RS2 handling/steering advice

[Dirtylouie]

Same rack as the AAH and ABC V6 cars too incidentally 2.6 turns lock to lock.

sorry for the offtop once again.
Did i get it right, that 3B rack is 3 turns, ABY,ABC & AAH rack is 2.6 turns, and ADU&034 racks are exactly 2 turns?

[4WheelDrifter]

Changing the wheel alignment is said to be a cheap and quick change.
Giving it 1° more (compared to the standard settings) camber in front should reduce understeer and give sharper turn in.

Depends what you are seeking feedback or handling. You will never get the feedback of a well set up RWD car but you can get better handling.
The alignment setting above worked for me but again it was done by a experienced 'one man' outfit here in Edinburgh. But that was after a series of suspension changes. You need fresh dampers OEM or Koni (remember that they may feel OK but you feel the handling has deterioated how old are they). Fresh front bushes throughout. Correct tyre pressure (after 5 years I always seem to go back to 38psi on 17"/225/45 tyres).
The car now handles so well that my thoughts of replacement fade by the day.

Good advice here.
My S2 didn't feel planted at all when I first had it, especially in the wet. A few new bushes and a wheel alignment session sorted it. Suddenly I was just as confident in the wet as in the dry.

Slow in, fast out is the key as already said.

[Golfboy666GTI]

The weight of the RS2 and the inert steering means that it'll never be that great. A faffing graet big rear roll bar will help, as will sticking a 26mm S2 ARB on the front, should liven things up. Offset from subframe bushes will help as it gives more castor and an adjustment to the camber and toe settings by someone who sets up race cars will work nicely. Poly will stiffen things up, a proper race seat also puts you much more in touch with the chassis than the armchairs but don't expect a revalation, more of an understanding of how squidgey the stock chassis is.

Basically an S2/RS2 is a slow-in-fast-out car, use the weight at the front to induce some lift-off oversteer into the corner to help get the car setup and then libearlly apply the throttle to get it back on line and expect a touch of power understeer on the exit. Think of it as a 2 ton hot hatch and you'll do a lot better, smooth BMW driving doesn't work with these IMO get it dancing about and enjoy. The other thing to try is left foot braking to temper turbo lag, it's a good way of killing clutch and brakes but you can always kid yourself that you're Stig Blomquist

Thanks for your reply.
I done enjoy the challenge of learning how to drive this car fast.
Most cars (I get to drive a lot as Dad is a Manager of a car yard) I get in I can drive quick after about 1 mile on sitting behind the wheel.
To be honest I dont feel I can drive the RS2 quicker around corners in the rain than I could in my old Mk3 VR6 which is 2wd.
I might look at replacing the bushes, and Im still keen to find out more about these steering rack mount bolts that a forum member had issues (stretch) with.

[Error404]

might be worth looking at the differences between the Type 85 and Type 89 cars in the steering departement, as the URs etc are supposed to have very nicely weighted steering with lots of feedback from what i've read?
Since they have very similar suspension set-ups, similar weight distribution, rack position etc why are the b£ / B4 cars so numb?
Do the URs run more castor, are the steering arms design / position / angle / height etc different? Is the rack dramatically different design etc?

[Rusty]

S2 steering is lovely and sharp, shame that there's no feel to it really, it only seems to weight up with track rubber and WOT

[Error404]

ABY and RS2 have a different rack non servotronic

Same rack as the AAH and ABC V6 cars too incidentally 2.6 turns lock to lock.

[Rusty]

Spot on!

Great minds

[alg]

for the track

[Jamo]

Checked mine S2 1992 3B - it is exactly 3 turns.

ABY and RS2 have a different rack non servotronic

[Lloyd]

The weight of the RS2 and the inert steering means that it'll never be that great. A faffing graet big rear roll bar will help, as will sticking a 26mm S2 ARB on the front, should liven things up. Offset from subframe bushes will help as it gives more castor and an adjustment to the camber and toe settings by someone who sets up race cars will work nicely.

Basically an S2/RS2 is a slow-in-fast-out car, use the weight at the front to induce some lift-off oversteer into the corner to help get the car setup and then libearlly apply the throttle to get it back on line and expect a touch of power understeer on the exit. Think of it as a 2 ton hot hatch and you'll do a lot better, smooth BMW driving doesn't work with these IMO get it dancing about and enjoy. The other thing to try is left foot braking to temper turbo lag, it's a good way of killing clutch and brakes but you can always kid yourself that you're Stig Blomquist

Spot on!

[Dirtylouie]

The S2 / RS2 rack is 2.5 turns IIRC

Checked mine S2 1992 3B - it is exactly 3 turns.

[Rusty]

The weight of the RS2 and the inert steering means that it'll never be that great. A faffing graet big rear roll bar will help, as will sticking a 26mm S2 ARB on the front, should liven things up. Offset from subframe bushes will help as it gives more castor and an adjustment to the camber and toe settings by someone who sets up race cars will work nicely. Poly will stiffen things up, a proper race seat also puts you much more in touch with the chassis than the armchairs but don't expect a revalation, more of an understanding of how squidgey the stock chassis is.

Basically an S2/RS2 is a slow-in-fast-out car, use the weight at the front to induce some lift-off oversteer into the corner to help get the car setup and then libearlly apply the throttle to get it back on line and expect a touch of power understeer on the exit. Think of it as a 2 ton hot hatch and you'll do a lot better, smooth BMW driving doesn't work with these IMO get it dancing about and enjoy. The other thing to try is left foot braking to temper turbo lag, it's a good way of killing clutch and brakes but you can always kid yourself that you're Stig Blomquist

[Jamo]

The S2 / RS2 rack is 2.5 turns IIRC

[alg]

Depends what you are seeking feedback or handling. You will never get the feedback of a well set up RWD car but you can get better handling.
The alignment setting above worked for me but again it was done by a experienced 'one man' outfit here in Edinburgh. But that was after a series of suspension changes. You need fresh dampers OEM or Koni (remember that they may feel OK but you feel the handling has deterioated how old are they). Fresh front bushes throughout. Correct tyre pressure (after 5 years I always seem to go back to 38psi on 17"/225/45 tyres).
The car now handles so well that my thoughts of replacement fade by the day.

[Simoni]

Changing the wheel alignment is said to be a cheap and quick change.
Giving it 1° more (compared to the standard settings) camber in front should reduce understeer and give sharper turn in.