Handling quirks
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 11,615
Likes: 1
From: North Richland Hills, TX
Handling quirks? I think it handles damn near perfect, and I drive the hell out of mine (7.3K miles and the tires are about ready to be replaced).
Mine corners flat as can be reasonably expected, and the handling balance leans more toward oversteer than understeer, but can be easily fine-tuned w/ my right foot. BTW, I used to autocross a '90 CRX Si w/ Tokiko 5 way adj. shocks, Jackson Racing springs, and a disconnected fr. sway bar (for faster turn-in/more rearward handling balance). It was a blast, but IMO my stock S2K still handles better.
Mine corners flat as can be reasonably expected, and the handling balance leans more toward oversteer than understeer, but can be easily fine-tuned w/ my right foot. BTW, I used to autocross a '90 CRX Si w/ Tokiko 5 way adj. shocks, Jackson Racing springs, and a disconnected fr. sway bar (for faster turn-in/more rearward handling balance). It was a blast, but IMO my stock S2K still handles better.
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 27
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From: Portland
I tried changing the tire pressures to 36F/34R ... Wow, what a difference! Understeer is much less pronounced, and more importantly, that hesitation of the car to tuck the nose into a corner is much reduced. I didn't think any car could be this unstable with respect to tire pressures ...
Try running 34 F&R if you want to simulate the effect I was trying to get rid of.
Try running 34 F&R if you want to simulate the effect I was trying to get rid of.
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 180
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From: 14,000 ft over Laurel, MS
Before I begin I must admit that I'm not an autocrosser and know next to nothing about the science of car handling characteristics. All I know is that in my S2000, I often find myself surprised going into turns because the front end isn't coming around like I think it should for the steering wheel input I am giving it and I have to bring the nose around more during the turn.
There is a great twisty road near my home that I have been playing on for years and am very used to. My previous car, an Eclipse GSX, never gave me this feeling. I don't know what is causing it, but I have not gotten used to it yet or learned how to properly enter the corners in the car.
Does the S2000 have some sort of proportional power steering - power steering assist that varies its responsiveness with speed? If so, maybe that explains it.
There is a great twisty road near my home that I have been playing on for years and am very used to. My previous car, an Eclipse GSX, never gave me this feeling. I don't know what is causing it, but I have not gotten used to it yet or learned how to properly enter the corners in the car.
Does the S2000 have some sort of proportional power steering - power steering assist that varies its responsiveness with speed? If so, maybe that explains it.
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 2,589
Likes: 0
From: Isle of Man
Anyone considered that they're cornering at speeds they haven't been used to with slower cars? That takes some getting used to and mentally as much as anything else you have to adjust what you and your car are capable of.
I find myself entering corners I know well at a 5-10 mph higher speed than I used to in my Prelude and if I panic, I lift off and due to the compression of the engine, completely alter the balance of the car. Knowing better, I now put on more throttle and, as long as the road isn't wet or greasy, the car makes it around beautifully and I realise the 'problem' was in my head. The wonder of the LSD
Also because of the performance from the engine, there is a tendency to throttle and brake everywhere, but I have learned to be much smoother about everything (gear change, steering input, throttle application) and the handling is as flawless as I've ever encountered and extremely quick I drive quickly on a regular basis on some very challenging roads and road surfaces and I've only myself to blame for a few embarrassing misjudgments.
When I hear people talking about body roll on the Stook, I can only imagine their ideal car must be a go-kart or something. Every American car I ever rode in is fat and flabby - take the Lincoln Town Car as an example (so named because it's as big as a town and about as agile). The Stook is a hard ride and if anyone doubts it, they're obviously driving on a billiard table.
Why should anybody be surprised that a car like this is sensitive to different tyre pressures? As much of the suspension comes from the tyres themselves as from the springs and dampers, so I guess that shows the stock car must be well damped and sprung to react to tyre pressure changes so readily - it stands to reason as far as I'm concerned.
As for understeer, that's usually the result of not applying enough throttle - a trait I picked up from driving too many front wheel drive cars which I've now had to overcome.
What the Stook does is give drivers the potential to raise the level of their own performance, but it's up to us whether we want to take advantage of it. My car is quite happy bumbling around town (as long as the revs aren't too low and in a low gear) and it would do that all day if I asked it, but I've realised I need to be a better driver to get the rest out of it and if that involves a bit of experimentation on technique and setup, then that's what I have to do. If I'm lazy about that, it won't come to me, or you if you're complaining about 'unresponsive' steering, body roll or over/understeer
You'll get the hang of it if you keep practising IMHO
I find myself entering corners I know well at a 5-10 mph higher speed than I used to in my Prelude and if I panic, I lift off and due to the compression of the engine, completely alter the balance of the car. Knowing better, I now put on more throttle and, as long as the road isn't wet or greasy, the car makes it around beautifully and I realise the 'problem' was in my head. The wonder of the LSD
Also because of the performance from the engine, there is a tendency to throttle and brake everywhere, but I have learned to be much smoother about everything (gear change, steering input, throttle application) and the handling is as flawless as I've ever encountered and extremely quick
I drive quickly on a regular basis on some very challenging roads and road surfaces and I've only myself to blame for a few embarrassing misjudgments.When I hear people talking about body roll on the Stook, I can only imagine their ideal car must be a go-kart or something. Every American car I ever rode in is fat and flabby - take the Lincoln Town Car as an example (so named because it's as big as a town and about as agile). The Stook is a hard ride and if anyone doubts it, they're obviously driving on a billiard table.
Why should anybody be surprised that a car like this is sensitive to different tyre pressures? As much of the suspension comes from the tyres themselves as from the springs and dampers, so I guess that shows the stock car must be well damped and sprung to react to tyre pressure changes so readily - it stands to reason as far as I'm concerned.
As for understeer, that's usually the result of not applying enough throttle - a trait I picked up from driving too many front wheel drive cars which I've now had to overcome.
What the Stook does is give drivers the potential to raise the level of their own performance, but it's up to us whether we want to take advantage of it. My car is quite happy bumbling around town (as long as the revs aren't too low and in a low gear) and it would do that all day if I asked it, but I've realised I need to be a better driver to get the rest out of it and if that involves a bit of experimentation on technique and setup, then that's what I have to do. If I'm lazy about that, it won't come to me, or you if you're complaining about 'unresponsive' steering, body roll or over/understeer
You'll get the hang of it if you keep practising IMHO
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