spring spacers gets my vote - that was the only time my car has EVER been easy to coax the rear out

 

what do they look like? thanks

 

First thing I would check is for spring spacers as everyone else suggested. Jack up your car, take off the wheels, and look for a plastic piece that sits in between the springs. Do a search for spring spacers and I'm sure you can find a picture of it, but it is obvious when you see it.

I was also having problems with the car when I first got it (used), I spun out twice within a month. The previous owner had worn out S02's on the front and too small 225 S03's on the back, and completely screwed up alignment. Make sure you get the right size tires, and most importantly GET AN ALIGNMENT at a recommended race/tune shop. Don't go to a Firestone or similar place because from my experience they just don't know what they're doing. I would go ask people in the regional communites for their recommendation on a good alignment shop. Once I got the right tires, and alignment the car is light years better. It'll still oversteer though, thats just part of a lightweight RWD car. But the car actually feels like it has grip now.

 

well there is a thing plastic piece at the very bottom of the spring that it rests on. its black and thing... not much els I can say about it. I did not take off the wheel or anything just looked on it. let me know what it is. thanks

 

try a viper. The S2000 has no torque and bites hard once you get used to it.

 

 

You can't really see it with the wheels on, you really should either get it checked out, or just do it yourself.

 

This is and all the other posts are very good advice.

AWD cars tend to understeer, and are able to put down power earlier in a turn because of their traction advantage when accelerating. I'm guessing that you are giving too much gas and doing it too early in a turn. This will "saturate" the grip of the rear tires causing them to slide. Learning to turn with the throttle this is one of the funnest and useful things about RWD. There are other causes of oversteer too, but learning all this is best done and taught at a school.

The skidpad test is just shows maximum grip at a constant speed. Don't let the number throw you. Its shows how much grip you can expect on balanced throttle. Once you start braking, gassing or moving the steering wheel, that number doesn't apply. When I've done the skidpad on my '02 there is noticable UNDERSTEER. Some parts used to fix oversteer will actually decrease the max skidpad number.

Handling is really about if the car behaves in a "good" way with respect to road conditions and driver input. This is something that requires some driver feel and education to sanely comment about, to decide on the right modifications. If you do get to an autocross find an experienced S2000 driver, or any other car, and get a ride along. You'll be amazed what an experienced driver can do with any bone stock car. My first year of autocross, I would get my ass handed to me in raw time by this incredible driver in a stock Hyndai Accent, in all it's 100 hp glory.

There are definitely parts that will make the car handle better. But we are talking about tweaks that will only be noticed when driving near the limit, i.e. on the track or autocross. It is better to have more driver experience to really know what you want out of the car. If anyone is hitting those limits on public roads, they can could do with some driver training or be locked up for driving at unsafe speeds way above any typical speed limits.

 

I have trouble getting mine to kick out. Wierd.

 

I experienced understeer untill I had my alignment done.....the alignment from the factory was CRAP....it was way out of factory specs....The MY04 is like the MY00-03 you should really have the alignment done.

It's possible that a really bad alignment could make this car oversteer. Compared to my last car the MY04 is hard to break the back end loose, and locks down very quickly once you do.