Mike RT4

I had hoped that the extra 9mm that the 8.5" ET65 wheel sticks out of the arch compared to the 7" ET55, would translate in an extra 9mm of clearance?

What size spacer are people saying is needed to clear Spoon callipers on standard front wheels?

hecash

I do not know what spacer, if any, is used. You may have to search for that information on this forum.

1nate7

At least 20mm spacer required according to this thread:

www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/338881-wheel-list-that-fits-over-spoon-calipers

Chuck S

245mm fronts increase the oversteer inherent in this car. Looks good and is fun. Slow but fun.

-- Chuck

Mike RT4

That appears to be with the standard 7" ET55 front. The rear is 8.5" ET65, which moves the wheel 9mm further out of the arch (so hopefully if the spoke design is no different, gives 9mm extra clearance), which hopefully would mean only an 11mm spacer. Not ideal, but better than a 20mm one.

Thanks everyone, at least I know what direction I have to go in.

Mike RT4

Not with the correct suspension set up it doesn't.

Chuck S

Only if you have the skills and disposable income to do custom suspensions. I have to do this with tires and tend to think the Honda engineers know a bit about this. I noted the Speed Academy guys in Toronto spent an additional US$30,000 (?) on their BADASS2000 car. (Not all in suspension, of course.) Their car is certainly faster around the race track.

Oversteer feels fast but isn't. And I don't believe 245 tires will fit on the front of our cars without buggering the body work which I'm not willing to do. 225 will fit and coupled with 255 rears should be very close to to the original 215/245 in handling. The final suspension/tire tweak Honda made was with the CR and it came with 215/255 tires to limit oversteer even more.

-- Chuck

Mike RT4

For me the fun is all about developing the car to do exactly what you want it to.

So the suspension is where I am going to be spending my money - custom spec / valved dampers (Ohlins with 13kg / 13 kg springs), RCAs and bump-steer spacer on the rack with geo set to 3° neg all round, maxiumum caster and zero toe on the front and 2mm overall on the back.

255s can fit on the front with only minor mods to liners and fender tabs with 9s on an ET47, so 245s should be doable on a much more inset and narrower wheel (an 11mm spacer would put the standard rim 8.5" at ET54). I don't plan to lower mine any more than 15-20mm, as I don't like the look of the cars silly low. Which has the advantage of allowing big compressions (I am lucky enough to do the 1-2 'ring trips a year, which has unbelievably big dips that challenge the suspension) without the fear of the liners being rubbed through as well as giving more clearance.

I have been following Andrew Hake's build and he has done all of the above (except runs his car much lower and uses 255s) and his car handles exactly like I want mine to (if you watch his vids, he doesn't suffer from excessive oversteer, it turns in like a demon and pivots around it's axis with no evil handling traits). The S2000 with its front-mid engine layout was designed to rotate and that is the way I like a car to behave.

My E46 is a big go-kart, but is 130kg heavier than the S2000, but with 360PS from the factory it isn't so slow. Unfortunately it was only ever offered with SMG, so it is not as involving as the Honda (despite being a huge amount faster). I love the gearbox on the S2000 and heal and toe-ing on track is so much more rewarding than pulling a paddle and the ECU doing it for you .

Chuck S

I agree completely but just want to limit it more than you. And caution folks who don't know the physics involved to start changing things just for the sake of changes. I strongly prefer RWD cars and love the quick turn-in of a well tuned chassis. Just don't want the car to keep turning on me and require me to pick grass out of the suspension. Predictable on a race track with known corners is one thing and seeing the same corner hundreds of times can maximize speed thru it. Don't like to be surprised on country roads with "excessive" oversteer. Or understeer. Excessive is relative to us individually. I drive paddle shifters poorly where the road turns.

-- Chuck

Mike RT4

245s all round on V1 OEM 17s with H&R 15mm spacers - no rubbing on front at all. Rear tabs occasionally catch on big compressions. Ohlins suspension - grips brilliantly, but tramlines more than staggered set-up. Love it .