End005

What is the purpose of a staggered setup on the S2000/a RWD car (aside from aesthetics)?
How does an S2000/RWD car handle with a staggered setup?

How does a square setup differ, if at all (aside from aesthetics)?
How does an S2000/RWD car handle with a square setup?

If this topic has already been covered, please feel free to lock up/delete/address this thread. The S2000 is my first RWD so I am still learning as I go. I am hopeful I can get more information and knowledge.

For simplicity, let's consider the aforementioned car is a completely stock AP2 (stock staggered setup) vs the same stock AP2 but with the popular 17x9+45 RPF1s on 245/40/17s tires, squared.

Thank you (in advance) for reading and replying.

s2000Junky

To put it simply, its about managing traction balance between the front and rear. Sway bars/spring rates and weight balance of the car will influence this as well. On a car that is well balanced split 50/50 weight such as ours, its no surprise that additional rubber on the drive wheels (rear) would aid in overall grip since they are performing additional traction duty. when it comes to the ap1/ap2, their suspension balance is different and so is the weight slightly, with the ap1 (especially 00-01) to be more tail happy, biased to needing more rear tire generally, where as the ap2 is the opposite, it pushes more at the limit and therefore a square 255/255 or near square ie 245/255 stagger balances the traction bias more towards neutral or the lively ap1 rear bias. All of this can be effected through playing with sway bar tension and coilover settings as well, but then the suspension influences much more the just traction bias so you have to look at the car chassis tuning as a whole. There is no one way works best for every condition and driver, but there are some basic principals here and of course driver preferences on how they like their car to deliver.

Hope that helps clarify some in simple terms, to a pretty large and in depth subject.

s2kreeper

Tire width is just one of many ways to tune your car's handling.

If your front tires are narrower, all else equal, you can anticipate understeer. The reason you see this on rwd cars a lot is because it helps combat too much oversteer as opposed to tuning it out through bigger sways, camber, etc.

Square setup makes it easier to adjust from a suspension setup standpoint since you know exactly what you have to do to induce whatever characteristic you want without modifying or changing rim size.

Why square is popular on the s in particular is it's easy to buy rim sets in non-staggered sizes and you can find more options. Tire options are also a consideration.

In particular, a square 245 setup raises your overall grip index as opposed to stock sizes, however if you set it up properly, going with equally wider fronts and rears of a staggered set (if the total tire width = 245x2, so for instance 235 fronts & 255 rears would be roughly the same grip index) you can get the same results.

It all comes down to preference and car allowances.

s2ka

Manufacturers like Honda and Ferrari use staggered setups for the street to deliver safe handling and comfortable ride.

Square is beneficial for the track because the surface is usually smooth and high grip, so adding more front tire and stiffer suspension equates to lower lap times. Going square requires a much different suspension setup, which is rarely considered comfortable on normal streets.

End005

Thanks for all of the replies guys. It is greatly appreciated! I am getting a better understanding. I can always rely on this forum for valuable information!

What, if any, recommendations can you give me regarding 215/45 vs 225/45 on the fronts of a set of CR wheels on an AP1? The rears, I plan on running the stock 255/40s. Tires of choice will be the Continnetal DW tires as the car will see minimal track days and the occasional weekend drive (weather permitting). I am lowered on Swift Spec Rs (with AP1 dampers).

Please correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is the AP1 is more 'tail happy' as opposed to the more 'neutral' AP2s, therefore the 255s should help plant the rear while the 225s in the front will induce some understeer, but steering will be crisp and sharp? Or did I just get this all wrong?

s2000Junky

Stick with the 215 up front if you want a more neutral balance on a ap1 wile also retaining the more crisp response on a 7" rim. You can’t go wrong with a 225/255 combo, but the stock CR does come with a 215/255 and you have concerns about balance and crispness, so that’s my suggestion.

Sharps SSS

One other thing to consider is that a 225 Front tire is taller than a 215 which may lead to a better turn in feel with the 215.
I myself was trying to decide what to run on my AP1. I have AP2V3 rims and asked for the same opinions on tire sizes from everyone and got what I felt was the best advice: 215/45 fronts and 255/40 rears!

s2ka

And keep in mind that Honda/Bridgestone customized the tires for the S2000, so the "215" on the sidewall of the RE050 doesn't mean it's the same as a 215 of another tire. The RE050 215 front tire is more like a 195. So for example, when I put RE11 215/45/17 on my car it has about an inch more width than the stock RE050. It's already 2 sizes wider than stock without changing the spec.



RE050 and RE11 245/40/17 rears are nearly identical in width and diameter.



And sometimes a 255 is the same width as a 245. RE070 255/40/17 on the left, RE050 245/40/17 on the right. The main difference is in overall diameter and compound. On an AP1 you don't really want to go with a larger diameter tire because it bogs down our relatively low torque engine... unless you've changed the rear end gearing or have a lot more power than stock.

End005

Thanks for all of the replies guys!

This is all useful information!

I'll stick with the 215/45F and 255/40R.

ALaS

Thread resurrection;

What are the steering feel changes by going to a square set up? Do you get less feedback from the road? One of my favorite aspects of the s2000 is the steering feel and overall connection with the road. I would like to preserve this.