Gear Ratio Tuning Guide by StarFirebird

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StarFirebird
starfirebird
I've been working on a guide so that those who have trouble adjusting gears will have a easier time doing so.All you need is a pen,paper and a calculator.

Step 1: Tune your car to whatever power/weight you like.

Step 2: Take your car to Daytona Speedway.Tune your Top Speed and make sure that when it gets to the Final Gear(5th or 6th)that it is not in the Redline on the longest straight as this is very important.(example,car is redlining at 193mph so you then bump it up 1 notch at a time until it is no longer redlining at the end of the longest straight)

Step 3: Convert your cars weight from Kilograms to pounds.(Example:1085kg x 2.2 = 2387lbs)Write this number down.

Step 4: Write down your cars power.(Example 385HP)

Step 5: Now Divide 2387 and 385(Example 2387/385 = 6.2)This will give you a number that will be used to get your final gear.Write this number down.

Step 6: Now go into your Transmission settings.You will see all of the Default gearing settings.Ok,now take the default 1st Gear setting and subtract it from the default 5th/6th gear setting.
(Example: 3.549 - 0.873 = 2.676)Now take this number and make it a percentage.(Example - 2.676%)Write this number down as this will be used to get your Final Gear and 1st Gear to 5th/6th Gear settings.

Step 7:Step 1 for Final Gear - Here is where the number you got from your cars weight and horsepower comes in.Take 6.2 and multiply it by 2.676%(Example 6.2 X 2.676% = 0.165912)
You can write this down if you like,but it's not needed as the next step is pretty simple.

Step 8:Step 2 for Final Gear - This is where we get the Final Gear.Take 0.165912 and add it to the default value of the Final Gear.
(Example 0.165912 + 4.444 = 4.609912)Be sure to round off this number and you will get 4.610 for your Final Gear.

Step 9 : Next we will proceed to get the individual gear settings.This is where the 2.676% number you wrote down will come into play again.Ok,i'll use 1st Gear as the example.(Be sure to use the Default values to get the Final result.
(Example 3.549 x 2.676% =0.0949712)-(3.549 = 3.4540288) Round the final number off(3.454=1st Gear end result)
*Important*Be sure when using this method that you use subtraction(-) to get the first 2 gears and use addition(+)to get gears 3 to 5/6.

Step 10:Now that you got 1st Gear proceed with getting the other gears by using the same method.After this you now have your new gear settings.Pretty simple right?

Now that i've explained how to do this i'll go ahead and write the Formula out so it is easier
to see.It will be done in this exact order.

*Get Top Speed without Redlining

*Weight divided by Horsepower - 2387lbs/385hp = 6.2

*Default 1st Gear subtracted from Default 5th/6th Gear - 3.549 - 0.873 = 2.676

*Make 2.676 a percentage - 2.676%

*Getting Final Gear - 6.2 x 2.676% = 0.165912 + default Final Gear(4.444) = 4.609912 Round
Final result to get 4.610.

*Getting Individual Gears -(Be sure to use Default Gears and 2.676% to get the right results)
3.549 x 2.676% = 0.0949712 - 3.549 = 3.4540288.Round off Final result to get 3.454.Now proceed with getting the rest of the gears using this method.
*Important*Don't forget to use subtraction(-) for gears 1 and 2 and Addition(+) for gears 3 to 5/6

*Note* This guide isn't meant to get you perfect gear ratios.I made this guide to help
out those who have trouble with gear ratio tuning and to get the best possible top speed for their cars Horsepower while maintaining good RPM's.

*Note* Each car will have a different percentage so be sure to follow my steps in order to get the right results.

If you all have any trouble understanding this PM me or post in here and i will be glad to help.

Have fun with the new guide everyone. :)
 
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Interesting approach! But how the h... did you come up with this? In the end you have a wider gear ratio than default, as 1st is bigger and last is smaller...

Default numbers are these from the resetted fully customisable transmission? Sometimes there are different gear ratios on the FC transmission just after you bought it and after the first reset they are gone (anyone knows why or what this is?)
 
These settings are only for Daytona.
You can´t use the settings for other tracks like the Nordschleife.
You would easy hit the Rev limiter on the Downhill parts.



raVer
 
Interesting approach! But how the h... did you come up with this? In the end you have a wider gear ratio than default, as 1st is bigger and last is smaller...

Default numbers are these from the resetted fully customisable transmission? Sometimes there are different gear ratios on the FC transmission just after you bought it and after the first reset they are gone (anyone knows why or what this is?)

I came up with this using trial and error for weeks.I crunched numbers until i came up with something that would work.

Even though it does look wider i can run .600 to 1.00 second faster than the default transmission tune.

What is this adjusting gears FOR exactly? top speed? acceleration?

This is for those who cannot tune gears and to get a better starting point for gearing.It gives you better top speed and better gearing through the turns.

Like i said earlier i can run .600 to 1.00 second faster than the default transmission tune

These settings are only for Daytona.
You can´t use the settings for other tracks like the Nordschleife.
You would easy hit the Rev limiter on the Downhill parts.



raVer

These settings are not just for Daytona.You can use these settings for any track.If you are hitting the rev limiter at Nordschleife then set the 5th/6th gear longer.

Oh and i did say this guide doesn't get you perfect gears so don't expect it to do great for every track.
 
New information that i overlooked when i posted this.Sorry i was tired when i posted this last night.

I failed to give you guys the correct info on setting up your individual gears.

For your first 2 gears you use subtraction and for the rest of your gears you will use addition.

My apologies once again.

OP will be updated in a sec.
 
For those of us like myself who are trying to learn how to tune the car/tranny for top end to drag race on SSR7, do you think Daytona Speedway offers enough of a straight way to get the most out of the top end? I ask because some stock cars like the Ford GT can reach 240 mph easily. I just wondered if Daytona is long enough to achieve this..

Thanks for the tips btw..
 
For those of us like myself who are trying to learn how to tune the car/tranny for top end to drag race on SSR7, do you think Daytona Speedway offers enough of a straight way to get the most out of the top end? I ask because some stock cars like the Ford GT can reach 240 mph easily. I just wondered if Daytona is long enough to achieve this..

Thanks for the tips btw..

SSR7 was in the back of my mind,but i felt it had too long of a straight away to work with what i was trying to achieve.

Daytona works well because on most tracks you won't get to that top end speed as most other tracks won't have a straight as long as Daytona.

I'm not sure how well this guide will work for top end drag race on SSR7,so my apologies on that.I made this guide to achieve the best possible top end speed while maintaining good RPM's.
 
Yeah, most people who drag race online do it on the SSR7 tunnel that's why I asked.
For a long time, I've been trying to figure out the gear ratios for drag racing.. it just sucks every time I think I have it set up at the top end limit for each car I'm using, some one else comes along and goes faster than me.. lol
But I'm guessing the same principle you are teaching here can be applied for SSR7 as well as long as the car we wish to tune starts to red line right at the end of the tunnel, correct?
 
Starfirebird, one problem I'm having is too much wheel spin at take off. I'm losing about 1-1.5 secs off the line; we know how important take off is, specially for drag racing. Some people suggest making the 1st gear longer/shorter? for FF & FR cars, and a longer 1st gear for AWD cars. Supposedly this helps to diminish wheel spin as much as possible. What's your take on that, do you have any recommendations for achieving this?
 
Basilea
Interesting approach! But how the h... did you come up with this? In the end you have a wider gear ratio than default, as 1st is bigger and last is smaller...

Default numbers are these from the resetted fully customisable transmission? Sometimes there are different gear ratios on the FC transmission just after you bought it and after the first reset they are gone (anyone knows why or what this is?)

Those settings that disappear are usually really good spacing for the gears, and if used are the quickest and easiest trick to quick tune the tranny.

While they disappear they are still obtainable.
First step reset the tranny to default settings, this is a must..

Then for 2nd, 3rd, 4th, & 5th gear, simply put them at the lowest available setting (those gears will then MIRROR the values that disappeared.

1st & 6th you can put in the middle of the highest and lowest value. Then later you can fine tune them if you like.

Last step, lower the final drive gear until you hit your max speed (track testing). Usually a pretty low FD with great gear spacing is achieved.

It can be tailored to the Track your driving through the FD, 1st, & 6th.

Quick Tune Gears done.

Maybe I'll write a how-to for the quick Tune option. I've been working on a gear tuning calculator, but it's being a pain with a few issues between cars, I'm working on it, so it will take into account the power band. Just not a lot of free time to work on it.
 
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Starfirebird, one problem I'm having is too much wheel spin at take off. I'm losing about 1-1.5 secs off the line; we know how important take off is, specially for drag racing. Some people suggest making the 1st gear longer/shorter? for FF & FR cars, and a longer 1st gear for AWD cars. Supposedly this helps to diminish wheel spin as much as possible. What's your take on that, do you have any recommendations for achieving this?

I know i didn't post this info since this guide isn't aimed at drag racing,but you could try doubling your results from the 1st and 2nd gears.

Example : 3.549 x 2.676% =0.0949712 Round this number and then double it and then proceed with your gearing.

Let me know if it works ok as i only tested it a few moments ago using a RWD car and a MRWD.
 
Those settings that disappear are usually really good spacing for the gears, and if used are the quickest and easiest trick to quick tune the tranny.

While they disappear they are still obtainable.
First step reset the tranny to default settings, this is a must..

Then for 2nd, 3rd, 4th, & 5th gear, simply put them at the lowest available setting (those gears will then MIRROR the values that disappeared.

1st & 6th you can put in the middle of the highest and lowest value. Then later you can fine tune them if you like.

Last step, lower the final drive gear until you hit your max speed (track testing). Usually a pretty low FD with great gear spacing is achieved.

It can be tailored to the Track your driving through the FD, 1st, & 6th.

Quick Tune Gears done.

Maybe I'll write a how-to for the quick Tune option. I've been working on a gear tuning calculator, but it's being a pain with a few issues between cars, I'm working on it, so it will take into account the power band. Just not a lot of free time to work on it.

I just tried this out and i'm impressed at how well it works.

I took the last step a little further an used some of my figures to get my Final gear and it works pretty good.

Here is how i went about doing it.

Weight divided by Horsepower - 2387lbs/385hp = 6.2

New 1st Gear subtracted from New 5th/6th Gear - Final result off the top of my head. 3.400 - .900 = 2.5.Now change 2.5 into a percentage 2.5%

Now take 6.2 and multiply it by 2.5% which equals 0.155.If end result is longer number then round off.

Now take that 0.155 and subtract it from the Final gear until you get the Top Speed you want.

Then for different tracks you can adjust the top speed by adding 0.155 to get the results you want.

Maybe i should add this along with my OP to give people two different ways of tuning the gears.With your permission of course.:)
 
I've been working on a guide so that those who have trouble adjusting gears will have a easier time doing so.All you need is a pen,paper and a calculator.

Step 1: Tune your car to whatever power/weight you like.

Step 2: Take your car to Daytona Speedway.Tune your Top Speed and make sure that when it gets to the Final Gear(5th or 6th)that it is not in the Redline on the longest straight as this is very important.(example,car is redlining at 193mph so you then bump it up 1 notch at a time until it is no longer redlining at the end of the longest straight)

Step 3: Convert your cars weight from Kilograms to pounds.(Example:1085kg x 2.2 = 2387lbs)Write this number down.

Step 4: Write down your cars power.(Example 385HP)

Step 5: Now Divide 2387 and 385(Example 2387/385 = 6.2)This will give you a number that will be used to get your final gear.Write this number down.

Step 6: Now go into your Transmission settings.You will see all of the Default gearing settings.Ok,now take the default 1st Gear setting and subtract it from the default 5th/6th gear setting.
(Example: 3.549 - 0.873 = 2.676)Now take this number and make it a percentage.(Example - 2.676%)Write this number down as this will be used to get your Final Gear and 1st Gear to 5th/6th Gear settings.

Step 7:Step 1 for Final Gear - Here is where the number you got from your cars weight and horsepower comes in.Take 6.2 and multiply it by 2.676%(Example 6.2 X 2.676% = 0.165912)
You can write this down if you like,but it's not needed as the next step is pretty simple.

Step 8:Step 2 for Final Gear - This is where we get the Final Gear.Take 0.165912 and add it to the default value of the Final Gear.
(Example 0.165912 + 4.444 = 4.609912)Be sure to round off this number and you will get 4.610 for your Final Gear.

Step 9 : Next we will proceed to get the individual gear settings.This is where the 2.676% number you wrote down will come into play again.Ok,i'll use 1st Gear as the example.(Be sure to use the Default values to get the Final result.
(Example 3.549 x 2.676% =0.0949712)-(3.549 = 3.4540288) Round the final number off(3.454=1st Gear end result)
*Important*Be sure when using this method that you use subtraction(-) to get the first 2 gears and use addition(+)to get gears 3 to 5/6.

Step 10:Now that you got 1st Gear proceed with getting the other gears by using the same method.After this you now have your new gear settings.Pretty simple right?

Now that i've explained how to do this i'll go ahead and write the Formula out so it is easier
to see.It will be done in this exact order.

*Get Top Speed without Redlining

*Weight divided by Horsepower - 2387lbs/385hp = 6.2

*Default 1st Gear subtracted from Default 5th/6th Gear - 3.549 - 0.873 = 2.676

*Make 2.676 a percentage - 2.676%

*Getting Final Gear - 6.2 x 2.676% = 0.165912 + default Final Gear(4.444) = 4.609912 Round
Final result to get 4.610.

*Getting Individual Gears -(Be sure to use Default Gears and 2.676% to get the right results)
3.549 x 2.676% = 0.0949712 - 3.549 = 3.4540288.Round off Final result to get 3.454.Now proceed with getting the rest of the gears using this method.
*Important*Don't forget to use subtraction(-) for gears 1 and 2 and Addition(+) for gears 3 to 5/6

*Note* This guide isn't meant to get you perfect gear ratios.I made this guide to help
out those who have trouble with gear ratio tuning and to get the best possible top speed for their cars Horsepower while maintaining good RPM's.

*Note* Each car will have a different percentage so be sure to follow my steps in order to get the right results.

If you all have any trouble understanding this PM me or post in here and i will be glad to help.

Have fun with the new guide everyone. :)

And what about cars with 7 gears? I'm using a C63 AMG mercedes, but the 7th gear is actually an eco gear. Do i just tune for the 7th, or 6th?
 
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