i sold my si to buy a s2000 and have been reading up here on ht for awhile now. my concern is the rear end. it seems to be the weak point of the car. how can i keep the rear end together with just DD? some day i would perhaps like to vortech sc, but for now i just want to drive the car (when i find one) the way it was meant, spirited to say the least. i want to be able to drive it hard, but not beat on it or hard launching. now i assume "all" the problems with the diff are coming from a small percentage of people, as i am sure there are masses of people who never have diff problems, thus never hearing about those. i guess in a simple search of an answere, of all s2000 owners out there, what are your precautions to keep your diff working and not sperating or splitting the case? my mods would be the usual, tires, rims, lowering, intake, header, exhaust. i just dont know how much strain is too much strain on the rear end and where that line is crossed...
thanks for any and all help

 

i think if your not drag racing or launching really hard the diff will be ok

 

It's only hard launches or huge power that damage it. It's the weak point, but it's not necessarily weak.
Trick is finding a car that hasn't been launched all the time at revs.

 

anything significant to look for as an attempt to determine this? gear whine and grinding noise obviously, but are there any tips/advice to watch/look for? thanks!

 

dont bang gears and launch horribly and the diff should last, there are ppl out there with 400whp on stock diffs, they dont rape the gears however.....hell na power can break up a stock diff, it really depends on how YOU drive.....best of luck

 

If you drive it more like high end sports car and don't thrash on it like a teenager, you have absolutely nothing to worry about.

I have owned the car for a few years and have never dumped the clutch, and never bang the gears while shifting.

I let one friend drive it and told him to get on it through the first few gears. He started banging through the gears like he would in his mustang. That was the last time he drove the car.

 

all the suggestions above are good advice, the alternative would be to reinforce or retrofit a sturdier diff in so you can drive it without worry.

 

^^ yeah, it might be worth looking at when you throw a supercharger on it. Even then, only if you think it's worth it.

 

Imagine the embarassment when you line up with a mustang that you'd almost certainly obliterate, only to have your diff explode as soon as you start accelerating aggressively. Haunts me on the daily.

 

ok i just bought one and i recomend u do the same im 21 and i just bout rims and tires and i brake and beat on all my cars and the tires are only month old and already bald i recomend not to drag race it or take off on hi revs but the **** iv done in my s2k makes my outher freinds in ther s2k shake ther heads and i changed the rear diff oil (probly first time ever done) and no metal shavings so if ur worried about braking it dont and if u do ebay has a bloxx 2way diff for 400 buks life time warenty so all u and to worry about is gears .. the only thing i hate about my s2k is that my gass millage in town suks its about 10mpg but freeway 70mph ill get about 30 to 35 love 6th gear and dont think ill ever go back

 

this statement is definitely wrong in more ways than one. but i'm not gonna explain why because this guy will claim he's right and I was wrong lmao. good luck with that diff broseph.

 

I'll take your word for it dagle - i couldn't read it.

 

haterade =P

 

thanks guys! this is the reason i have come here in the past, decided to come here and ask this question now, and will return in the future for other questions/concerns. i appreciate all of your advice. thanks again!