so ive been searching around the forums , had my car for about a week and still discovering things that are broken and need fixing and things that could go bye bye and planning future improvements
so far it seems to be fun car besides being 6.1 not being able to see the traffic lights
if i was to describe how i feel driving the s2000 it would be this image



i searched and did not find what i was looking for and rather than making 6 different threads for each question im hoping that the people who been here for ages can point me to a proper post since you probably know them by names just like i do on honda tech.

1 im looking to upgrade to some forged wheels(te37 or cp-035 or similar) so im looking for a compromise between traction and rotating mass of the wheel. what size and width wheel would give me best compromise between weight and traction.
i found some wheels that are 17x8 and 17x9 and seems like its a popular combo but will that 1" increase in rim width give me so much better traction over 7"and 8" to justify increase in weight?

2 i hear alot of horror stories about rear diff and also rear tires kicking out so theres that thing. i read: too sticky of a tire will blow the rear diff, not enough sticky will kick the rear end out all the time. wheres the happy medium?
i personally like using extremecontact dws06 or general gmax or any of the top 10 ultra performance all season tires that are rated on tire rack.. is there a prefered all season tire for this car that people like more than others?

3 just throwing it out there. but is it possible to install the ap2 pass side airbag disable system on ap1? my kid loves the cars and keeps asking me to give him a ride in the s2k but obviously i cant with the airbag active.

4 what makes s2000 such a rough ride lol its like riding on bricks even when its stock lol i was very surprised to find stock s2k ride was stiffer than del sol with skunk2 proC turned up to stiff and urethane bushing suspension.
not that im complaining on the corners but around town its feels weird

5 has anyone found best intake tube length? i didnt see anyone dyno test intake tube length for stock(ish motor) i saw one guy attempt to start a thread about intake design but it seem to go nowere besides agreeing that intake diameter should match throttle body ( which seems obvious)i did a dyno test on b series with my custom made adjustable length intake + 3 other off the shelf intakes. and i ran out of space and had to extend it past the headlight to get optimal power. im assuming( hoping) someone did something liek that with s2k engine?

6 after searching for a while there seems to be no real way to tell the difference between ap1 and ap2 diff when buying a used one.
say i buy one on ebay supposedly from ap2 how can i tell its actually ap2 and not ap1 diff?

7 not really a question. but damn oem hardtop costs almost as much as the car itself now...

 

Welcome to s2ki!

And Grats on the new car!

Te37's (nice rims!) but will be an odd offset likely requiring fender rolling. There are s2000 spec Volk/Rays rims out there, though. Evasivemotorsports usually does special group buys on some of those.

The AP1 diff really is weak if you plan to clutch dump regularly. Not sure if Puddymod is still out there, but reinforced diffs are a thing. AP2 diffs are a little bit less prone to failure, but i wouldn't go turbo and dump on a 7k two step with either.

Not sure on the pax airbag disable.

It is normal for the AP1 to have a stiff ride. I believe the spring rate is 9k all around. There is a thread on coilover systems vs the stock system. It gets pricey if you are looking to go for better (but there are budget set-ups out there) The AP2 came out with a less harsh stock suspension, if you want to swap to it, too.

Best i could say about the diffs would be to cross check part numbers.
Intake tube length.. I've never really come across an in-depth discussion over it.

OEM hardtops were an option for us, and discontinued quite a while ago. Being all aluminum, it is quite desirable (supply and demand.. yea).
I mean, next stage above it would be an authentic Spoon or Mugen hardtop. Though, there are unicorn sales on craigslist for oem hardtops below $3500.

 

ap1 diff is fine as long as you don't launch it everyday, so I wouldn't worry about it really. Maybe just freshen up the fluid and call it good. As far as rims I would do the 17x9(rear) and 17x7.5 for the front, the hard part about rims for this car is they need to be a very high offset and so that limits your choices.

 

In 11 years of owning the same S2000, I haven't broken an AP1 diff yet (in the traditional way).

I used to clutch dump at 8K at autocross with an exedy hyper single and Direzza SS's.

My original diff locked up internally and would knock around corners. This was after a lot of launching and high curbing at race tracks. And also a 45sec long burnout. But...the case was fine and the diff still worked when removed.

My 2nd diff was always whiney. No clue why. I sold it for whiney diff money.

My current diff is excellent. No clue on miles. Probably low as a MF.

Leave the diff alone if its not broken. Don't drive like an absolute maniac. The diff doesn't just break. People aren't carrying spares in their purses or something.

AP2 diffs have a different flange. So...externally, thats how you tell. I think the 06+ versions have a different looking vent tube? AP2 diffs are marginally stronger.

Why are you planning on all season tyres?

The rear of the car loses traction because its driven that way. Stickier tyres will have a higher limit. So most people who use tyres to save the car from spinning just crash while going faster.

I'm using 17x10+50's and 255's all around. They likely weigh a tiny bit more than the stock 16's. But the car turns better lap times anyway. Don't over think it.

I'm currently using ADVAN RZ2's which are roll forged (forging for poor people). And Bridgestone RE71R's.

If you're not tracking the car...look at MPSS's or Bridgestone S04's or Firestone Firechickens.

if you need to drive in the snow, buy snow tyres for your stock wheels.

I'm thinking about buying Volk ZE40's...which come in S2000 width/offsets and are forged. I am not buying them to shed weight or to do anything functional. I just like them.

 

welcome.
Never buy all season tires if you only drive when the temps are above 7 degrees C. buy low tread wear tires and replace them every 3-4 years, even if they don't look worn (UTQG 200-340)- Z2, RS4, RE71R. Buy snow tires if you're going to drive in cold/snowy weather

The AP1 just doesn't lose control, unless YOU do something stupid- like lift the throttle suddenly.
Get BYS seat lowering kid- run about $370 for the driver's seat - you'll see the traffic lights much better.
Don't worry about the air bag- just don't crash with your kids in the car- i never worried about it.
The ride is a little more harsh, but this isn't a Lexus- just drive it.
Buy a FIPK from K + N- keeps the air filter in the engine bay and shrouded from heat soak- Don't wrack your brain trying to figure out tube lengths etc- really, you're not going to get much out of the F20C with bolt ons- few horsepowers here and there maybe.

and don't crash
darcy

 

paying attention to details does pay off
balanced rotating assembly + tuned intake length +forged wheels = 200whp on a bone stock usdm spec type-r with gsr gears. when most people get around 190.
in rare cases a unicorn JDM type-r gets around 200 whp and thats with itr transmission
there is a purpose for all this. i do want to see what i can do with stock block and boltons on this car

my plan is to remove some excess weight(air pump, lighter stereo system, cruize control, spare tire and carpets, floor mats, useless brackets etc)
and then find a good combination of boltons.
header exhaust intake, bigger throttle body, port match and clean up the casting flaws if there are any
RM sparkplugs indexed.
ID 725 injectors because i already have them
possibly better cams and upgraded springs/retainers with stock valves)
and a tune of course

 

It took me about 6 minutes to figure out a winning ITR combination. More power, short gears, sticky tyres, brake pads that didn't overheat, a decent suspension that worked where I used it.

TE37's are on there because I like the way they look...and they were convenient to buy.

15X7 TE's were like 9.x LB. No clue how much 205mm 71R's weighed. But even if a less sticky tyre weighed less....the sticky one is faster.

I would have preferred a 15x8 and 245mm's up front. It would have gone WAY faster even if they were a different brand or model that weighed more.

Sometimes simple is more effective.





But...I guess you're having fun with the details. Nothing wrong with that.

But usually, detailed builds have a purpose.

I'm a logic based organism. Is this a build thread, or are you asking for input? Or just a discussion?

Its fine either way...but...why all the detail? what purpose are you building this car toward?

And all that detail followed up with an all season tyre choice is incredibly odd. Detail detail detail, cams, cleaning up castings, port flowing, retainers...and...eehhhh whatever tyres I can find lying on the side of the road.

KNOWWHATIMEAN?

The tyre choice is a more effective mod than all of the other detail junk put together. If the goal is to be effective....

 

the ultra performance tire is because im in seattle. we can have all 4 seasons before noon here. and i found that ultra performance all season tires such as extremecontact dws06 or general gmax work really well in any weather i can be driving to work in snow driving to lunch sunny and driving home rain .
this was just questions i had that i couldnt find good answers to.

the wheel width question was becasue i wanted to see if that extra inch of width is really gonna make that much difference in traction that is worth added weight of wheel and tire
i want to use all the tricks possible to get it as fast in 1/4 mile as i can so the goal is to have a good acceleration and handling

jsut like my del sol and integra both were daily drivers that were very quick for being stock..
i pay attention to details including saving about 25-30lbs on stereo system and
my weight reduction is not by deleting useful features but by finding lighter weight options and retaining functions and keeping it simple where it counts

but i do take extreme detail in matching parts and rebuilding motors.to a point of my friends makign fun of me until the dyno time comes they they are usually surprised by the numbers

i just didnt see any dyno comparisons from boltons like they have on HT for b and k series. i found few dyno charts for headers from magazines etc but its really not helpful since completely different circumstances for each dyno

 

Check to make sure your suspension really is stock. Stock shocks. Stock springs. Also check to make sure the factory spring spacers aren't still in there. It happens.

I don't think ot can be emphasized enough about tires. This car acts wonky if the sidewalls aren't sufficiently stiff. While some summer performance tires are more suitable than others, pretty much any AS tire is going to be totally lacking in this regard. This is why everyone is telling you not to go this route.

Get summer tires with a stiff enough sidewall, then don't drive the car when temps might go low enough for snow or ice or cold roads. Get winter tires if you must drive it in cold weather, then drive it respectfull of their limitations.

 

Drop your seat tracks or stay back from stop lights.

Immediately modifying the car is not the best idea as it works wonderfully off the dealer's floor. Wheels are largely fluff as rotational mass of the forged OEM wheels makes no difference at other than the highest competition levels. I'm guessing you have the OEM 16" wheels. OEM 17" wheels fit perfectly. Tires are the critical performance factor on this car and stiff sidewalls are vital. I've driven with both Extreme and Max performance summer tires, the top two tiers. I can't recommend anything lower performance and All Seasons have not worked for anyone here that I can see. Skip messing with the suspension until you get tires (and maybe wheels) sorted. I've seen no reason to change springs on my car. Or brakes, but I do insist on performance tires.

You will not make any usable power with bolt-ons. Half a dozen horsepower is claimed with the K&N FIPK inlet but other than what I consider a pleasing intake sound there's no advantage I've found over three years. The Speed Academy guys in Toronto fitted individual throttle bodies and got nothing. Same for exhausts. More pleasing sounds for sure but no power. These cars can be tuned via an aftermarket ECU and someone who knows how to tune them. If you can lower VTEC significantly the mid range power increases significantly. Well beyond my ability with fuel tables, etc.

Just curious if your keyboard has a shift key. Your messages are very hard to read so I'm sure to have missed something starting with what model year you have.

-- Chuck