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What do these JDM BBS wheels weigh anyway? 8Lbs. per corner is a lot. I know these Conti tires are light.
Measured on my home scale they were 12 and 13 lbs approx. , ap2 rims can range from 19-21 lbs, I think ap2v3 rims are heaviest of the ap2 sizes, and you can save about 1 lb on the tire going from ap2 to ap1 sizing.
Those numbers will make this JDM BBS set up with Conti tires about 14lbs. lighter then my Volk CE28s with Conti tires were - and those Volks are light.
But, you are right, compared to my oem ap1 and ap2 v3 wheels and tires (which weighed in about the same on my scale) I'l be saving 8-9 Lbs. per corner with this set up. That is a significant savings of un-sprung rotating weight. Makes up for my ever expanding waist line.
Those numbers will make this JDM BBS set up with Conti tires about 14lbs. lighter then my Volk CE28s with Conti tires were - and those Volks are light.
But, you are right, compared to my oem ap1 and ap2 v3 wheels and tires (which weighed in about the same on my scale) I'l be saving 8-9 Lbs. per corner with this set up. That is a significant savings of un-sprung rotating weight. Makes up for my ever expanding waist line.
yup when the driver weight mod doesn't work so well, you need to find a reduction in places like the rims/tires, lol Much easier too.
These wheels arrived last night. Now that I have them here I'm thinking that the imperfections that show up in the pictures are really very minor and I probably will not refinish them, at least not now. I am impressed with how light these wheels are. My scale also shows about F 12 Lbs. R 13 Lbs. I am very enthusiastic about these wheels. This should be a really fun set up with the lightweight Conti 205/225 tires mounted.
A friend has Conti Extreme Contact Sports 205/225 on his AP1. The fitment looks good and the sidewalls look very simple/nice.
A fresh set of OEM Bridgestones are still nimble and perfectly balanced for S2000 street driving. The S-02 had very narrow fronts with lots of water siping, wide rears that were almost slicks when new. That's the most stagger you'll see, both in terms of tread width and contact patch (despite what the published dimensions imply). The downside is that the rears were not good in the wet, and they're expensive. The upsized 17" RE050 added a lot more water siping to the rear tires for safer wet performance.
I just bought a set (205/225) of the Conti ExtremeContact Sports to mount on these JDM BBS wheels. I bought two front tires and four rear tires. Sadly, I have to wait until spring to try them out.
The prices on those two Bridgestone tires are off the charts. The reviews are terrible.
Actually, if you filter the Tire Rack reviews so you only see S2000 owners you will see mostly glowing reviews. The negative reviews are often due to worn out tires, high price, or perceived short life because the owner doesn't understand that the S2000 wears out rears 2x as fast as the fronts. And a lot of people fundamentally don't understand Max Performance Summer tires... bad in cold weather, short life, stiff sidewalls, soft rubber compound, decreased performance when old & worn.
The Conti's should be good, but I'd be willing to bet you would choose the OEM S-02 tires in a test drive scenario where you didn't know which tire you were driving. Everything about the OEM S-02 was optimized for the S2000, from the special sizes to the stiff sidewalls. Just bolt on a fresh set and the car handles great. There are stickier tires, cheaper tires, tires that last longer. But IMO none give you the precise steering feel and tossability of the OEM tires. And I've tried a LOT of combos, including 16" JDM BBS, a bunch of 17", and even BBS in 18" that were horrible.
The OEM spec RE050 on your CE28 wheels is the best feeling, best balanced of all the combos I've had on my S2000s over the past 14 years (for spirited Summer driving on the street). I think I've had 5-6 sets of RE050 over the years. And 5-6 sets of CE28s, haha.
I've cast my lot for next season. So, we shall see. Your take on the reviews of the OEM tires looks to be correct as I look at them again. Those OEM tires sure are expensive though.
I have bounced around on this issue, that is for sure.
I sold my CE28s. But, I suspect I'll end up with another set down the road. My wife is starting to ask questions like: "Is there something wrong with the wheels that came with your little car?" And, "How much did those new wheels cost anyway?" And, "Do we really need four sets of tires and wheels for your little car?" She refers to the S as "Your little car." I think the smart thing for me is to lay low for a few months on buying car stuff.
The other thing is that I have managed to secure a "first dibs" situation on a gorgeous, extremely well maintained, one owner 03 Silverstone with extremely low mileage that is owned by very nice gentleman in a nearby community. He is a car nut, and he is in his 70s. He is bouncing back and forth about whether to sell his S in favor of something else that he has his eye on. Every year goes by and he realizes he has only put a few hundred miles on the car. If I get a call from the seller of that car, (and I have little doubt the call will come eventually), I will not be able to resist, and I'll have to use up a lot of good will with my wife to do it. I'll have to answer questions like: "Do we really need two little cars?" I'll have to explain how it really is a better investment than our retirement account. That might fly. She knows me pretty well though. When I bought this S I have now I had a worn out Prius and I told her instead of buying a new Prius this time I was just going to pick up an "older used Honda." I came home with an 02 S2k with 8K miles.
12-11-2017, 04:14 PM
