Oh yeah, I'll also add, if you really want to make equal sized tires work, you probably can. It requires you to tweak the other suspension bits, like springs, swaybars, dampers, suspension geometry, etc. That's more skills than I have and probably 95% of the people on this board.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Fongu
Oh yeah, I'll also add, if you really want to make equal sized tires work, you probably can.

 

Ok, here are my thoughts w/ this equal size setup. The weather cleared up a bit today so I was able to finally test things out.


This is purely subjective based on my particular driving style ... which is the only way an S should ever be driven

Under normal traffic conditions (driving like an SUV, Accord etc..)= absolutely no problems whatsoever. The car's stance is stable and behaves predictably in normal day to day maneuvers.

When driven the way the S was engineered= the tail wants to swings out much easier than stock in corners but recovers just as easily w/ judicious amounts of countersteer and throttle feathering. It's virtually impossible not to drive faster w/ these Nitto 555 Extremes. I took it in a wide open, slightly gravelly parking lot the size of a footbal field and had a blast drifting this car.

On slalom turns and wide sweeping curves the car handles like a motorcycle on 4 wheels. You can practically lean into the apex and it obeys instantly.

Acceleration and braking was completely unaffected by the equal size of the tires. I experienced no pulling to either side and haven't done an alignment yet. The Konig 19" wheels are heavy but I can't understand why the acceleration seems quicker. You'd think w/ the spoke design there'd be more of an egg-beater affect thereby increasing wind turbulence and slowing things a bit.

The only mods I have are a front Strut bar, an AEM V.2 CAI and an HKS Hi-Power exhaust.

Conclusion:

This equal size setup isn't for everyone and certainly not for those who are unfamiliar w/ rear-wheel drive cars or don't appreciate an occasional oversteer. I'm loving the looks of these wheels and am having lots of fun w/ it's tricky handling.

However, I'm very aware that inclement weather could quickly put a damper on things.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Ubetit

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Russ
Even Honda's own sales brochure touting the 2004 being named one of Car and Driver's Top 10 said the changes were made because many felt the earlier version was just "too" pure a sportscar.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Axel6
After driving the S now for a few months, I would say NO...it does not make a difference whether you are driving 5/10ths or 9/10ths.

 

The situation will be exasperated during moments of little or NO adhesion. I think
this is the most misunderstood component of the discussion. I personally know more
than a few drivers who own S2000's with same size tires on all four wheels and have
reported no problems whatsoever. Now...having said that, when you push the car to
its absolute limits, you will discover the difference in handling but few owners have
the ability (truth be told) to do such, especially on public roads. On a track, where
tenths of seconds mean something, you bet, you'll notice a difference but nobody is timing
themselves going to the grocery store, taking the kid out for a drive, tooling on a Sunday
afternoon, etc.
For seven out of 10 S2000 owners (based on my own personal observation), same sized
tires (mind you, on a proper offset wheel) would not present a problem in nine out of 10
driving environments.
For the other three, they would notice the difference but would be talented enough
drivers to work their way through the nuances. The compelling case against same
sized tires is "why?" With all the choices out there, aside from perhaps winter tires,
why deviate from a 225/205 stagger at all? (Assuming you're not going with larger
tires as many who buy aftermarket wheels will do).

 

I have four oem back wheels on my "S" with 225's all around ( I rotate my tires). The car is now more predictable than before and much less tail happy. To me the wider front wheel tire combo improved my handling especially around corners. The car does have slight oversteer on uneven roads but the steering is ultra responsive and it puts me more in tune with the road.

 

I believe one of the first mass produced cars to have staggered wheels and tires was the Corvette. It wasn't always so but then, the Vette engineers started to design the car for a more targetted type of performance. I've talked about this in the past so I won't go into it again. I'll just ask you to go find out why the Corvette engineers decided to go to a staggered configuration and why certain other car models followed suit.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by phoenix9999