First Time at the track with AP2 S2000
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First Time at the track with AP2 S2000
I got the S2000 on the track for the first time Saturday. It's a track I've run on several times before with different cars, but the first time with the S2000.
The car is pretty much stock with a hardtop and Avon Tech RA's (225's on the front and 275's on the rear). The car performed beautifully and was a lot of fun.
There were only a couple issues I need to work out. First, the car really seemed to have a big gap in gearing between 3rd & 4th gears. 1-3 didn't seem to have that gap, but it was really tough to keep the car anywhere close to it's powerband in 4th. It may have just been the speeds I was running on that particular track. I'll have to do a search on this.
Second, the car really wanted to come around on me if I got the throttle down too quick in the corners or if I hit even the slightest bump on an off-camber corner. I let a professional driver take it out (never driven an S2000 before) and he spun it on the second lap in an off camber corner. I also had a design engineer from Koni driver and he too talked about how spooky the rear was under certain circumstances. I just got an alignment done so I'll have to do some reasearch on this one as well.
Overall it was a blast. I can't wait to get it out again.
The car is pretty much stock with a hardtop and Avon Tech RA's (225's on the front and 275's on the rear). The car performed beautifully and was a lot of fun.
There were only a couple issues I need to work out. First, the car really seemed to have a big gap in gearing between 3rd & 4th gears. 1-3 didn't seem to have that gap, but it was really tough to keep the car anywhere close to it's powerband in 4th. It may have just been the speeds I was running on that particular track. I'll have to do a search on this.
Second, the car really wanted to come around on me if I got the throttle down too quick in the corners or if I hit even the slightest bump on an off-camber corner. I let a professional driver take it out (never driven an S2000 before) and he spun it on the second lap in an off camber corner. I also had a design engineer from Koni driver and he too talked about how spooky the rear was under certain circumstances. I just got an alignment done so I'll have to do some reasearch on this one as well.
Overall it was a blast. I can't wait to get it out again.
#2
Sounds like an alignment issue as 225 front/275 rear should understeer excessively, not oversteer. Toe should be zero front and 1/4" (as low as 1/8") total toe-in in rear; rear camber -2* or more.
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I just checked my alignment specs and it sounds like my rear toe may have been a descent size problem. My specs:
Front toe - 1/64 in
Front camber - 1.25
Caster - 6.0
Rear toe - 1/16 in
Rear camber - 1.75
She sees more street time than track time so I was not going for a full track set-up, but it sounds like the rear toe was an issue.
Front toe - 1/64 in
Front camber - 1.25
Caster - 6.0
Rear toe - 1/16 in
Rear camber - 1.75
She sees more street time than track time so I was not going for a full track set-up, but it sounds like the rear toe was an issue.
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Originally Posted by mts,Aug 7 2006, 04:23 PM
I just checked my alignment specs and it sounds like my rear toe may have been a descent size problem. My specs:
Front toe - 1/64 in
Front camber - 1.25
Caster - 6.0
Rear toe - 1/16 in
Rear camber - 1.75
She sees more street time than track time so I was not going for a full track set-up, but it sounds like the rear toe was an issue.
Front toe - 1/64 in
Front camber - 1.25
Caster - 6.0
Rear toe - 1/16 in
Rear camber - 1.75
She sees more street time than track time so I was not going for a full track set-up, but it sounds like the rear toe was an issue.
AP2 is pretty stable compared to AP1 and with your 225/275 stagger you should NOT have any oversteer problems. What kind of tires pressures were you running?
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[QUOTE=TubeDriver,Aug 8 2006, 05:19 PM]
AP2 is pretty stable compared to AP1 and with your 225/275 stagger you should NOT have any oversteer problems.
AP2 is pretty stable compared to AP1 and with your 225/275 stagger you should NOT have any oversteer problems.
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Originally Posted by mts,Aug 8 2006, 02:09 PM
I started at 40psi hot on new Avon Tech RA's and moved down to about 35psi hot by the end of the day. I'll have to tinker with that some. I am used to driving lighter cars at the track and I have to adjust lots of my "normal" thinking with a car as heavy as the S2000.
I have not used the Avons but maybe see if low/mid 30s rear and high 30s front works better.
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Originally Posted by mts,Aug 7 2006, 01:23 PM
I just checked my alignment specs and it sounds like my rear toe may have been a descent size problem. My specs:
Front toe - 1/64 in
Front camber - 1.25
Caster - 6.0
Rear toe - 1/16 in
Rear camber - 1.75
She sees more street time than track time so I was not going for a full track set-up, but it sounds like the rear toe was an issue.
Front toe - 1/64 in
Front camber - 1.25
Caster - 6.0
Rear toe - 1/16 in
Rear camber - 1.75
She sees more street time than track time so I was not going for a full track set-up, but it sounds like the rear toe was an issue.
I run 1/8" toe-out in the front and 1/16" toe in in the rear at -1.9 deg camber all around on my car, and I was just at the track this weekend and it was quite benign on 245/275 V710's. Granted I also have the Comptech front bar. But with less front tire your results should be similar. I would check the tire pressures for sure - I was running 35f/34r psi hot on the V710's and it felt perfect.
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#8
Originally Posted by TubeDriver,Aug 8 2006, 11:20 AM
front and rear? Try staggering your pressures with about 5 lbs more in the fronts.
I have not used the Avons but maybe see if low/mid 30s rear and high 30s front works better.
I have not used the Avons but maybe see if low/mid 30s rear and high 30s front works better.
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Originally Posted by RSXLNT,Aug 8 2006, 10:21 PM
More pressure in the fronts reduces oversteer? In my old FWD car, we used to reduce pressure in the back to induce more oversteer - which would be the same thing. I'm sure you're right, I just don't understand. Thanks in advance for any 411.
Increasing front pressures will often reduce grip and help balance out the oversteer you describe.
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