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- Royale Natio Touge
- JDM_Tuning-JZE70
GTPlanet Drift Tuning Guide
Assuming you’re new to the motorsport of drifting, I’d like to start on this note. As a drifter having experience both in the real world and the virtual world. There has never been one tune that is perfect for everyone and makes everyone the “Drift King”. Drifting is something which is primarily based on Driver Style. This maybe “aggressive”, “Smooth & Slow” or “Angle hunter”. We as drivers have varying capabilities, and different styles of driving. Therefore a tune is something personal, almost like your finger print no one can replicate you skill level through ‘your’ tune.
Here you’ll find out about
-Choosing a Chassis
-Tuning Your Chassis
-Tuning your Motor
-Tuning your suspension
-Tuning your brakes
Choosing a Chassis.
Choosing a chassis, isn’t as difficult as it sounds. You can base it off the aesthetics, or take a more theoretical approach and try and cater for your driving style.
· Long Wheelbase- Long Wheel based vehicles are naturally more stable then Short Wheelbase chassis due to from mass spread over a larger surface area. This also brings in the concept of momentum, making it so that the vehicle go’s through a corner with more momentum allowing the vehicle to slide through the corner with ease. However this can backfire depending on your style, if you tend to “throw in” your car into a corner it may just over-rotate and you’ll end up looking the other way.
· Short Wheelbase- Short Wheelbase chassis are naturally more nimble and responsive. However having less mass spread over a surface area reduces its capability of stability. So you may find it twitchy. Once again the concept of momentum kicks in, as you will have smaller mass the chassis may lose momentum through a corner which may straighten you out. Short wheelbase vehicles are more suited towards people who have an ‘aggressive’ style.
· Chassis Weight Reduction- Reducing the weight of your vehicle sounds like a no brainer, right? Lower the power the weight ratio, the faster you will drift? Sometimes this isn’t the case, having more weight will result increasing grip, and reducing the tendency of having a bumpy and jumpy ride. Also increasing momentum during drifts it will help you glide through corners with ease. Then there’s a balance of weight reduction, where your car doesn’t feel too boaty and not too twitchy. Creating a perfect balance and an overall universal tune for all tracks. This will depend on the driver’s style, for me.
In my case my disadvantage is virtual g-force, I can’t tell if I’m gathering enough of it to initiate into a drift, hence why I tend to go for a heavier chassis which can guarantee enough momentum to break traction and get into a drift. However in reality, I drive a light weight chassis with engine with moderate power, and there is no struggle to initiate as I can feel the g-forces indicating that I’m breaking traction.
Choosing an engine.
As a car enthusiast we all know that the Engine is the heart of any vehicle. An engine combined with the right chassis can lead to you being the next ‘Drift King’, as long as it caters to your driving style.
· Displacement- A engine with larger displacement will generally create more power and torque in comparison to an engine with smaller displacement. However you have to consider the fact that a vehicle with larger displacement will generally be a heavier block therefore affecting the Weight Distribution of the vehicle. Depending on your style and track, you may opt for a smaller displacement so you can floor it more i.e 300hp 1.6L 4AGE, or if you have a light foot you may vouch for a 600hp 5.7L LS3.
· Torque- Torque being the force produced by the engine, will determine how quickly you can create the power, too little torque will may affect how you initiate and exit a corner. Preferably you’ll want a sufficient amount to pull away from a corner at typical speeds. But remember, you have to be able to put the power down, so don’t make it all about torque. Sometimes a little less torque will help you get the power down to the ground.
· Horsepower- Horsepower a measure of force produced over time. This will determine your ability to attain your top speed, so keeping momentum of the wheels. You’ll need a sweet spot depending on the chassis you have chosen. Having too little might not be enough to carry you through the corner, having too much may cause you to spin. Hitting the sweet spot will help you get the balance of enough grip to accelerate through corners and still have the wheels spinning at the back so you’re still drifting.
Everything in performance is a trade-off: lower end power will mean that you are sacrificing high end peak power, which is going to reflect your top speed. Which is more important will depend on the specifics of the car - it's weight, it's gearing, how much grip you have with the drive wheels: any torque more than you can successfully transfer to the ground through the transmission and the limits of tire traction is wasted and will probably gain you more in peak power... any peak power more than your gearing's top speed (and the likely top speed of a run) is likewise wasted power that could probably be better used on the low end.
Suspension-
· Ride Height- Ride Height, the lower ride height, the lower the cars centre of gravity, and the better it will handle, but set it too low and the suspension will bottom out. As an affect it will cause your car to jolt and jump. Handling characteristics can also be influenced by introducing different heights between the front and rear of the vehicle. Having the front end lower than the rear will increase oversteer, while raising it up will increase understeer.
· Spring Rate- Spring rates determine the pitch and roll ability of the vehicle. Having a softer spring rate will cause the car to pitch and roll increasing momentum. Specific adjustments can be made to help manipulate the vehicles handling characteristics. Such as the front being softer than those in the rear to encourage oversteer, or the front being tighter than the rear for more understeer.
· Dampers- Dampers control the firmness of the damper (Compression and Extension). Dampers limit the amount of stretch in the suspensions springs, thereby minimising unnecessary chassis movement. If the dampers are too firm during suspension compression, then suspension movement will be limited and stiff, causing the car to judder and jump. Dampers are usually stiffer on extension then compression, but making them too stiff will inhibit the movement of the springs, making the load movement much harder to control.
· Anti-Roll Bars- Anti Roll bars allow you to influence how much your car will roll laterally and how fast. Adjusting your anti roll bars behave the same as spring rates, however only controlling the lateral movement. Having different stiffness to the front and rear of the vehicle determines oversteer and understeer. (Refer to spring rates on how it affects handling characteristics.)
· Camber- Camber is the angles of your wheels vertical axis, and they will be your primary tool to dialling in your perfect setup. Camber affects the contact patch of your tires, having too much will decrease grip and decrease your braking ability. Too little and your car may be too grippy. Adjusting your front and rear camber will help you to alter the grip balance between the front and rear. Having Negative camber in the rear will help you break traction quicker, but once you’ve initiated the sideways momentum may cause you to spin out. Negative camber in the front, will increase understeer, which is good whilst you’re sliding. Depending on your entry style, I.E Scandinavian Flick will not be as effective as there is no grip in the front. Therefore initial turn in maybe daft.
· Toe- Toe is the angle of your wheels facing inward or outward. Toe IN is positive angle where how much the wheels are pointing inwards, whilst Toe OUT is how much the wheel is pointing outwards. Generally speaking, the more inwards your wheels are facing the more stable your vehicle will be. Giving the front end a toe in angle will increase understeer, while a toe out will improve steering response. Giving the rear wheels a toe-in angle will improve stability both when moving forward and when turning, but will also increase understeer.
Differential-
· Initial Torque – Is the amount of pressure exerted, simply how much torque you will be putting down whilst going straight which is when your differential will be 100% locked. Having it on a low setting will create a smoother more un-predictable change in handling. Having it on a high setting will be more predictable, however will increase understeer.
· Acceleration Sensitivity- Is the amount of pressure exerted under acceleration, a higher setting will lock the differential more therefore putting more power on the road. A lower setting will open the differential causing the vehicle to turn in better, however reducing likeliness for oversteer. For Drifting it is recommended you use a high setting.
· Deceleration Sensitivity- Is the amount of pressure exerted under braking, a higher setting will lock the differential more therefore inhibiting the ability for the wheels to spin at a different speed. You’ll want to strike a balance with this so you don’t understeer or oversteer.
Brakes-
· Brakes- Adjusting the sensitivity of the front and rear brakes independently will severely affect your chosen vehicles performance. Having a Front Brake bias, will allow the vehicles weight to transfer to the front end, causing the rear end to lift and break traction. It will also help with left foot braking and heel and toe without the rear gaining traction. Personally I would implement this for a chassis with low torque. Whilst a Rear Brake Bias, will also have the same effect depending on how much your ABS System is set to. Eventually braking traction, however you will transfer the internal weight to the rear end, increasing inertia at the rear end may result in additional over rotation.
Depending on the situation, either is good. If your style is more so aggressive in entries you may opt for the front brake bias, and vice versa.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Ultimately all systems of a vehicle work in synergy to perform. Striking a balance between all of them to cater towards your driving style will lead to your success in the world of Drifting. I wish you all the best of luck.
Proudly supported and created by the team here at teamJDMT.
A kind thanks to JZX90 (R.I.P) Never to be forgotten.
Assuming you’re new to the motorsport of drifting, I’d like to start on this note. As a drifter having experience both in the real world and the virtual world. There has never been one tune that is perfect for everyone and makes everyone the “Drift King”. Drifting is something which is primarily based on Driver Style. This maybe “aggressive”, “Smooth & Slow” or “Angle hunter”. We as drivers have varying capabilities, and different styles of driving. Therefore a tune is something personal, almost like your finger print no one can replicate you skill level through ‘your’ tune.
Here you’ll find out about
-Choosing a Chassis
-Tuning Your Chassis
-Tuning your Motor
-Tuning your suspension
-Tuning your brakes
Choosing a Chassis.
Choosing a chassis, isn’t as difficult as it sounds. You can base it off the aesthetics, or take a more theoretical approach and try and cater for your driving style.
· Long Wheelbase- Long Wheel based vehicles are naturally more stable then Short Wheelbase chassis due to from mass spread over a larger surface area. This also brings in the concept of momentum, making it so that the vehicle go’s through a corner with more momentum allowing the vehicle to slide through the corner with ease. However this can backfire depending on your style, if you tend to “throw in” your car into a corner it may just over-rotate and you’ll end up looking the other way.
· Short Wheelbase- Short Wheelbase chassis are naturally more nimble and responsive. However having less mass spread over a surface area reduces its capability of stability. So you may find it twitchy. Once again the concept of momentum kicks in, as you will have smaller mass the chassis may lose momentum through a corner which may straighten you out. Short wheelbase vehicles are more suited towards people who have an ‘aggressive’ style.
· Chassis Weight Reduction- Reducing the weight of your vehicle sounds like a no brainer, right? Lower the power the weight ratio, the faster you will drift? Sometimes this isn’t the case, having more weight will result increasing grip, and reducing the tendency of having a bumpy and jumpy ride. Also increasing momentum during drifts it will help you glide through corners with ease. Then there’s a balance of weight reduction, where your car doesn’t feel too boaty and not too twitchy. Creating a perfect balance and an overall universal tune for all tracks. This will depend on the driver’s style, for me.
In my case my disadvantage is virtual g-force, I can’t tell if I’m gathering enough of it to initiate into a drift, hence why I tend to go for a heavier chassis which can guarantee enough momentum to break traction and get into a drift. However in reality, I drive a light weight chassis with engine with moderate power, and there is no struggle to initiate as I can feel the g-forces indicating that I’m breaking traction.
Choosing an engine.
As a car enthusiast we all know that the Engine is the heart of any vehicle. An engine combined with the right chassis can lead to you being the next ‘Drift King’, as long as it caters to your driving style.
· Displacement- A engine with larger displacement will generally create more power and torque in comparison to an engine with smaller displacement. However you have to consider the fact that a vehicle with larger displacement will generally be a heavier block therefore affecting the Weight Distribution of the vehicle. Depending on your style and track, you may opt for a smaller displacement so you can floor it more i.e 300hp 1.6L 4AGE, or if you have a light foot you may vouch for a 600hp 5.7L LS3.
· Torque- Torque being the force produced by the engine, will determine how quickly you can create the power, too little torque will may affect how you initiate and exit a corner. Preferably you’ll want a sufficient amount to pull away from a corner at typical speeds. But remember, you have to be able to put the power down, so don’t make it all about torque. Sometimes a little less torque will help you get the power down to the ground.
· Horsepower- Horsepower a measure of force produced over time. This will determine your ability to attain your top speed, so keeping momentum of the wheels. You’ll need a sweet spot depending on the chassis you have chosen. Having too little might not be enough to carry you through the corner, having too much may cause you to spin. Hitting the sweet spot will help you get the balance of enough grip to accelerate through corners and still have the wheels spinning at the back so you’re still drifting.
Everything in performance is a trade-off: lower end power will mean that you are sacrificing high end peak power, which is going to reflect your top speed. Which is more important will depend on the specifics of the car - it's weight, it's gearing, how much grip you have with the drive wheels: any torque more than you can successfully transfer to the ground through the transmission and the limits of tire traction is wasted and will probably gain you more in peak power... any peak power more than your gearing's top speed (and the likely top speed of a run) is likewise wasted power that could probably be better used on the low end.
Suspension-
· Ride Height- Ride Height, the lower ride height, the lower the cars centre of gravity, and the better it will handle, but set it too low and the suspension will bottom out. As an affect it will cause your car to jolt and jump. Handling characteristics can also be influenced by introducing different heights between the front and rear of the vehicle. Having the front end lower than the rear will increase oversteer, while raising it up will increase understeer.
· Spring Rate- Spring rates determine the pitch and roll ability of the vehicle. Having a softer spring rate will cause the car to pitch and roll increasing momentum. Specific adjustments can be made to help manipulate the vehicles handling characteristics. Such as the front being softer than those in the rear to encourage oversteer, or the front being tighter than the rear for more understeer.
· Dampers- Dampers control the firmness of the damper (Compression and Extension). Dampers limit the amount of stretch in the suspensions springs, thereby minimising unnecessary chassis movement. If the dampers are too firm during suspension compression, then suspension movement will be limited and stiff, causing the car to judder and jump. Dampers are usually stiffer on extension then compression, but making them too stiff will inhibit the movement of the springs, making the load movement much harder to control.
· Anti-Roll Bars- Anti Roll bars allow you to influence how much your car will roll laterally and how fast. Adjusting your anti roll bars behave the same as spring rates, however only controlling the lateral movement. Having different stiffness to the front and rear of the vehicle determines oversteer and understeer. (Refer to spring rates on how it affects handling characteristics.)
· Camber- Camber is the angles of your wheels vertical axis, and they will be your primary tool to dialling in your perfect setup. Camber affects the contact patch of your tires, having too much will decrease grip and decrease your braking ability. Too little and your car may be too grippy. Adjusting your front and rear camber will help you to alter the grip balance between the front and rear. Having Negative camber in the rear will help you break traction quicker, but once you’ve initiated the sideways momentum may cause you to spin out. Negative camber in the front, will increase understeer, which is good whilst you’re sliding. Depending on your entry style, I.E Scandinavian Flick will not be as effective as there is no grip in the front. Therefore initial turn in maybe daft.
· Toe- Toe is the angle of your wheels facing inward or outward. Toe IN is positive angle where how much the wheels are pointing inwards, whilst Toe OUT is how much the wheel is pointing outwards. Generally speaking, the more inwards your wheels are facing the more stable your vehicle will be. Giving the front end a toe in angle will increase understeer, while a toe out will improve steering response. Giving the rear wheels a toe-in angle will improve stability both when moving forward and when turning, but will also increase understeer.
Differential-
· Initial Torque – Is the amount of pressure exerted, simply how much torque you will be putting down whilst going straight which is when your differential will be 100% locked. Having it on a low setting will create a smoother more un-predictable change in handling. Having it on a high setting will be more predictable, however will increase understeer.
· Acceleration Sensitivity- Is the amount of pressure exerted under acceleration, a higher setting will lock the differential more therefore putting more power on the road. A lower setting will open the differential causing the vehicle to turn in better, however reducing likeliness for oversteer. For Drifting it is recommended you use a high setting.
· Deceleration Sensitivity- Is the amount of pressure exerted under braking, a higher setting will lock the differential more therefore inhibiting the ability for the wheels to spin at a different speed. You’ll want to strike a balance with this so you don’t understeer or oversteer.
Brakes-
· Brakes- Adjusting the sensitivity of the front and rear brakes independently will severely affect your chosen vehicles performance. Having a Front Brake bias, will allow the vehicles weight to transfer to the front end, causing the rear end to lift and break traction. It will also help with left foot braking and heel and toe without the rear gaining traction. Personally I would implement this for a chassis with low torque. Whilst a Rear Brake Bias, will also have the same effect depending on how much your ABS System is set to. Eventually braking traction, however you will transfer the internal weight to the rear end, increasing inertia at the rear end may result in additional over rotation.
Depending on the situation, either is good. If your style is more so aggressive in entries you may opt for the front brake bias, and vice versa.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Ultimately all systems of a vehicle work in synergy to perform. Striking a balance between all of them to cater towards your driving style will lead to your success in the world of Drifting. I wish you all the best of luck.
Proudly supported and created by the team here at teamJDMT.
A kind thanks to JZX90 (R.I.P) Never to be forgotten.
Last edited:
Again, well done!
), I settled on 3 or 4 in the front, as that's the amount of pressure I feel comfortable controlling smoothly. I settled on 0 or 1 in the rear as I found anything stronger really interfered with my throttle work while braking, causing under steer.
