Low rear tire pressure will give a sudden spin when the tires roll over. Also, I have inadvertantly confirmed that the anti-lock brakes do activate when the car has done a 180. All of this information was found out safely on autoX courses.

 

RandyP, thanks for that useful info, i didn't know that! makes more sense now. but i was also saying it felt like they locked (ie NO ABS), but that was really just the tires sliding

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ricklobo
[B]Everyone should learn how to learn a sportbike first before getting behind the wheel of a car (in theory, of course...).

 

Hey Sir Tom GT,

I drove cars for 5 years before I got a bike... then beginning in '95, with my first CBR, I picked up a lot of small things on the bike that make me a better (read: safer) driver behind the wheel. And over time, as I moved from CBR to CBR (600 to 900 to 929), I am a firm believer that the car should be treated like a bike in many respects (besides the wheelies, of course...).

That's why I love the S2000... While a lot of people may complain of their dramatic breaking points of the S, I love it for what it enables the drive to do (pushing, experimenting, etc.). Get behind a wheel of a Boxster S or M, and you'll have fun, but a very predictable ride that doesn't offer the driver the ability to improve on his/her skills that the S affords the driver. Just my 2 cents...

Now only if we (and our cars) were adempt enough to have individual braking abilities on each axle (manual, of course, no dummy electronics)... One could modulate brake pressure akin to that of applying the front brake on a bike when doing an endo... (and in a Homer Simpson tone , "hmmmm... fun..." )

 

Sounds to me like you should've done a controlled drift. Give more gas and steer your way around the corner (given that you have some room to fish-tail).

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Tanqueray
[B]This is one of those things that time on the track teaches you fast...I highly recommend doing some track days.

 

This is very true. Having a good instructor helps out a lot, especially during the first few times out on a track. Otherwise it's easy to develop bad habits and get frustrated when everyone else passes ya

If you can't find track events, at least do a few autocrosses. It's easy and cheap, and you get to learn the limits of your car a whole lot faster and safer than on the street.

 

If you find yourself going too fast it's best to eaze of the steering-wheel and wash a bit of speed. Then commit yourself to the corner again at lower speed ... even a few mph less cornering speed can make a difference. Unless you're already 'rubbing' against a curb there should be at least some room to do this. This way you can ease of the throttle (and even touch the brakes a bit) because you loosen your steering lock (and hence your arc or travel).

Besides that you should not only keep the type presses in check but also realize that different days produce very different grip levels ... I notice this a fair bit more in the S2000 than other cars.

 

Guys,

I usually only observe and rarely ever post but I want to discuss something about the S2000 suspension. When I first got the car, I was powering (accelerating) through a long sweeping corner. This turn starts out fairly sharp but eases up in the end and lasts about 1/8 mi. I had reached a speed where I felt comfortable (the tires were not squealing yet) and I was still in the corner. I let off the gas gently to maintain speed through the corner and felt the rear end step out. The tires did not break away (it almost felt like a tire had rolled on me but I know it did not) nor did I lose control but I definitely had to make a steering correction.

What I actually believe is happening is that the rear suspension has some screwy geometry where the actual camber (or something) is changing when the rear suspension is going from medium loads to heavy loads and vice versa.

I was actually waiting for a thread like this, because if this happening with the rear tires at the limit any quick change in the rear suspension geometry will cause an immediate breakaway.

Before you start flaming me. I have done autocross's and had track time. I cannot say that I am the greatest driver in the world but I have had other rear wheel drive cars ( my last was a '99 Porsche 996) that did not exhibit this behaviour.

What bothers me most is that I can make this step out feeling happen in any corner at any speed whether the car is at the limit or not. All I have to do is to load then unload the suspension lightly. It is very disconcerting to me.

 

Phil,

The way you describe it, i'd say the car is behaving exactly like you're intending it to. You are in control! You seem to understand how the car works ( though you may not like some aspects of it) and how to will change to your inputs.

Sir Tom on the otherhand "lost" control. In addition the the comments already made, I'd like to add that the Nitto tires are also a contributing factor. Nobody has mentioned it, but are you on a 225/245 tire size combination? There are numerous threads about the relative sizes of the stock S-02s and the fact they are more like 215/265. Many people with non S-02 tires have a front/rear ratio that is incorrect and will result in an oversteering car at 9/10ths.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by PhilS2000
[B]Guys,

I usually only observe and rarely ever post but I want to discuss something about the S2000 suspension.