I think you are right that a stiffer chassis should impart more of the impact of the pothole to the occupants of the car. But somehow it also dampens the vibration from the impact more quickly than a softer chassis. So when going over a pothole, a car with a softer chassis may feel less of the initial impact but after the initial impact the car seems to reverberate for a while from that impact. A stiffer car seems to dampen that vibration down faster which makes for a more "comfortable" (in my personal experience) ride.

In a very early thread on the forum when the Digrappa brace just came out, someone measured the flex at the mounting points of the x-brace with and without an x-brace during aggressive street driving. If I remember correctly (someone please correct me if I am wrong), the flex without a brace was about .5 inches and with the digrappa was about 0.125 inches. I am not sure if that amount of flex was enough to change the suspension geometry or not though. But I have been amazed about the level of detail and thought that Honda engineers have put into this amazing car.

lawrence

 

#1- How many of you have driven a Camaro convertible or a Del Sol with the roof panel out? The body flex is so pathetic when you go over a bump it feels like there is a vibrator in your seat. The "comfort" benefit to a rigid structure is the elimination of this harmonic vibration after the initial impact. Yes, immediately following the impact a stiff structure will give you quite a jolt, but there it is and then it is gone. I find one jarring jolt way more comfortable than a bunch of nasty vibrations.

#2- If the mounting points for the suspension are moving due to a flexing structure the steering inputs change. Under hard cornering when the car has to go over bumps the additional structural reinforcements keep the steering inputs more consistent and predictable.

So yes, I actually think STB's and X-brace's do something on an S2000!

 

Had both till I got legal for b-stock. Miss them very much. Car is stiffer with the x-brace and strut towner bar. Stiffness = more sensititivity and immediate feedback from the wheels. Also allowes suspension to reacte better and independantly.

 

As I mentioned above, I had an x-brace, STB, and Cusco 3-piece bars. That combination really stiffened the chassis. The handling was definiitely sharper, and the effect is immediately apparent. Even driving out of my driveway (over what they call a curb here in AZ), with the x-brace, the chassis feels much more solid. Without the brace, it feels more flexible and there are some second order vibrations.

Unlike most on here, I also feel that the STB has an effect on the handing. For street driving (highway) with the STB, the car felt too darty. I would remove the STB, and the car would calm down somewhat. I run a pretty aggressive alignment, so maybe I could have dialed out the dartiness by playing with the alignment, but removing the STB for the street is a lot easier than paying $100 - $150 a pop for changes to the alignment.

I don't know if the Cusco bars did anything - I never drove the car without the x-brace and Cusco bars together.

 

First I added the X-brace and immediately the car felt better going through corners, the steering was sharper. Next I added the STB and it seemed to take things to yet another level of direct steering from my subtle steering wheel inputs. Then I added the custom rollbar that is bolted and welded directly into the X-bone frame section, and that is when the whole package came together. Stiff is good and I like it.



Maybe SCCA agrees with us and that is why you move out of Stock class if you have such things added...

 

Perzactly...

 

[QUOTE=syclone,Jul 27 2004, 05:21 AM] when i had the spoon x-brace on the car along with the spoon strut brace, the car was very twitchy..

 

The SCCA moves you out of stock class with those parts added because they are not stock. If the car came with stb and x-brace then you could stay in stock. It has nothing to do with any benefit/detriment/placebo effect said parts may have.

 

Opinions vary. I believe being moved out of stock class has EVERYTHING to do with the benefit/detriment/placebo effect said parts may have.

 

There are more than just S2000's in our class. The restrictions for stock vehicles are not specific to the S2000, just inclusive. Some vehicles receive an actual benefit in lap times with chassis reinforcement, the M Roadster for example. Nobody has ever reported a reliable lap time benefit to adding hunks of metal to their S2000.

I'm merely suggesting that things are placed into the proper context here.