Hi guys, so I had my lowered S2000 aligned a few weeks ago after changing the compliance bushings and the guy doing the alignment really struggled to get everything within the tolerances for inspection/MOT (because these nitpickers here have to measure camber/caster/toe).
On the way home it felt really good when cornering, was on my original AP2V1 wheels with Potenza RE050 in original sizes.

We sold the wheels the next day because I had a set of AP2V3 wheels with new AD08R tires waiting, again in original sizes.
Lowered the car a bit more (about 2.5 cm I think), put the newer wheels and tires on and ever since it feels like the back end could break loose even when just overtaking a car, steering feels different and more sensitive to small bumps or potholes in the road.
I raised it up 1 cm but still feels the same. Drove 500km since because I thought it was the new tires maybe, but steering/back end still feels vague.

Would another alignment fix the problem or do (these) new tires really make this car feel so different for a certain time?
It's not stupid low and I really don't want to raise it more because it looks just the way I want right now, but I don't feel like spending money on another alignment again if it's not going to help.

 

It's not in tolerance for MOT / inspection. It's in tolerance for not driving / handling badly. If you need to raise it to get the alignment correct then do it - either sell it and buy a Civic and drop it on the ground or go and park up in McD carpark looking fast but going nowhere.

 

So you lowered it and then had it geo'd.

And then lowered it again and didn't have it geo'd..........

 

Thank you so much for your opinion

Anyway, I asked a friend with an S2000 (similar height to mine, a bit lower I think) and he doesn't have this problem at all.
He also thinks the car's handling shouldn't be screwed up like this just from lowering it another 1.5 cm after alignment, especially when it handled so good before.

So maybe it does have something to do with the tires, anyone else had a similar problem with new tires?

 

Yes, my plan was to have the geometry inspected after lowering, then lower it a bit more and have it geo'd again.
But apparantely in Belgium you need to have a full check up as well if you have the geometry inspected (this means changing everything back to stock which I already did a few months ago), they change the date for yearly inspection as well (which is very inconvenient during summer months) and charge you twice the money for two inspections in one year.
So I thought I'd just leave it geo'd on inspection height, lower it a bit more and drive around for now until I'll have the geometry inspected by the end of the year.

But it's almost at the same height again now and still handles like crap
Which brings me back to my main question, is it even possible handling goes from near perfect to utter crap when just lowered an extra 1.5 cm and is it worth having another alignment or just a waste of money?

 

Don't the rear toe arms become less effective when the car is dropped below a certain point due to the angle or something. Many people upgrade these to address the handling problem.

It would seem that raising the car back up to the geo'd position would be your best/safest course of action though.

 

Yes is you're answer ..... lowering the car a further 1.5cm will make your cars geo right out ..... get some pics up of your ride height .

 

Thank you, that's a useful answer. Unfortunately these upgrades are forbidden in Belgium so that's not really an option.
I'll raise it some more, if it's still the same I guess it is the new tires then?

This is how it was, now it's 1 cm higher:

 

This is about the most you should lower your car before it starts to adversely affect the handling or start to cause you problems on bumpy roads:

 

^ Mine was actually already lower than that when it handled so good.
It also felt better in every way compared to the original shocks and springs once I installed my KW V3 kit and lowered it the first time, that's why I was having trouble believing 1.5 cm can make such a huge difference.

Nice wheels btw