Taming Radical SR3

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Comante, Oct 31, 2019.

  1. Comante

    Comante Registered

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2013
    Messages:
    1,694
    Likes Received:
    1,218
    Now that my RF2 is stable enough to play without CTDs, I decided to engage in some serious driving. I took the SR3 Radical to Zandvoort and started to practice and to tune the setup. In the end I'm a bit puzzled by end results.
    So, on a heavy rubbered track (private practice with 23 AI after more than 1 hour of lapping) I've managed to score 1.47.9 , but this is absolutely a qualify time, the car is unable to keep that pace for more than 2/3 laps max. My race pace is almost 2 seconds higher and the reason is front axle tire temps.
    The problem is this: I can't make the rear axle work properly, I even tried some extreme settings on the rear, but I have not found a way to have a front that does not scrub and slip at every turn.
    In short I can't overcome the understeery nature of the car when the tires are hot. Even with brake bias all backward the nose autority is lacking.
    I really love this car, but I would like to explore ideas to have it more performing, or equally performing but for more than few laps. One of the reason, apart the fact that I don't like to destroy front tires, is that AI can obviously keep qualify pace in race or at least decently near, this make racing offline a fight to not lose instead a fight to win.
     
  2. Comante

    Comante Registered

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2013
    Messages:
    1,694
    Likes Received:
    1,218
    The front axle has a very tight spring windows : a little softer and the car goes straight because you lack grip , a little harder and the car is more directional but can't cope with road surface, the result is always hot tires don't grip.
     
  3. boblevieux

    boblevieux Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 18, 2012
    Messages:
    416
    Likes Received:
    70
    I did 46.1 on colds without really touching the setup or going at 100%.
     
  4. Comante

    Comante Registered

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2013
    Messages:
    1,694
    Likes Received:
    1,218
    I think I should have expected that as I'm regularly 2/4 seconds slower against human fellows. Probably I should revert to my original setting ( that is a very little deviation from default ) and try to listen more the car, instead of screaming her what to do. :p

    P.s.: which layout? I'm using the chicane .
     
    Last edited: Oct 31, 2019
  5. John R Denman

    John R Denman Registered

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2018
    Messages:
    512
    Likes Received:
    630
    With a live rear axle the rear tires will bind up in turns as they both travel at the same rotation speed and fight the front tires trying to force turns. That plowing effect scrubs the front tires.

    Increase rear anti roll bar, soften rear spring and damper rebound to allow the inside rear tire to lift in turns.
     
    pkelly likes this.
  6. boblevieux

    boblevieux Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 18, 2012
    Messages:
    416
    Likes Received:
    70
    Ah, that's no chicane, I 'll test with chicane very soon.
    Edit: 1'46.9
     
    Last edited: Oct 31, 2019
  7. Comante

    Comante Registered

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2013
    Messages:
    1,694
    Likes Received:
    1,218
    Thank you both, I'll try to work on the rear as suggested, I understand the principle.
     
  8. jayk

    jayk Registered

    Joined:
    Oct 31, 2019
    Messages:
    22
    Likes Received:
    26
    Hi All, my first post here as I only installed rFactor2 last night. But I brought rFactor2 because of the Radical. I brought a Radical SR3 6 months ago so been looking for a sim with a Radical SR3 to keep learning the car and get virtual seat time over the winter. I have done about 6 test days so far this year. I have a few issues with the setup of the game mainly with my wheel not feeling right Fanatec CSL, and the car auto shifting even though i have auto shifting off. Currently looking for a solution but i will have abit of a play and feedback how i think it compares and what setup changes I make.

    I don't know if the setup is as per the Radical factory setup or not, but the first thing i would do to get more slip from the rear is take down the rear wing. Its up at 7 i noticed last night when having a quick go, I run 4 and 5 at Donington park and no dive planes. Not sure how representative the simulation is but in real life but adjusting aero 1 hole on the rear winglet can make a huge difference to the balance of the car. As said once i fix these game issues I'll have a play and see how it all feels.
     
  9. Lazza

    Lazza Registered

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2010
    Messages:
    12,345
    Likes Received:
    6,572
    You're describing a locked/welded rear axle. A live axle only means the wheels aren't independent. The SR3 has an LSD. (and possibly not even a live axle)
     
  10. doddynco

    doddynco Registered

    Joined:
    Dec 13, 2017
    Messages:
    574
    Likes Received:
    1,217
    I really want to like the SR3 but there's some weird grainy feel to the forcefeedback. That, and the sound is awful, so bad i don't want to drive the car.

    Do you guys have any thoughts on this?
     
  11. Lazza

    Lazza Registered

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2010
    Messages:
    12,345
    Likes Received:
    6,572
    Have you read the official release thread?
     
  12. boblevieux

    boblevieux Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 18, 2012
    Messages:
    416
    Likes Received:
    70
    I 'd lower the FFB multiplier if it gets grainy.
     
  13. doddynco

    doddynco Registered

    Joined:
    Dec 13, 2017
    Messages:
    574
    Likes Received:
    1,217
    What have i missed? I've scanned up to page 14 and other than turning smoothing up high, there doesn't seem to be any fix, or explanation, for the grainyness. Any ideas?
     
  14. jayk

    jayk Registered

    Joined:
    Oct 31, 2019
    Messages:
    22
    Likes Received:
    26
    Ok so i got on tonight. I haven't had time to properly set my wheel up yet but had a play with the Radical at Silverstone.

    Settings wise i made the following changes.
    Front Camber -3.5
    Rear Camber -1.7
    Front Toe In -0.21
    Rear Toe In 0.33
    Rear Wing 4
    Tyre Pressures 22PSI
    Brake Bias 58%

    The camber and toe are factory/race settings, along with cold tyre pressures targeting 28deg hot on dunlops slicks in the real world.

    So with all TC, Stability and ABS off the car is massively oversteery, not understeery. I've changed the rear winglet to 5 to help. Also noted you can't adjust the ride height front and rear separately. The car does run 14mm rake in reality*** didn't see the Symmetrical tick box at the top, will change ride heights and see how it behaves.

    Will get to grips with it over the weekend. Ran a 2.08 for now.
     
    Last edited: Nov 1, 2019
  15. John R Denman

    John R Denman Registered

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2018
    Messages:
    512
    Likes Received:
    630
    Perhaps it does but thats not what the MoTec data indicated. In any event when I tuned it to lift the rear wheel the front tire heating dropped substantially, and it drove much better.
     
  16. Lazza

    Lazza Registered

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2010
    Messages:
    12,345
    Likes Received:
    6,572
    You asked for thoughts, which is why I directed you there. I think the graininess is ingrained (haha) in the tyres and probably can't be fixed with settings.

    You're probably right, and maybe the diff settings aren't able to overcome that (I didn't drive the car much). I'm just correcting the live axle part.
     
    doddynco likes this.
  17. Comante

    Comante Registered

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2013
    Messages:
    1,694
    Likes Received:
    1,218
    Oh it's nice here and there to have people talking about cars. Jayk I hope you fix your RF2 and report your experience as a owner of the real deal. It should be quite easy as all those options are in a panel in setup menu and most of those variables are accessible through F1-F10 keyboard strokes.
    I gave a quick try to the karting principle of raising inner wheel in turns , and it work , just need to fine tune it. I agree that aero setting is pretty heavy: each click change a lot the aero load and balance. The "problem " is that Zandvoort has some pretty tricky fast turns that you want to take flooring the gas, but the difference between making them and running wide is very very narrow.
     
  18. jayk

    jayk Registered

    Joined:
    Oct 31, 2019
    Messages:
    22
    Likes Received:
    26
    Most issues sorted and got to grips with it last night. Really like the sim. So i made the changes to the factory settings and mostly struggled with oversteer. However into Copse i had to lift to get the car into the turn and not understeer of on exit. In the real world the guys are taking that flat. Radical's website had setup quides and handling guides which might help for the sim. There is info in the RS3 RSX Owners manual and Radical General handling guide. https://www.radicalsportscars.com/technical-downloads

    I hope to get more time in over the weekend but will be focused on Silverstone at the moment as I will be there testing in a week.
     
    Last edited: Nov 1, 2019
    avenger82 and davehenrie like this.
  19. dylbie

    dylbie Registered

    Joined:
    Oct 25, 2012
    Messages:
    437
    Likes Received:
    756
    You may already be aware of this, but you said you're new so maybe not...

    Do you know about RealRoad? Did you have lots of rubber on the track? Or a preset loaded? I can't remember what Silverstone has by default, but a 'green' track is pretty slippery. If there's no preset for the real road, load 20 or so AI, and run them at accelerated time for a few minutes by pressing 'CTRL+X'. This should give you a nice rubbered in track and may cure the oversteer and issues taking Copse flat out. You can also then save the RealRoad/rubbered in racing lines as a preset.
     
    VelvetTorpedo likes this.
  20. davehenrie

    davehenrie Registered

    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2016
    Messages:
    7,454
    Likes Received:
    4,369
    Thanks for the link to the Radical guide Jayk. ALWAYS good to get real information.
     

Share This Page