Are "wet" tires bad form if no rain?

[slthree]

I'm doing the 'Formula Rookie US Championship' in career mode

Track: Long Beach Street Circuit

After a lot of practice and a lot of tinkering I managed P3. Was going to proceed to qualifying but decided to try the wet tires. I bested my time and managed P1.

I was going to proceed to qualifying with the wets, and then I got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach that it might be considered "bad form" since it's not raining.

What do you guys feel?

Thanks for your opinions

 

[FOG-Smokebeer]

You dirty rotter did you drive a Jaag to the track

Hmmm well I would try to keep to the spirit of the game unless its a bug/mistake in the game. But often qualy and race can make the car feel different maybe in the actual race the tires would overheat.

 

[simsimsheree]

Only one way to find out...!

There have been quite a few posts up at SMS's site about the tires on the Rookie, and how wets can give better lap times. It seems to be one of the cars (I think one of the Radicals is also often mentioned) where the tire model could be improved. I've also heard of wets being used when cold as the better dry tire.

I am quite sure that, at any real race where wets were allowed and they turned out to be the best tire, wets would be used even in the dry. Just because SMS's tire model gets it wrong doesn't oblige you to use the 'correct' tire if they DID get it right. No, wets shouldn't be the best dry tire. But if they are in the game, use them!

 

[fernandito]

Tyre model ain't exactly very good when It comes to the slower open wheel categories in pc2. It's been happening from the beginning. However, F3.5 and FA slicks were fixed in the latest patches.

In the lesser open wheel categories like FC (don't know about rookie) try using the "sports" compound unless the track is very hot. If the second case then go slicks, reduce the number of clutches to two, open the accel diff more and increase brake bias to the front. This will make the car stable on slicks.

Not using a negative value on the toe-in setting (set it at zero for instance), as well as using similar camber values such as 32-30; 28-26; etc (totally unrealistic openwheel camber settings I know), instead of combinations like 31-18 (more like the actual camber settings for openwheelers) or so will be decisive factor to make these slow openwheel cars on slicks to not slide around on corner entry. Higher caster angle will also help stability when going fast, but in FC will cause terminal understeer, so better don't touch this setting in FC unless you know what you're doing.

Hope that helps man.

 

[slthree]

Tyre model ain't exactly very good when It comes to the slower open wheel categories in pc2. It's been happening from the beginning. However, F3.5 and FA slicks were fixed in the latest patches.

In the lesser open wheel categories like FC (don't know about rookie) try using the "sports" compound unless the track is very hot. If the second case then go slicks, reduce the number of clutches to two, open the accel diff more and increase brake bias to the front. This will make the car stable on slicks.

Not using a negative value on the toe-in setting (set it at zero for instance), as well as using similar camber values such as 32-30; 28-26; etc (totally unrealistic openwheel camber settings I know), instead of combinations like 31-18 (more like the actual camber settings for openwheelers) or so will be decisive factor to make these slow openwheel cars on slicks to not slide around on corner entry. Higher caster angle will also help stability when going fast, but in FC will cause terminal understeer, so better don't touch this setting in FC unless you know what you're doing.

Hope that helps man.

I’m going to try those changes. Thank you

 

[fernandito]

Regarding the differential and clucthes, remember that reducing the number of clutches and opening the accel diff more will lead to sudden spin even off throttle in spite of the car actually turning better in the beginning of a corner entry.

You have to practice with the default differential setup you're given with this car (unstable if possible if you're on a wheel regardless how loose the car feels to you in the beginning), with four clutches and more or less 55º acell diff. First off warm up those tyres of course, and try to turn the wheel as little as possible when cornering (unless you're facing a hairpin) and carefully using the throttle to rotate, as you correct with the wheel with precise steering inputs. That is the correct way of driving, similar to what rally drivers do but of course in a much swift way to avoid sliding hard as much possible. This isn't loose gravel.

Once you learn driving this way then you will find out that you don't actually need neither heavy brake bias to the front nor reducing the number of clutches nor opening the power ramp (accel diff) anymore. Pretty much the opposite, a more blocked accel diff will help you on corner entry stabilizing the car as you carefully use the throttle with those precise swift steering inputs. All you have to do is not flooring it on corner exit with a more blocked accel diff. I'd recommend you going with a power ramp angle of around 45º (just be careful with throttle on corner exit remember), and increase coast (deccel diff) from it's default 25º to at least 35º. You will have to get used to handle less coast too if you want your car to turn more. Just practice and find your sweet coast º.

Once you dominate this, return to the normal and more realistic camber settings of 3.1 in the front and 1.6-1.8 rear (more or less find that sweet spot) as well as -0.1 toe-in at the very least (beware sliding around with negative toe-in); reduce rear ride height by a couple or three clicks, and your times with this for example FC car should improve by a good margin.

Don't forget the capital thing here still is the tyres. In FC, if tarmac temperature ain't at the very least 30ºC then use sports instead of slicks. If tarmac 30ºC or above then slicks all the way.