Baffled with ballast?? Try it on the Karts...

[Bluez_Freak]

Surprisingly the ballast works also for the karts, so the effect is much more dramatic to understand how it works.

In simple terms, I figured out this:

- If you want to cure understeer, add minimum ballast to the most front part (-50) of the car and gradually increase the weight until you are happy with the handling.

- Similarly, curing oversteer needs weight on the most back part (+50) and again add gradually until you are happy with the balance.

Read some threads were they advised the opposites are true but that's what I experienced with the simplest form of chassis which is the kart. There are also no suspensions in karts so the effect is exposed to its maximum.

I have not tried it with various other cars FF,FR,RR etc but I think the theory in principal should work.

Also in a thread it was mentioned that adding no weight (zero ballast) but shifting it nevertheless changes the car's weight distribution. That's not not true as far as I could figure from my tests with the kart.

One last hint, I would suggest not to try the "in between" ballast positioning when curing oversteer/understeer, because the effect will be less noticeable and therefore even more weight will be needed resulting in worse weight/hp figures.

"In between" ballast positioning makes sense only when you have to meet minimum weight restrictions without wanting to upset the car's balance.

BTW, adding 30-40 kgs on the back of the kart makes it virtually unspinnable- you can thrash it around all corners with minimum risk to spin.

 

[dabest2500]

But that makes the kart heavier, it's easy to control it as normal.

 

[Bluez_Freak]

Well some you give some you take...

I find it quite twitchy in stock format. Rather difficult on the limit especially on not-so-smooth tracks.

 

[dabest2500]

I race karts in real life, probably why I find it easier.
Karts on tracks with a lot of elevation, well that's tricky.

 

[zedextreme8177]

I race karts in real life, probably why I find it easier.
Karts on tracks with a lot of elevation, well that's tricky.

Karts on the Nordschleife, I've been dumb enough to actually try that

The ballast doesn't seem to be able to cure the chronic understeer on my Tuscan RM, although it does wonders for my street-tuned Tuscan

 

[GrimSinn]

Adding weight to the karts ain't the same as the cars. The Kart is small and weight is limited ( lol unless a fat ass is driving) so adding weight to the front or rear of the Kart seems to weigh down that end enough to give more traction (like downforce) helping understeer from not enough traction, just like adding the weight to the rear of the kart gives traction to the rear. It's not the same for full sized cars with full suspensions and much more weight being transferred.

Adding weight to the rear should induce oversteer not cure it. As added weight in The front would induce understeer. However the weight balance of the car Is important as adding weight to the front of a rear heavy car will help balance the car.

50/50 is the ideal weight distribution split from front/rear.

Ballast should be used to bring the balance of the chassis as close to 50/50 as possible.

Keep in mind adding weight slows the car down, so ballast should only be used if really needed or if your shifting weight to meet a competition requirement.

 

[zedextreme8177]

Who needs ballast anyway

 

[dabest2500]

Karts on the Nordschleife, I've been dumb enough to actually try that

The ballast doesn't seem to be able to cure the chronic understeer on my Tuscan RM, although it does wonders for my street-tuned Tuscan

Yeah, I did that and it was fun.
Surprised that I wasn't caught out at the Carousel though...

 

[crowhop]

Question is, since 50/50 weight distribution is ideal, where in the game can I find the stock weight distribution of a given car? Seems this would be pivotal information to know in order to maximize the efficiency of ballast weight distribution.

 

[zedextreme8177]

Yeah, I did that and it was fun.
Surprised that I wasn't caught out at the Carousel though...

Yeah. I love my cars to be light but oversteery, so if I ever need ballast, I always locate it towards the front of the car. But some of the insanely twitchy cars need to have ballast at the rear to be more controllable.

 

[GrimSinn]

Question is, since 50/50 weight distribution is ideal, where in the game can I find the stock weight distribution of a given car? Seems this would be pivotal information to know in order to maximize the efficiency of ballast weight distribution.

I wish it was displayed somewhere, we can always google the cars we don't already know, but that doesn't take into account for weight reductions, carbon hood etc.

The general rule of thumb is the side with the engine is heaviest, & the split is usually around 60/40, so 10% of the cars weight should balance it any more is baggage.

However there are a few FR cars with 50/50 (S2K & RX8) not too many FF ( none I can think of) most MR are quite balanced ( not too many old school Porches but they are more RR) it will depend on the car.

I've always found in GT the FF's will rotate a lil more around corners with a lil in the rear.