Simple Vehicle Setup Explanation

Discussion in 'Car Modding' started by taufikp, Feb 9, 2012.

  1. taufikp

    taufikp Registered

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    I don't know if this is the right forum to post. But anyway, I love the sharing spirit we had in RSC Forum (RIP), so I'd like to share some basic setting that is often asked by people new to 'proper' race simulation. I'm not an expert at this and I found these explanations by googling and from some documents I got from rFactor1 Forum in RSC.

    CAMBER
    When set to negative values, the top of the tire will lean closer to vehicle body (car is viewed front-on), positive value is the opposite. The picture below is showing a positive camber.

    View attachment 1079

    When doing a fast & long cornering, negative camber will help the handling better, because more grip it provides. However, the ideal angle is the one that spread tire wear evenly on tire surface. The right and left camber may not have the same angle, depends on circuit characteristics. Camber values closer to zero give better grip during acceleration and braking.


    TOE
    Toe indicates how parallel the wheels are when viewed from above. If the leading edges of the tires are closer together (inward) than the trailing edges, it's called 'toe-in' (negative values). The opposite is called 'toe-out' (positive values). The picture below is showing toe-out.

    View attachment 1077

    Some vehicle allows you to set toe for front and rear wheels.

    This table might help you to understand the effect of toe settings:

    Front Positive: Improves turn-in ability
    Front Negative: Decreases turn-in ability
    Rear Positive: Improves stability
    Rear Negative: Decreases stability

    The downside of implementing toe (either positive or negative) is increasing tire wear and decreasing straight line speed.


    CASTER
    Caster refers to the angle of the steering axis away from vertical when the car is viewed from the side (see picture).

    View attachment 1078

    Positive value means the top of the steering axis is moving towards the driver.

    More positive values:
    directional stability increases, turning radius decreases, reduce understeer, may oversteer in fast corner, more steering effort

    More negative values:
    directional stability decreases (car is wandering in straight line), understeer increases, better stability in fast corner, less steering effort


    RIDE HEIGHT
    Refers to how high the vehicle chassis is above the ground. It is generally better to have the rear chassis higher than the front. If the rear is higher than the front, air flows underneath the car will speed up due to more space available at the rear. Literally sucks the car to the ground, and gives more traction.


    DIFFERENTIAL LOCK
    The table below should explain better.

    Increase Power:
    increase understeer under positive throttle (pressing throttle), more stable off the line

    Increase Coast:
    increase oversteer under negative throttle (depressing throttle), more stable under hard braking

    Decrease Power:
    increase oversteer under positive throttle, less stable off the line

    Decrease Coast:
    increase oversteer under negative throttle, less stable under hard braking

    Preload:
    Affects how quick the transition between power and coast differential occurs. If you're using preload of '1' and you slamming the throttle down (powering), it will give quick transition to whatever power value/percentage you use. The reverse would happen when taking the throttle off (coasting). Higher preload will give you more gradual/progressive transition.


    STEERING LOCK
    Increase value: decreasing turning circle, coarser steering control
    Decrease value: increasing turning circle, finer steering control
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 9, 2012
  2. taufikp

    taufikp Registered

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    TIRE PRESSURE
    Front Increase: increase understeer, decrease grip in corner, decrease front tire wear
    Rear Increase: increase oversteer, decrease grip in corner, decrease rear tire wear
    Front Decrease: increase oversteer, increase grip in corner, increase front tire wear
    Rear Decrease: increase understeer, increase grip in corner, increase rear tire wear


    SPRING RATE
    note: increase spring = stiffen, decrease spring = soften

    Front Increase:
    increase understeer, decrease grip in corner and bumpy roads, increase front tire wear, more responsive handling

    Rear Increase:
    increase oversteer, decrease grip in corner and bumpy roads, increase rear tire wear, more responsive handling

    Front Decrease:
    increase oversteer, increase grip in corner and bumpy roads, decrease front tire wear, less responsive handling

    Rear Decrease:
    increase understeer, increase grip in corner and bumpy roads, decrease rear tire wear, less responsive handling


    ANTI-ROLL BAR
    Usually this setting is found in open wheeler cars such as Formula One. The purpose of this bar is to prevent the inner wheel to lift in corners. Basically an anti-roll bar transfers the weigh of the car from outer wheels to inner wheels during cornering, to prevent the inner wheels from lifting due to high lateral force and hard suspension.

    For rear wheel drive (RWD) cars such as F1, the anti-roll bar stiffness should be more front biased to reduce oversteer tendency when accelerating during corner exit. However, if you set the front anti-roll bar too stiff, the front wheel will loose grip when braking during corner entry, and causing understeer. If you're a late-braking driver, a softer front anti-roll bar might be better.

    Increasing stiffness to front and rear anti-roll bar will give you more responsive handling (some said as "twitchy handling") but less grip on bumpy surfaces, and vice versa.

    Front Increase:
    reduce oversteer in corner, increase understeer when entering corner

    Rear Increase:
    increase oversteer in corner, decrease understeer when entering corner

    Front Decrease:
    increase oversteer in corner, decrease understeer when entering corner

    Rear Decrease:
    reduce oversteer in corner, increase understeer when entering corner


    BUMP DAMPING
    note: increase damping = stiffen, decrease damping = soften

    Front Increase:
    increase understeer in bumpy corner, increase front tire wear
    Rear Increase:
    increase oversteer in bumpy corner, decrease grip on bumpy road, increase rear tire wear
    Increasing Front and Rear:
    reduce grip on bumpy road, unpredictable handling, increase tire wear

    Front Decrease:
    increase oversteer in bumpy corner, decrease front tire wear
    Rear Decrease:
    increase understeer in bumpy corner, increase grip on bumpy road, decrease rear tire wear
    Decreasing Front and Rear:
    increase grip on bumpy road, decrease tire wear


    REBOUND DAMPING
    note: increase damping = stiffen, decrease damping = soften

    Front Increase:
    increase understeer during exit and entering corner, increase front tire wear
    Rear Increase:
    increase oversteer during exit and entering corner, increase rear tire wear
    Increasing Front and Rear:
    more responsive handling, increase tire wear

    Front Decrease:
    increase oversteer during exit and entering corner, decrease front tire wear
    Rear Decrease:
    increase understeer during exit and entering corner, decrease rear tire wear
    Decreasing Front and Rear:
    less responsive handling, decrease tire wear

    Slow damping affects the weight transfer of the car sprung mass (chassis pitch and roll) on the springs.

    Fast damping controls spring's response to deflection of the car's unsprung weight (reaction of tire/wheel/hub assembly to bumps).
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 12, 2012
  3. lbird

    lbird Registered

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    Excellent compilation. Thank you for that and please, if anybody can contribute more aspects of the setup options, then don't hesitate to do so. I certainly appreciate that.

    CU lbird
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 9, 2012
  4. taufikp

    taufikp Registered

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    BRAKE BIAS
    More To Front:
    increase understeer while braking, increase braking distance, reduce sudden/snap oversteer, front wheels may lock up

    More To Rear:
    increase oversteer while braking, increase braking distance, increase sudden/snap oversteer, rear wheels may lock up

    More To Center:
    some oversteer while braking, decrease braking distance, may caused sudden/snap oversteer


    BRAKE DUCT SIZE
    Increasing the value will make your brake performance and reliability lasts longer, but decreases the possible top speed on straight track.


    ENGINE BRAKE MAPPING
    The engine can help slows the car down. When value is increased may decrease oversteer when the throttle is off. When value is decreased, it's the opposite, but it reduces fuel consumption. Setting it too low may cause sudden/snap oversteer when you suddenly lift in a corner.


    WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION
    More To Front = increase oversteer
    More To Rear = increase understeer


    LATERAL WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION
    Some circuits may have more right hand corners than left hand corners (and vice versa), setting the lateral weight according to circuit characteristics may give you better control on those corners and also improving tire temps. 50:50 (center bias) setting is the most used in road type circuit. In oval type circuit you may experiment with lateral weight distribution more.


    ENGINE REV LIMIT
    Increased value = increase horsepower, increase possible top speed, higher temps, lower reliability
    Decreased value = decrease horsepower, decrease possible top speed, lower temps, higher reliability


    RADIATOR SIZE
    Increase = causing more drag, lower possible top speed, lower engine temps, higher reliability
    Decrease = less drag, higher possible top speed, higher engine temps, lower reliability
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 10, 2012
  5. SLuisHamilton

    SLuisHamilton Banned

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    Great post.
    edit: if someone know how to transform this on a pdf file it will be great.
    Even better: a plugin to Rf2 wich these explanations appears on garage setup menu.
    Like that functions in java: onmouseover and the text appears.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 11, 2012
  6. Hazi

    Hazi Registered

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    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 11, 2012
    1 person likes this.
  7. SLuisHamilton

    SLuisHamilton Banned

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  8. taufikp

    taufikp Registered

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    AERODYNAMICS/WINGS

    Front Increase:
    Increase oversteer, increase front tire wear, lower straight line speed, increase front grip in corners

    Rear Increase:
    Increase understeer, increase rear tire wear, lower straight line speed, increase rear grip in corners

    Front and Rear Increase:
    Increase grip in corners, lower straight line top speed, increase tire wear

    Front Decrease:
    Increase understeer in corners, decrease front tire wear, higher straight line speed, reduce front grip in corners

    Rear Decrease:
    Increase oversteer in corners, decrease rear tire wear, higher straight line speed, reduce rear grip in corners

    Front and Rear Decrease:
    Higher straight line speed, decrease grip in corners, decrease tire wear


    GEARING
    Lengthen/Increase: increase potential top speed, decrease acceleration
    Shorten/Decrease: decrease potential top speed, increase acceleration
     
  9. Kristoff Rand

    Kristoff Rand Registered

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    is this your own collection? are you giving us permission to use this in our mods?
     
  10. taufikp

    taufikp Registered

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    This is just general info on vehicle setup, and I just collect and compile them from various sources I found, mostly on internet, some from magazines, and some from documents I have downloaded from RSC Forum (circa 2006). About "permission to use", I don't see why you can't use this info into your mod. By the way, some of the info here are also available as tool tips in F1 2011 with rather similar wording. :)
     
  11. CdnRacer

    CdnRacer Banned

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    WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION
    More To Front = increase oversteer
    More To Rear = increase understeer


    Are you sure about this? Some of this information is over simplified and misleading.
     
  12. taufikp

    taufikp Registered

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    Like I said in the first post, I love to share this data/info. However, if you found something that is not correct or even misleading, just post the correct information and I will/may update my post accordingly. There's no harm in sharing correct/better data/info, right? :)
     
  13. Kristoff Rand

    Kristoff Rand Registered

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    awesome... thinking the stock car mods need this info built in to some extent, where it be tooltips or ui placement.

    thanks for the information.
     
  14. Hazi

    Hazi Registered

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  15. SLuisHamilton

    SLuisHamilton Banned

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    yes, and thanks again Hazi
     
  16. Frosty888

    Frosty888 Registered

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    ?last pdf has that got all the above infor on car setup would be great if it was and if so thank u and love how we all work together y i love isi and rfactor rfactor 2 great to c thanks again fellas
     
  17. SLuisHamilton

    SLuisHamilton Banned

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  18. Doc_

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  19. Micha080

    Micha080 Registered

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    I'm new to the racing simulation genre, but when trying to develop my rfactor 2 setups for the tracks differential lock power seems to have opposite effect.

    When i increase lock differential power at e.g. value of 90% the car oversteers much more (at corner exit) than with a value of 10 - 15 %.

    Is this correct?
     
  20. jimcarrel

    jimcarrel Registered

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    Why wouldn't this be right? Moving weight to the front on an oval track car will (up to a point) help the car to turn in (resulting in more grip in front and less in rear = oversteer, in other words less grip in rear and giving rear end more tendency to come around.

    Likewise, more weight to rear gives less grip in front which means rear less apt to come around but front has less grip = understeer.

    Seems right to me, but I could be wrong.
     

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