Compilation video of my S2000 oversteering during the last six local track days. 2006 w/ CR suspension, early AP1 front swaybar(28.2mm), stock rear swaybar, 17x9 w/ 255 RS3s square. No aero mods.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHzSLJfSHqk

I have driven a friends AP1 S2000 with CR front suspension, stock AP1 rear suspension, AP2 rear swaybar, and 17x9 w/ 255 RS3s square, also we both run similar alignments and his car does not exhibit this oversteer tendency. Any thoughts?

-David

 

Looks about right for the setup you have. It looks like you are turning in too abruptly and correcting way too late and by too much. Some of the clips that you posted, you probably consider them "saves" but I would consider them the fastest way to get the S2000 around a corner. The S2000 without any significant aero is actually faster with that amount of slip angle.

Here is a pro driver piloting a stock CR with non-staggered tire. The CR has some front and rear aero, but you can see how much slip angle he uses around corners. This is just the way it is. You can imagine without the rear wing, the car would be even more loose--essentially the same setup you have.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPOO-u0SWw8

 

Love that video of Charles, it never seems to get old although cameras now are so much better lol

 

I agree, I really noticed this at the 3:20 spin.

-David

 

How is the steady-state balance of the car? Does it over/understeer on neutral throttle (maintaining a speed)?

Your video makes it look like you have too much rear rebound damping. Turn in is good, but the rear end just washes away as you overload the outside rear tire. I had that problem, but with adjustable dampers, I was able to tune it out. Are you sure they are CR springs on those CR dampers? Do you have traction issues over rough surfaces?

 

I can only get understeer on low speed corners(bottom of 2nd gear) if I apply throttle too early. Any high speed 3rd gear corner results in good turn in transitioning into exit oversteer after the car takes a set. Under steady state cornering and throttle I believe the car is neutral. Probably need to test the steady state handling more.

That is how the car feels from the driver's seat. I wish the CR shocks were adjustable. This might also explain why the AP1 S2000 my friend has does not exhibit this characteristic, his car is running CR fronts with stock rears.

I cross referenced the spring colors to the table and verified they are CR springs and shocks on all four corners. I have not tested the handling on a rough surface to comment.

-David

 

I bought this car from the OP about 6 months ago and have done a little under 80 'laps' at Pittsburgh Raceway (BeaveRun) during something called 'Trackcross' which is a 1 lap standing start that skips the long front and back straights.

The car came with half worn 225/255 RS3s instead of the square setup mentioned in the 1st post. This was my 1st time driving an AP2 S2000 on something other than Michelin winter tires through a blizzard in Pennsylvania on my way down to Florida in 2008 so I wasn't really sure how much of the 'Spin2000' hype to believe. I've been told the AP2s are much milder to drive in comparison to an AP1.

I noticed that my lap times didn't change much (within 0.1 seconds) as long as I drove the same line and kept the countersteering angle to less than 20 degrees at the steering wheel.

 

I only watched a few of those, but to me it seemed as though the OP was turning in way too early and hard, then trying to force the car around the corner. At some point turning the wheel in more won't get you anything good. Take that same driving style and turn in a bit later and I think he might have had better luck, although man that was really aggressive driving. In one comment above he mentioned allowing the car to take a set, but I am not sure I observed that in the portion I watched, if the car had a mind I think it was thinking "WTF". Sure setup may have contributed, but I think some of that was driver.

It was nice to watch the pro vid afterwards though, it really emphasized just how smooth and purposeful he was behind the wheel

 

Stock for stock the Ap1 is "harder to drive"

The AP2 is not very reminiscent of what the original S2000 drove like. Far easier/compliant (which is better obviously but far less fun and has far less character)

 

Yup. OP was turning in too early and needlessly abruptly, so he's starting the corner pointed at the weeds and with the car unsettled. Then he's trying to correct the line and save the corner by adding lock, abruptly and off throttle. Once the understeering fronts finally hook up, he's practically hurling the rear end towards the weeds. Points for dramatic flair!

Also, necro-thread!