Canis Lupo 07 Mon Jan 09, 2012 3:57 pmAlright so I wanted to post this so anyone can figure out how to tune a car on Forza Motorsport 4 or 5. It does not work for Forza 3. There is a completely different calculator for that, but most of how you tune the car is similar. Here it is! I hope you all enjoy it and that it is helpful.
Basic Tuning Guide
Tuning Calculator Video Tutorial by INSOMNIAC205:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=by7JDh-5Y1g
YouTube Advance Tuning Guide by TaintProductions:
Follow link at the end of INSOMNIAC205’s video
First, you need to build your car with the upgrades and PI rating you want.
Follow INSOMNIAC’s video to understand and input the proper info into the calculator and set your car to its Base Tune. Save the Base Tune in your tuning set-ups for future reference in case you screw up or to set yourself up for tuning a new track.
Pick whichever track you want to tune your car on.
You will be using Telemetry settings while tuning your vehicle. To use this, press up on the D-pad while racing and press left or right to switch the sensor readouts.
As you are tuning your car, if you are satisfied with the setting you just adjusted, feel free to save the tune set-up as the track you are running before moving to the next setting. This gives you a back-up in case you mess up the next setting and forget where it started at.
For your reference:
Oversteer: When a car turns in too sharply on a corner or spins to the inside of the corner.
Understeer: When a car plows through a corner, doesn’t want to turn or seems to push to the outside of the corner.
Lift Throttle Turning: The point in the corner when you are coasting, after you’ve used the brakes but before you use the throttle.
Braking:
• Set your Brake Bias. Use Friction Telemetry to set Bias so tires lock equally or at the same time. The rings on the Telemetry should all turn red simultaneously.
• Set your Brake Controller. Make a few laps and based on your driving preference add or decrease the pressure. If your tires lock up too late or do not slow you down enough, increase your control. If they lock up too quickly, then you need to decrease the control.
Aerodynamics:
• Set this setting according to the track type you are running. If the track has long straights and fast sweeping turns, set your aero setting all the way down. If there are minimal straights and many turns , set the aerodynamics all the way up. If the track has a good balance between straights and turns, then keep the setting in the middle.
Gearing/Transmission:
• Set the Final Gear Ratio. Find the largest straight on the track you are tuning. You want your car to reach within 1,000 RPMs of your final gear by the time you begin to brake. If the Transmission tops out or reaches the end of the final gear before you get to your turn, then you need to decrease the ratio. If you don’t reach your final gear or it’s still over 1,000 RPMs from reaching its max, then increase the ratio. Increasing this ratio severely helps your car’s acceleration.
Ride Height:
• Set Ride Height under the Springs section of the tune set-up. Use the Springs Telemetry to set the ride height. While making laps around the track, if you notice the springs hitting the top of their suspension travel and turning red a lot, increase your ride height. If your springs stay green as you make laps, continue to decrease Ride Height until you see the slightest amount of red. Lower Ride Height lowers the center of gravity and helps improve your vehicle’s cornering.
Camber:
• Set the Camber using the Tire Temperature Telemetry. Make a couple laps to get your tires warmed up first. If the Inner temperature is hotter than the Outer temperature, you need to increase the positive camber. If the Inner temperature is colder then the Outer temperature, you need to increase negative camber. Always find a good balance between the left and right tires. If you can get the Inner temperatures to be within 6-10 degrees hotter than the Outer temperatures then you’re set and ready to move on.
Tire Pressure:
• Use Tire Temperature Telemetry again to set this properly. Be sure to use small increments when making adjustments. If the Middle temperature is hotter than BOTH Inner and Outer edges, then you need to decrease the PSI of the tire. If the Middle Temperature is colder then BOTH Inner and Outer edges, then you need to increase the PSI of the tire. Once, the Middle temperature is between the Inner and Outer temperatures you are good to go and can move on.
Differential:
• Set the Acceleration. Limit your observations to when you apply the throttle coming OUT of corners. If your car has too much oversteer when throttle is applied exiting the corner, decrease this setting. If the car has too much understeer when the throttle is applied exiting a corner, then increase this setting. Again, SMALL increments are better, unless the car’s reaction is severe.
• Set the Deceleration. Limit your observations to just after you release the brakes while entering a corner. If the car seems to understeer while entering the corner, decrease the setting. If the car is oversteering while entering a corner, increase this setting.
The next section is really the start to balancing your car. The suspension is a very integral part and needs to be adjusted carefully to maintain a proper contact patch on the tire. I’m referring to the Tire Temperature Telemetry when saying this. Along with Camber, Toe, Ride Height, Tire Temperature, Anti-Roll Bars and Dampers, increasing your Contact Patch, or making your tires have an even temperature across is key. Better contact patch means better grip and therefore better handling, even in cars that have a lower stat rating then others.
Springs:
• If you notice that there is too much wheel spin when throttle is applied in cornering, you need to decrease the Rear Spring Rate. If the car seems too tight and isn’t turning in well, then you need to increase Rear Spring Rate.
• If the car seems sloppy and won’t change direction well, or if it seems to sway into the corner slow, then you need to increase both the front AND rear springs equally. If the car seems too skittish and won’t take a set of corners, or if it seems to change directions too easily, then you need to decrease both the front AND rear equally.
• Limit this observation to mid-corner after you’ve used your brakes and before you hit the acceleration. Keep your adjustments small for this. If there is more understeer mid corner, you need to decrease the front and or increase the rear spring rate. If you notice more oversteer mid corner, you need to increase the front and or decrease the rear spring rate.
Anti-Roll Bars:
• It’s true that setting the Roll Bars high decreases body roll and allows you to run less negative camber. But if this setting is too high, you may notice the car is difficult to change directions or may lose control from corner to corner. This setting is best adjusted when observing corners running less than 80-100 MPH.
• If the car understeers in sloping turns, decrease the front roll bars and or increase the rear roll bars. If the car oversteers in sloping turns, increase the front roll bars and or decrease the rear.
• Limit observation while going over bumps and curbs on the track for this. If the car becomes unstable over bumps and curbs, decrease the front and rear roll bars equally. Using the Spring Telemetry, if the spring travel maxes out a lot over bumps and curbs, increase both front and rear roll bars equally.
If you encounter the Springs maxing out a lot while watching the Telemetry and adjusting the Anti-Roll Bars does not make this any less, then reconsider raising the car’s Ride Height a small amount until you are satisfied.
Final Aerodynamics:
• If the car understeers in corners greater than 80 MPH, increase the front and or decrease the rear settings. If the car oversteers in corners greater than 80 MPH, decrease the front and or increase the rear settings. You want to set the car so it is neutral to very slight oversteer.
• If you believe the car is not quick enough down the straights, decrease both front and rear equally. If the car does not have enough grip in corners greater than 80 MPH, increase both front and rear equally. Be careful here, as adjusting too much can really impair you car’s handling. Limit observation to how much grip your car has while taking fast corners.
Final Ride Height:
• Again use the Spring Telemetry to check suspension travel. If the suspension maxes out on the track, raise the Ride Height a bit more. If the suspension has room to move, keep lowering the Ride Height. Too much red is a bad thing. The car is more likely to lose control when suspension hits its max. Lower the Ride Height so you see very little to no red on the Telemetry while making laps.
Final Caster:
• Long sweeping tracks favor lower settings. Short, tight tracks favor higher settings. If the car is twitchy or unstable while entering a corner, increase this setting. If the car is twitchy in long sweeping turns, decrease this setting. It is more a matter of preference. Set it so you feel that your car is more stable while entering a corner.
Final Camber:
• Using the Tire Temperature Telemetry again, adjust the tire’s camber so your Inner temperature is 6-10 degrees hotter than your Outer temperature. In the Inner temperature is more than 10 degrees hotter than the Outer, increase positive camber. If the Inner temperature is more than 10 degrees colder than the Outer, increase negative camber.
Final Tire Pressure:
• Continue using the Tire Temperature Telemetry. If the middle is hotter than both the Inner and Outer edges of the tire, decrease PSI setting. If the middle is colder than both the Inner and Outer edges, increase PSI setting. The temperature of the middle should be in between the Inner and Outer edges. Only small adjustments are needed if any.
Final Brake Bias:
• If you are looking for a little more oversteer or find the car hard to turn in while braking, you should increase your bias more towards the front. If the car oversteers too greatly or turns in too easily while braking, slide the brake bias more towards the rear. Keeping the setting close to where you started earlier is key. You don’t want to move this setting too far away from having the tires locking up equally. This is an advanced set-up and is more tuned to your driving style if you use the brake while cornering. If you use Threshold Braking, or brake before turning into a corner, then having the tires lock up equally is a better setting for you.
Final, Final Gear Ratio:
• If you still need more speed in the straights, increase your final gear ratio until your car closely reaches top end. If it tops out too early, then decrease the final gear ratio. Make sure you set it so you are about 500 RPMs or so from top end. This little bit of room allows for the speed increase from drafting while racing.
Final Gearbox Settings:
• These can be a bit tricky to fine tune considering you have to set it to satisfy every part of the track. You want to make sure you watch your RPMs and what gear you are in while making adjustments. Make sure none of the gears are bogging down in corners. If they are you need to increase the ratio. If you are shifting in and out of a gear too much, lower the gear ratio of that gear. Once your car has a good pull in each gear in all parts of the track you’re good to go.
Final Toe Settings:
• If the car needs better turn-in response, add positive front toe. If the car turns in too easily or is unstable in a straight line, add negative toe. Negative rear toe adds straight line stability. Positive rear toe adds turn exit response reducing understeer. Keep your adjustments very minimal to reduce excessive tire wear. Once your car becomes stable in both turn entry and exit, move on.
Final Dampers:
• Changing Spring Rates often requires changing damper settings.
• If the car is too bouncy over bumps and curbs, making your acceleration less smooth, increase both front and rear Rebound setting equally.
• If the car jumps over bumps and curbs, increase the Bump settings equally.
• If the car skates over bumps and curbs too much, decrease the Rebound OR Bump settings equally.
• During corner entry, if the car understeers during lift throttle turning then settles into the turn, you decrease the front bump. If it oversteers during lift throttle turning then settles into the corner, increase front bump.
• If the car oversteers during corner exit, decrease rear bump. If the car understeers during corner exit, increase rear bump.
Now you may go back and make extra tiny adjustments to finish up your tune. Make sure you are looking at the proper car action at appropriate times to make the correct adjustments. When you are satisfied with your tune, save it as the track it’s tuned for or override your previous save, and go test your skills against others (on that track of course).
Basic Tuning Guide
Tuning Calculator Video Tutorial by INSOMNIAC205:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=by7JDh-5Y1g
YouTube Advance Tuning Guide by TaintProductions:
Follow link at the end of INSOMNIAC205’s video
First, you need to build your car with the upgrades and PI rating you want.
Follow INSOMNIAC’s video to understand and input the proper info into the calculator and set your car to its Base Tune. Save the Base Tune in your tuning set-ups for future reference in case you screw up or to set yourself up for tuning a new track.
Pick whichever track you want to tune your car on.
You will be using Telemetry settings while tuning your vehicle. To use this, press up on the D-pad while racing and press left or right to switch the sensor readouts.
As you are tuning your car, if you are satisfied with the setting you just adjusted, feel free to save the tune set-up as the track you are running before moving to the next setting. This gives you a back-up in case you mess up the next setting and forget where it started at.
For your reference:
Oversteer: When a car turns in too sharply on a corner or spins to the inside of the corner.
Understeer: When a car plows through a corner, doesn’t want to turn or seems to push to the outside of the corner.
Lift Throttle Turning: The point in the corner when you are coasting, after you’ve used the brakes but before you use the throttle.
Braking:
• Set your Brake Bias. Use Friction Telemetry to set Bias so tires lock equally or at the same time. The rings on the Telemetry should all turn red simultaneously.
• Set your Brake Controller. Make a few laps and based on your driving preference add or decrease the pressure. If your tires lock up too late or do not slow you down enough, increase your control. If they lock up too quickly, then you need to decrease the control.
Aerodynamics:
• Set this setting according to the track type you are running. If the track has long straights and fast sweeping turns, set your aero setting all the way down. If there are minimal straights and many turns , set the aerodynamics all the way up. If the track has a good balance between straights and turns, then keep the setting in the middle.
Gearing/Transmission:
• Set the Final Gear Ratio. Find the largest straight on the track you are tuning. You want your car to reach within 1,000 RPMs of your final gear by the time you begin to brake. If the Transmission tops out or reaches the end of the final gear before you get to your turn, then you need to decrease the ratio. If you don’t reach your final gear or it’s still over 1,000 RPMs from reaching its max, then increase the ratio. Increasing this ratio severely helps your car’s acceleration.
Ride Height:
• Set Ride Height under the Springs section of the tune set-up. Use the Springs Telemetry to set the ride height. While making laps around the track, if you notice the springs hitting the top of their suspension travel and turning red a lot, increase your ride height. If your springs stay green as you make laps, continue to decrease Ride Height until you see the slightest amount of red. Lower Ride Height lowers the center of gravity and helps improve your vehicle’s cornering.
Camber:
• Set the Camber using the Tire Temperature Telemetry. Make a couple laps to get your tires warmed up first. If the Inner temperature is hotter than the Outer temperature, you need to increase the positive camber. If the Inner temperature is colder then the Outer temperature, you need to increase negative camber. Always find a good balance between the left and right tires. If you can get the Inner temperatures to be within 6-10 degrees hotter than the Outer temperatures then you’re set and ready to move on.
Tire Pressure:
• Use Tire Temperature Telemetry again to set this properly. Be sure to use small increments when making adjustments. If the Middle temperature is hotter than BOTH Inner and Outer edges, then you need to decrease the PSI of the tire. If the Middle Temperature is colder then BOTH Inner and Outer edges, then you need to increase the PSI of the tire. Once, the Middle temperature is between the Inner and Outer temperatures you are good to go and can move on.
Differential:
• Set the Acceleration. Limit your observations to when you apply the throttle coming OUT of corners. If your car has too much oversteer when throttle is applied exiting the corner, decrease this setting. If the car has too much understeer when the throttle is applied exiting a corner, then increase this setting. Again, SMALL increments are better, unless the car’s reaction is severe.
• Set the Deceleration. Limit your observations to just after you release the brakes while entering a corner. If the car seems to understeer while entering the corner, decrease the setting. If the car is oversteering while entering a corner, increase this setting.
The next section is really the start to balancing your car. The suspension is a very integral part and needs to be adjusted carefully to maintain a proper contact patch on the tire. I’m referring to the Tire Temperature Telemetry when saying this. Along with Camber, Toe, Ride Height, Tire Temperature, Anti-Roll Bars and Dampers, increasing your Contact Patch, or making your tires have an even temperature across is key. Better contact patch means better grip and therefore better handling, even in cars that have a lower stat rating then others.
Springs:
• If you notice that there is too much wheel spin when throttle is applied in cornering, you need to decrease the Rear Spring Rate. If the car seems too tight and isn’t turning in well, then you need to increase Rear Spring Rate.
• If the car seems sloppy and won’t change direction well, or if it seems to sway into the corner slow, then you need to increase both the front AND rear springs equally. If the car seems too skittish and won’t take a set of corners, or if it seems to change directions too easily, then you need to decrease both the front AND rear equally.
• Limit this observation to mid-corner after you’ve used your brakes and before you hit the acceleration. Keep your adjustments small for this. If there is more understeer mid corner, you need to decrease the front and or increase the rear spring rate. If you notice more oversteer mid corner, you need to increase the front and or decrease the rear spring rate.
Anti-Roll Bars:
• It’s true that setting the Roll Bars high decreases body roll and allows you to run less negative camber. But if this setting is too high, you may notice the car is difficult to change directions or may lose control from corner to corner. This setting is best adjusted when observing corners running less than 80-100 MPH.
• If the car understeers in sloping turns, decrease the front roll bars and or increase the rear roll bars. If the car oversteers in sloping turns, increase the front roll bars and or decrease the rear.
• Limit observation while going over bumps and curbs on the track for this. If the car becomes unstable over bumps and curbs, decrease the front and rear roll bars equally. Using the Spring Telemetry, if the spring travel maxes out a lot over bumps and curbs, increase both front and rear roll bars equally.
If you encounter the Springs maxing out a lot while watching the Telemetry and adjusting the Anti-Roll Bars does not make this any less, then reconsider raising the car’s Ride Height a small amount until you are satisfied.
Final Aerodynamics:
• If the car understeers in corners greater than 80 MPH, increase the front and or decrease the rear settings. If the car oversteers in corners greater than 80 MPH, decrease the front and or increase the rear settings. You want to set the car so it is neutral to very slight oversteer.
• If you believe the car is not quick enough down the straights, decrease both front and rear equally. If the car does not have enough grip in corners greater than 80 MPH, increase both front and rear equally. Be careful here, as adjusting too much can really impair you car’s handling. Limit observation to how much grip your car has while taking fast corners.
Final Ride Height:
• Again use the Spring Telemetry to check suspension travel. If the suspension maxes out on the track, raise the Ride Height a bit more. If the suspension has room to move, keep lowering the Ride Height. Too much red is a bad thing. The car is more likely to lose control when suspension hits its max. Lower the Ride Height so you see very little to no red on the Telemetry while making laps.
Final Caster:
• Long sweeping tracks favor lower settings. Short, tight tracks favor higher settings. If the car is twitchy or unstable while entering a corner, increase this setting. If the car is twitchy in long sweeping turns, decrease this setting. It is more a matter of preference. Set it so you feel that your car is more stable while entering a corner.
Final Camber:
• Using the Tire Temperature Telemetry again, adjust the tire’s camber so your Inner temperature is 6-10 degrees hotter than your Outer temperature. In the Inner temperature is more than 10 degrees hotter than the Outer, increase positive camber. If the Inner temperature is more than 10 degrees colder than the Outer, increase negative camber.
Final Tire Pressure:
• Continue using the Tire Temperature Telemetry. If the middle is hotter than both the Inner and Outer edges of the tire, decrease PSI setting. If the middle is colder than both the Inner and Outer edges, increase PSI setting. The temperature of the middle should be in between the Inner and Outer edges. Only small adjustments are needed if any.
Final Brake Bias:
• If you are looking for a little more oversteer or find the car hard to turn in while braking, you should increase your bias more towards the front. If the car oversteers too greatly or turns in too easily while braking, slide the brake bias more towards the rear. Keeping the setting close to where you started earlier is key. You don’t want to move this setting too far away from having the tires locking up equally. This is an advanced set-up and is more tuned to your driving style if you use the brake while cornering. If you use Threshold Braking, or brake before turning into a corner, then having the tires lock up equally is a better setting for you.
Final, Final Gear Ratio:
• If you still need more speed in the straights, increase your final gear ratio until your car closely reaches top end. If it tops out too early, then decrease the final gear ratio. Make sure you set it so you are about 500 RPMs or so from top end. This little bit of room allows for the speed increase from drafting while racing.
Final Gearbox Settings:
• These can be a bit tricky to fine tune considering you have to set it to satisfy every part of the track. You want to make sure you watch your RPMs and what gear you are in while making adjustments. Make sure none of the gears are bogging down in corners. If they are you need to increase the ratio. If you are shifting in and out of a gear too much, lower the gear ratio of that gear. Once your car has a good pull in each gear in all parts of the track you’re good to go.
Final Toe Settings:
• If the car needs better turn-in response, add positive front toe. If the car turns in too easily or is unstable in a straight line, add negative toe. Negative rear toe adds straight line stability. Positive rear toe adds turn exit response reducing understeer. Keep your adjustments very minimal to reduce excessive tire wear. Once your car becomes stable in both turn entry and exit, move on.
Final Dampers:
• Changing Spring Rates often requires changing damper settings.
• If the car is too bouncy over bumps and curbs, making your acceleration less smooth, increase both front and rear Rebound setting equally.
• If the car jumps over bumps and curbs, increase the Bump settings equally.
• If the car skates over bumps and curbs too much, decrease the Rebound OR Bump settings equally.
• During corner entry, if the car understeers during lift throttle turning then settles into the turn, you decrease the front bump. If it oversteers during lift throttle turning then settles into the corner, increase front bump.
• If the car oversteers during corner exit, decrease rear bump. If the car understeers during corner exit, increase rear bump.
Now you may go back and make extra tiny adjustments to finish up your tune. Make sure you are looking at the proper car action at appropriate times to make the correct adjustments. When you are satisfied with your tune, save it as the track it’s tuned for or override your previous save, and go test your skills against others (on that track of course).
