Just picked up a AP with Raceland coil-overs, handling is twitchy but I expected that after 2 months of research before buying. When pushed it definitely over steers which again I expected. However, there's an unsettling hop or movement in the rear. I don't know if the car was previously tracked (trade-in) but most likely the suspension prob needs to be adjusted. I'm hoping no one says its just a "feature" of these S2000s.. The coilovers are the lower end RA-S2K variety....tires are bridgestone potenzas.

From motorcycle track days I'm pretty comfortable with terms like spring rates, sag/preload, compression/rebound damping....most of the S2000 coilover videos I've watched are about lowering the height :-(

These coilovers have adjustment for compression and rebound, hoping someone can point me to some general guidelines for aggressive road use (not track).

Sam

 

I mean these raceland coil overs are e bay coil overs you really get what you pay for

I would change them out not even mess with them. These coil overs are mostly just for looks not performance. I just upgraded to HKS hipermax I'm pretty happy but these are still low end coil overs if we compare them to like Moton 3-Way lol

Coil over will come down to performance setup and sometimes even looks; get what fits your needs.

 

Well...as you said, you're familiar with setups.

I would remove them, measure the available stroke, and then set preload to get an advantageous amount of travel in both directions.

If the dampers are adjustable, maybe try playing with those.

Not too many people that buy Racelands will buy them to set them up with some expertise for some specific purpose. They're a cheap way to drop the car. The install was likely done by someone who had basic skill and knowledge.

Is the car aligned?

What model of Potenza?

You're in the best position to figure out if the suspension is properly dialed in.

Torn bushings?

Broken parts?

etc etc etc.

Dial it until it feels right.

 

Thanks for the candid feedback, I'm of the same mindset on these coilovers....

 

Yeah, in many car forums they are nicknamed Ricelands. They are super, super cheapo coilovers really just meant for people to stance their car on the dirt cheap. I have never heard anyone keep them on a car they wre seriously trying to make handle better. The stock suspension would be much better.

You may be able to make them better, but I am not sure what spring rates they have and the dampers will never be great.

AP1s are more tail happy than an AP2 by nature. However you can adjust to that. Are you wanting to track the car? It would be better if we knew your intended usage. On an AP1 a big front sway is typically one of the first things people do to tame it down a bit. Dont bother with the Whitelines, etc as they are not as stiff as what most people will end up running. Karcepts is a great choice. If you do not want to spend that much the Moddicatoin (saner copy) works pretty well. There is Gendron, but it is more expensive than the Karcepts.

Springs and shocks will depend on what you want to do with the car. I do have a set of well used Konis that have been revalved for stiffer springs that I would get rid of pretty cheap. The yellows cannot properly manage the stiffer springs used in STR builds and thus I moved to something else. But if you were running somewhere around 500lb rates they likely will do great.

But again, let us know your intended usage and we can likely recommend some decent choices.

 

Tires are S-02s, Yeah I've not put the car on a lift but quick inspection of rear suspension components all looks good and tight, no rear end noise, the org owner did installed front/rear sway bars. Would love to find a replacement set with remote damping that won't break the bank?