Rebuilding and Revalving S2000 Coilovers

Do note when you corner balance your car, that the heights will end up varying slightly from each other to compensate for the balance on all four corners.

Once we dialed everything in, we wrapped the springs with Swift spring bags to protect them from road grime and debris. (PN: SSB250-160)

We took the S2000 to Monrovia Alignment to dial in a mild track alignment for the stock wheel and tire configuration with the following specs:

Front: 215/45/17 tires

• Camber: -2 º
• Toe: 0 º
• Caster: 7 º

Rear: 245/40/17 tires

• Camber: -2.5 º
• Toe: 0.15 º

Quick tip, have your alignment shop mark your aligned suspension points so you can quickly check at the track to see if your settings get misaligned so you can quickly adjust it back to spec on the fly.

I took the S2000 out to V.I.P Track Days at Streets of Willow (clockwise) for the first time running on Yokohama S drive tires and clocked in 1:36 as my Personal Best, and one of our driving instructors clocked in a 1:32 PB.  We plan to come back with proper upgraded wheels and tires for better times!

Pros:

• Can make major upgrades to outdated suspension configurations
• An affordable upgrade to a high-quality coilover experience
• Great ride quality from the right springs and tuner

Cons:

• Warranty is limited to the rebuilder
• Not all coilover shocks are rebuildable
• Finding a local revalving specialist may be difficult in some areas

In Conclusion

I’ve learned quite a bit from this rebuild experience.  First, not all shocks, springs, and valving are designed and tuned equally.  It is a calculated art form, and I have a huge appreciation for those that know how to tune shocks.  I’ve seen and heard many different enthusiasts talk about their experiences of how stock Buddy Club RSD are super stiff and have harsh rides with a 10KG front and 8KG rear spring rate setup, or enthusiasts running other S2000 coilovers at 13KG and 10KG for track and it being considered stiff.  And then I’ve seen enthusiasts shocked when they heard me running 16KG front and rear and how stiff it would be.  Honestly, my spring rates drive quite well for both street and track.  It’s not all that stiff and very daily drivable, in my opinion.  And my conclusion is that it all comes down to the combination of high-quality springs, high-quality oil, and the sophisticated art form of fine-tuning the compression and rebound characteristics of your coilovers.  While most coilovers look the same on the outside, it’s what’s inside that matters most, not just the components, but how optimized the damper characteristics are at each rebound setting.  Overall, my S2000 coilover rebuild and revalve project was a success, and I think more car enthusiasts should consider giving their used coilovers a new life and even tune them to the driving experience they want.  Because you are already familiar with your current coilover setup, it could be beneficial for you to fine-tune your existing setup vs jumping to a completely different setup and not knowing what you’re going to get.  The best analogy I can give when it comes to tuned shocks is, it’s like cooking a great steak.  There are many different methods of cooking a steak, but at the end of the day, if it tastes great to you, then it’s good enough until you experience something better.

Sources:

Swift Springs

S3 Suspension

Monrovia Alignment