I HAVE TO REPLACE MY STOCK S2K TIRES. I was wondering if i should buy some more SO2's or try a different tire Let me know what you think. thanks

 

you should try S03, cost a little more than S02 but grips a lot better and tread life is about the same

 

S03's are actually cheaper than S02's. (per Tire Rack)
front (205/55-16's) $139 vs $135
rear (225/50-16's) $148 vs $152. It's minimal, but S03's are cheaper nontheless. Most people feel that the S03's are better in terms of durability, wet weather, road noise, but give up in the performance department.
most people i've spoken to have looked into replacement tires around 9k~13k miles.
tire preference is really up to you. i don't drive the s2k in rain/winter so for me, i'm in the S02 dept. However, if this is your daily driver, etc... looking into the S03's is not a bad option.
hope that helps.

 

on a side note, if you are going non OEM tires in the rear, make sure you get a set of 245/45-16's in the rear. same 205/55-16 in the front though

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mocky57 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">on a side note, if you are going non OEM tires in the rear, make sure you get a set of 245/45-16's in the rear. same 205/55-16 in the front though</TD></TR></TABLE>

i heard that the measurements for SO2 rear on stock s2k are actually wider than they actually are. As for the S03, i though S03 are supposed to be a better version on S02 in preformance??

 

probably hasn't been touched on as much here.
check on s2ki.com search s02 vs s03. you'll find a library of information on the two. good luck

 

why the different size in the back? I know that they will be lower profile and might corner a little better but will i really notice it?

 

its a RWD car, you'll want as much tire on the ground as possible

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mcs2000si &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">why the different size in the back? I know that they will be lower profile and might corner a little better but will i really notice it?</TD></TR></TABLE>

If you are going to buy the same OEM S-02 tires, you can either keep the same sizes, or change the front to 225 and the rear to 245.

 

hey dipshit! I did know that the tires are a different width in the back than the front. I was just asking if it was that big of a difference. And no mommy and daddy didnt buy me the car it came from alot of hard work to get it so go **** yourself you elitist *****!

 

awww you made him mad haha j/k

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by S2 t3aSe &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

lol... i hit a nerve...

the point is, you own a RWD car, and you dont know the importance of having a wider rear tire???


</TD></TR></TABLE>

You keep making new accounts, and I'll keep banning you.

Don't you get the hint?

We don't want you here.

 

owned!!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ha &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">correction... **** mod (you) dont want me here... i give advice, when i have advice to give... but when n00bs come in and ask retarded questions, theres nothing wrong with a little flaming... and i'm glad you banned that name-- i just broke up with my g/f and she was in my avatar...

black92... you average 189 posts per day?? do you have a job? </TD></TR></TABLE>

IP ban will be in place shortly.

 

 

if you dont mind the noise from these tires..and do not plan on taking your S2k out EVER in the rain...then I'd pick up a set of Yokohama Advan AO-32's....puts the S-03/02's to shame..however in wet conditions on the other hand....

 

i live in IL so rain is something i will have to deal with but thanks for your input.

 

SO2's are not that great in the rain.. if wet weather driving is a factor, i'd consider the S03's.

 

Back to the issue here instead of the bantering...

S02's, you want OEM S02's, or else you'll get discontinued S02 Pole Position tires, which 1) suck ***, 2) suck *** and 3) suck ***. If you go with OEM S02's, go with the stock sizes.

S03's - a little less sticky in the dry, but you'll get higher milage off of them and they'll be better in the rain. The S03 compound has an inhibitor which prevents the inner rubber from getting harder as it becomes worn down.

Regarding sizes - IF you buy anything other than an OEM S02, you MUST get 245/45's at least in the rear. The 225 width on the OEM S02 is actually more like a 250 - if such a tire size existed. If you go with an S03 225 in the rear, well.. its not fun, its kinda dangerous and a little bit of oversteer that is dialed into the car with that tire size can be tricky on the track, autocross or spirited drive.

Other tire suggestions - well, there are some, but those are the top two. This is a sports car, so... pay sports car prices for the tires and you'll get mucho fun out of it, or else.. well, sometimes you get what you pay for, and with tires, this is something you shouldn't overlook.

 

S02 and S03 both are great tires. Their only drawback is their high prices. If you don't have $600 to burn every 10,000 miles, try the Kumho 712 or Kumho MX. You can also consider Yokohama ES100. Those tires' grips are NO WHERE near the grip provided by S02, but at least they are cheap to burn.

 

Just to expand on Shatten's comments.

When ordering S02's be sure to ask for the "W-Rated" models. These are only available in the stock sizes of 205/55/16's (front) and 225/50/16 (rear). These are the much referred to "OEM S02's". Tire Rack stocks these tires at good prices.

For a short read on the intrinsic differences on the S2000 Rear S02's give this thread a read. Its not that its a neccesarily wider tire, its that the tire has a large contact patch for its size.
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/sho...20121

 

BTW - Hi Randy!

 

Hi Jerry! =D


btw, Jerry, we have a defector here in Texas. "hi50"/Kevin is moving up into your neck of the woods very soon. His gf already moved up there.

 

just a question about the looks of a 245/45/16 in the rear and the 205/55/16 in the front. Does it look a little off b/c of the difference in the sidewalls from front to back and since the rear has less sidewall, how much more wheel well gap will there be if any at all? any one with pics or this set up let me know its appreciated.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mcs2000si &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">just a question about the looks of a 245/45/16 in the rear and the 205/55/16 in the front. Does it look a little off b/c of the difference in the sidewalls from front to back and since the rear has less sidewall, how much more wheel well gap will there be if any at all? any one with pics or this set up let me know its appreciated.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Well, actually there is no difference in gap. 245/45/16 is a -&gt;slightly&lt;- smaller rolling diameter but we are talking on the order of a tenth of an inch. Basically the sidewall heights of a 205/55/16 and a 245/45/16 are almost identical. If you can spot the difference from 30ft away, you are either lying out your butt or wearing coke-bottle glasses over a perfectly good pair of eyeballs.

This is the configuration I use on my car, and for the life of me I cannot tell the difference... even with a ruler. Though the math states the rears would be a hair smaller.

So basically: there is no difference, however there is a slight technical one.