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Twitchy rear end?

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Old 10-15-2001, 03:58 AM
  #31  
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Originally posted by UKjasonm
Its very easy to get the rear to step out in wet corners but its great fun and helps get you through the corner quicker
But backwards....
Old 10-21-2001, 01:44 PM
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But it's not been cold!

My understanding is that although the car is snappy in the wet, it's basically as you'd expect, just very sharp.

In the cold (below 10 deg) the tyres seem to lose traction at very low speeds. This seems to be the cause of the spins. It's the very trustworthy/suddenly treacherous contrast that catches people out.

Having said that, did everyone see that videoclip of the Japanese journalist who spun one off a track that was posted some months back? It really was quite funny to hear the voice over.
Old 10-25-2001, 08:55 AM
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my 2d on the subject. i've definately always been of the "smooth-is-best" mindset and never, ever (touch wood) spun my s2k on either the road or the track, despite some fairly full-on sessions on both. all that slow-in fast-out stuff is quite suited to our car, providing you get down the gearbox far enough to be back in vtec land at the apex of the corner.

anyway, point is that i eventually changed my rears (too many track days). as far as i can tell, i've swapped S02's for S02's, although the new ones say "Pole Position" on them as well, which i don't remember on the last set. they were from my honda dealer, not some dodgy quickfit place. anyway, it's definately definately more twitchy at the back. it's not that the back end gets away, just that at totally normal 20-30mph speeds, a little push on the throttle round the corner makes the back end twitch. not enough to need any steering correction (you'd hope not at 20mph), but enough to tell you that it's there, and it never used to do that.

Most likely the pressures i guess, and i'll double-check them this weekend, or maybe i just need to scrub these tyres in a little. Or maybe it's the tyres?

anyone else have any similar symptoms when they swapped tyres?

s
Old 10-25-2001, 09:09 AM
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I'm not an authority on tyres by any means and I haven't changed mine yet, but I understand you have to be careful to get the OEM SO2 tyres which are originally fitted and which were developed specially for the car. It sounds like you have got the non-OEM ones, which could be the cause of your twitchy back end. (If you'll pardon the expression)
Old 10-25-2001, 10:43 AM
  #35  
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I've got S02PP's on mine and the car is definately more sure footed in the wet. If you got 225's on the back then you're tyres are too small! The OEM 225 have a very stiff sidewall and are more like 245's. I've got 245's and am very pleased with the dry/wet handling now.
Old 10-25-2001, 12:08 PM
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Andy (everyone),

I (touch wood) haven't found the limits of the OEM S02s in the wet up here (under restrained driving) in the cold grim North but am giving very serious thought to getting another set of rims for everyday tyres (saving the OEMs for the track).

My question is do you rate the SO2 PP's much safer in the wet with acceptable dry handling characteristics. I have heard many good things but it is a tidy sum of cash... I have previously used Goodyear F1 GSD2s that I loved, any comparison?

Thanks.
Old 10-25-2001, 12:47 PM
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Red:

Someone will advise you who is more knowledgabe than I, about tyre options, no doubt, but I have had my S2000 for a little over 18 months and have a winter's driving under my belt now.

I love the OEM SO2's, fantastic tyres...in the dry! When you say you haven't found the limits in the wet yet, I'm sure it's because you are treating the car with the respect it deserves. Try really gunning the throttle coming off a roundabout in the wet, as you could in many cars, and the limit soon becomes apparent!

Snow is my biggest concern. We only had one moderately bad fall of snow last winter, probably about 4 inches or so, but at the end of the cul de sac where we live the snow tends to drift with the wind. We ended up with about 6-8 inches of snow in front of the garage. I reversed the car out alright, but when I tried to turn the car around, that was it... stuck solid. It took me the best part of an hour to get the car back into the garage with a combination of digging, pushing and cursing. Little cars with skinny tyres were having no problem coping at all.

I have no hesitation in saying that the standard SO2's are not suitable for all but the lightest fall of fresh snow, and the prospect of driving on ice with them is scary in the extreme. We can cope with public transport on the very few days we have like that, but if you have a lot of miles to do, I would certainly look for more suitable tyres for winter use!
Old 10-25-2001, 12:59 PM
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by Cedric Tomkinson
[B]Red:

Someone will advise you who is more knowledgabe than I, about
Old 10-25-2001, 01:08 PM
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Red:

Imagine your Punto X rear wheel drive X 240 bhp to the rear wheels X SO2's and you've got an idea of the problem!
Old 10-25-2001, 01:11 PM
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by Cedric Tomkinson
[B]Red:

Someone will advise you who is more knowledgabe than I, about


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