| Car
Tuning 101 B - Your first time on the track. |
| Let
us remember that when you first go out on the track (your
"outlap") the tires and brakes will be cold and will not perform
properly resulting in poor cornering and increased braking
distances. |
First,
turn your mirrors off to give you the best frame rates.
On the outlap, gradually increase your speeds to bring the tires and
brakes up to temperature.
If you are using medium compound tires this will take about the full lap. With
hard tires about 2 laps.
Remember, you are NOT trying to set any records yet but just getting used
to the way the car handles - for your style of driving.
When making changes only make ONE change at a time.
If you are making changes for the first time to something basic like the
Diff Lock, try doing large changes as a test.
When it comes time to try setting this, lower it to 0, run a few laps,
then try it at 100 and do the same.
I often do a run a new (to me) car with the suspension
maxed out then with everything as soft as I can make it.
When I firs started racing GTR i tended to like the soft setups, but as I
get better I find I go more towards the hard. |
If
I am not doing a setup in a multiplayer race I like to have the AI set to
around 95%
This will vary according to your level of expertise but it gives you a
benchmark to aim for. |
|
|
I set
the gearing first as I feel it is the most important in getting good laps.
Set the last gear to show redline or close to redline on
the fastest part of the track and the 1st gear to run in the power range
on the slowest corner.
Adjust the remaining gears for an even spread.
These may need further "fine tuning" later. |
|
|
After
setting the gears, run 3 or 4 good laps without a spin out.
Watch the track to see the places where the most braking is required and
after running that section on your last lap, go to the Strategy, Gearing
and Brakes page and check your brake temperatures. Players using
SimBin's GTR FIA-GT game will have to check the in-car multifunction
display.
Adjust your brake duct to give you the right temperatures.
You want to aim for a final temperature in the 1000 -
1100 degree F range.
Do not worry if the front and rear are not
similar.
These will change with suspension settings. |
- Suspension
Springs - Sways and Shocks
|
How
does the car "feel" to you?
Does the front end slide out (Understeer)?
Is the rear end too loose (Oversteer)?
If the car understeers try increasing the front springs,
sways, and shock settings. This will give more grip at the expense of
stability.
"Stability" being the abruptness of the transition from traction
to slide.
Softer sprung cars are easier to catch when an
"OOPS" occurs.
If the car oversteers increase the rear suspension
values.
If the car feels good to you, increase both front and
rear suspension values until you reach the limits of good control. |
By
now you have a good number of laps under your belt and you should be
getting used to the car.
Keep checking lap times to make sure you are in fact, improving. |
|
|
The
higher the value the better the engine braking will be as you slow for a
turn and the harder it will be to balance the wheel spin on exiting the
turns.
A higher value allows for more drive, but if you break the wheels loose
the car will start to slide.
A lower value requires you to start braking earlier and
is a bit less stable on turn entry but allows you get get on the gas a bit
faster on exit |
| Final
Tuning |
|
|
Its
now time to adjust your ride heights.
Lowering them will bring better speeds in corners with a small penalty in
top speeds.
I set mine very low on smooth, twisty tracks and mid
range on fast tracks.
Keep in mind that if your springs are soft you will have
to ride higher than with stiff setups.
If you are spinning out on *some* turns when getting on
the gas as you exit, try raising the ride heights, you might be bottoming
out. |
|
|
Front
and rear toe in and out has a small effect on the throttle on/off
responses.
A bit more rear + toe will help the car in turns, with a small sacrifice
in stability. |
|
|
Increased
negative camber can help in corners but again it is a trade off for tire
wear.
Camber affects the inside tire temperatures the most - the higher (More
minus in the settings) the camber, the higher the inside temperatures.
Increase these settings slowly, watching tire
temperatures and lap times.
More is not always better. |
|
|
Most
of your settings will have an effect on your tire temperatures.
Spring stiffness (soft springs allow for more weight
transfer and higher tire temps.)
Anti Sways will have a direct effect on outside tire temperatures while
tire pressures control the center temps.
An ideal tire temperature is in the 230 F range. |
|
|
Tuning
for the track.
As you get faster you will notice that some of the major
corners are taken at less than optimal engine RPMs.
If the engine is too low in the power band try
decreasing the gear ratio for that gear. If too high, near redline, then
try raising the gear's ratio.
Use the graph to judge the spread.
If, for example, adjusting the 3rd gear lower, you might
have to lower the 2nd and 4th to keep an even spread.
Too much of a jump between gears means a loss of power when shifting up
and a chance of having the rear end break loose on a downshift. |
|
|
Now is
the time to adjust your front splitter and rear wing.
Try dropping the front to 3 and the back to 15.
If you are faster, try going to 2 and 10.
If slower increase to 4 and 17
Keeping these in "balance" will help.
Front Settings
Rear settings
1
1 to 5
2
6 to 10
3
11 to 15
4
16 to 20
The higher the setting the more grip your car will have
but you will lose top speed. |
By
now you should have a good feel for your car.
Any changes you make now should be small ones.
Remember that a car's suspension operates as a
system. Increases (or decreases) in spring rates should also be accompanied by
increases (or decreases) in the other components - sways and shocks. |
| I
hope this helped.
See you on the track. |
