Bumpy Ride

[MR S2K]

Can someone please tell me why will my 2001 Honda S2000 ride like crap and be very bumpy if I put 19" rims on it? .. More than likely the wheels will rub on the guard if I get 19" rims - can someone suggest how I can prevent this from happening?

Thanks

[Java Junky]

Suggest? Stay with the stock size that the car was designed aroun'.
Be well.
Java

[s2000isu]

because there isnt gonna be much tire betweent the road and rim.

[MR S2K]

What would happen if I was to place 19" on my S2000? Rollin' the guard would be ok to do! Just not 100% sure if I should do it or not ..

[controller]

You'd probably be slower, and it'd be bumpier because there's less sidewall/tire to act as a cushion. Even though the 19" rim may be lighter than the smaller rim, it has a higher rotational inertia because it pushes more of the heavier materials away from the center of rotation.

Each pound you add actually has less of an effect than moving the weight out an inch. This extra rim diameter increases the amount of torque required to spin the wheel thus slowing down your accel and decel times.

[RoCKet]

nicely put controller

[desmo4]

Yes, it is nice when Newtons laws are put so clearly.

Jonathan

[MR S2K]

So I am still not sure whether to get the 19" rims or not? By what I've been hearing is that the car will ride like crap, but it will look good!

[wasabiman]

The real question is do you want good looks or performance? In my opinion 19s look too big. I originally bought my car with 18" chrome wheels. I didn't think the ride was too punishing. I decided to put the factory 16s back on and sell the 18s because I wanted a different style rim. A couple of weeks later, I went on a drive on Mt Palomar with the san diego group and was a lot happier with the factory rim/wheel combo in regards to the handling, acceleration, and overall feel of the car. With the factory wheels and tires, the ride is still stiff enough to throw the car through some intense hair pin turns. I didn't rub with the 18s on the car, however it was a lot less responsive and I felt a lot more bumps in the road, but it wasn't that bad. I think sticking to 18s is your best bet, it's a good compromise between looks and perfomance. You could also go another route and be like Vinny, and throw some race rubber on your factory rims for weekend road courses when you want to race or whatever, and roll on 18s or even 19s on the daily grind. I suggest upgrading your brakes if you go larger than 17" rims/tires. I have vented/drilled rotors and upgraded brake pads with 18" rims and factory suspension. There's a noticeable loss in perfomance with the bigger wheels, but again it's a compromise for looks. As far as a bumpy ride, you might also want to upgrade your shocks, or buy new oem shocks if the ride is really bad with your factory rims. I'm actually considering buying some light weight 17" race rims by ssr, gram lights, or a brand along those lines. hope this long post helps.

[MR S2K]

Thanks for that detailed reply. I'm not one of those speed demons and I prefer looks over power .. Although with reading your reponse even with just looks the ride style and handling changes. I want my Honda S2000 to have the looks, as well as having a comfortable and smooth ride. Is that asking too much?

[kgf3076]

Originally Posted by MR S2K

I want my Honda S2000 to have the looks, as well as having a comfortable and smooth ride. Is that asking too much?

comfortable you can get (the seats are great), smooth gonna be a bit more difficult...(the car is close to competition sprung, not much give there)

[desmo4]

The car in stock form looks stunning and what is underneath it's skin is a hand crafted race car for the street. If you want something that rides as smooth as a Buick, you bought the wrong car. You can make it closer to a race car, stiffer, but you can't make it softer or it will be uncontrollable.

Jonathan