thoughts?

 

switch to ap2 suspension?

 

The short answer is yes, better dampers (shocks) can be both more compliant over bumps and still handle well.

The problem is the expense of good multi-way adjustable shocks (compression & rebound, high-speed & low-speed adjust) and tuning required to get there. Maybe someone will chime in with their set-up that works well or you can find a local tuner who you trust.

 

I live in the same part of the state and the car with AP2 is really compliant. Aftermarket shocks with a blowoff valving are going to be $3k and above.

Worse case I would look at maybe going with -1 wheels and more wet pattern tires for DD and go back to better tires on the stock rims for weekend drives.

 

Koni shock people should chime in, I believe they have a softer rebound compared to OEM and you can tune to compression via dial.

 

I switched to a set of koni yellows on MY06 S2k and the compression is a little softer which made bumps, uneven pavement and breaks in the road less painful. So the koni yellows accompanied with a set of softer AP2 springs might do the trick. Granted its not going to ride like a Lexus, but it will indeed be a lot more comfortable ride

 

PSS9 FTW!!!
Put it on my car about a week ago and im SO happy i did!
VERY comfortable ride due to relatively soft springs + helper spring( i have to drive in Greek roads, so i know! )
Awasome handling. Car feels sharper and planted on the road.
Tracked my S couple of a days ago and it felt fantastic!

 

Wow thanks for all the great replies everyone.

So it seems the best solution for the value is the Koni Yellows with some AP2 springs. Sounds reasonable. I have a local shop that cuts me some nice deals so I think I'll be looking to into that setup early next year.

I know it won't ride like a Lexus (thats the car I was commuting in before I bought the s2000 ) but I wanted to feel the road (just not so much) and feel like I was driving the car and not a computer.

Maybe further down the line I'll take a look at a full coil over configuration like those PSS9 my greek brethren mentioned. also leftis your signature keeps erasing my memory.

We'll see what happens early next year. I'm hoping for a sweet raise / bonus so: Mugen exhaust, then suspension

Side note / self thread hijack: How much of an improvement are upper lower tower bars / sway bars? For a convertible, this car doesn't seem to have much if any frame flex.

 

happy to be of service!