The Dubbleklutch guide to Homemade Tuning
As many of you already know, theres a lot to be said for having experienced the majority of the tracks and circuits troughout the course of GT history. Seasoned vets could conceivably wrinkle the pavement at Laguna Seca after just having opened the game itself. For those of us interested in calculating your own unique and custom tuning setups (ie: if you do not want the actual settings, and are simply interested in the theory and logic behind custom tuning parts...) this mildly comprehensive guide will arm you with everything you will need should you find the joys in spending an hour or better devising a homemade tuning system.
The general overview is as follows:
The tuning alterations that affect your cars performance the most are Tire Grip, Weight Transfer, and (above all else) suspension.
Your cars power and torque are, for the most part, specific to the race and the course you're driving. Remember, when you enter a race, if your car has a stage 3 tubo or n/a tune setup for example...odds are likely your opponent will as well, so dont overdo it! If your racing a Clio, its not necessary to bring out the Zonda. In all actuality, your ability to handle turns and chicanes at a "competitive" speed is much more valuable than grinding walls and drifting dirt at excessive speeds.
Transmission and gear setup: Ok, theres a reason the "settings" option shows up at the beginning of each race. This is another case specific option! The series of bars on the tranny setup screen represent the amount of time your car spends in that particular gear. For closer courses with several tight turns, youll want you car to be able to jump right out of the box. On these courses youll likely spend most of your time at lower speeds and will want your tranny set close so your car will shift out of those lower gears as quickly as possible (the higher the gear your in, the faster you are moving). Beware however, regardless of the strength of your engine, you can only go as fast as your transmission will let you. So if your tranny is set real close to negotiate the tight turns of Chamonix, you might max out on the straighaways. The best setting for the course is usually met when your car is almost pegged at the end of the courses longest straightaway.
Drivetrain (the rest of it...) Triple plates will allow you to shift quicker, close gears will do you no good if your car is idling even 1 second between shifting and will increase the detrement if you are shifting often. Same with the flywheel and driveshaft although these are nothing more than lighter and stronger variations of the originals! LSD (Limited Slip Differential) believe it or not can be tossed to the wayside if your suspension and breaking are done right. If you must, however, understand that the logic behind limited slip is to prevent the cars wheels from spinning in excess. Not really a bad thing... if your tired of winning. When your LSD prevents the wheels from spinning, it also prevents the car from moving forward. You can make much better use of your horsepower if you alter your suspension, brakes and weight ratio in conjunction with "drifting" turns when applicable!
Exhaust: Theres no good reason why top-of-the-line should not be in your car! Same applies to the racing chip, port and polish, engine balancing and displacement (when applicable).
Tires: Many races limit you to "sports" tires, however, in the right setting...no other single alteration is as effective as the introduction of racing slicks (preferably Medium) to your ride. The theory?!? In conjunction with a little camber angle adjustment, we can trick your car into thinking the tires are about a foot-and-a- half to two feet wide. The result?!? Wider wheel base equals more stability around the turns. ( [_] = >1' tire width : /__/ = ~1 1/2'-2' tire width )
Weight Reduction: This one deserves a little attention too. Consider this...each stage removes or replaces different parts to the car. It may not always be necessary to remove or replace it all! - I cant stress that enough! Depending on the overall weight and power (and the drivetrain) you may want to take it one step at a time. A good thing to keep in mind is that the lighter your front end is the less effective your steering will be (and in a FF car, could result in a loss of traction and torque, same with a FR, if the rear is too light) For MR and 4WD cars you can feel safe taking it all out! However, for all cars, when you get the weight where you want it, adjust the ballast weight to increase the steering effectiveness when coming into turns and adjust the front/rear weight according to the drivetrain. Hint: For FR cars, its not a bad idea to set the weight to the rear giving more grip to the wheels in motion while setting the front damper bound "loose" to increase the weight of the front end when coming into a turn. See "Suspension".
Brakes: While racing brakes are a must, you're fighting a losing battle without the brake controller! (Note: If youve equipped an LSD, this info may be useless.) Ive found that regardless of the brake stength, if you set the rear differential roughly 2 units less than the front, you'll almost always get just the right amount of oversteer to prevent you from going into that patch of sand and keep you on the inside of most turns. For stronger cars, of course youll want stronger brakes. Keep in mind though, if you max out the brake strength all the way around, you may as well just power brake all the turns. The right brake strength can be dictated by your cars' overall power and torque.
Nitrous Oxide: OK, this ones up to you! If you've experimented with it already, its great on straightaways (when at max power setting) but it will totally alter the physics of your ride...so use at your own discretion! Again, a well taken turn at "competitive" speeds will outweigh barreling through dirt and shaving walls at 200mph any day of the week. (The only exeption being "turn 7" at Fuji, and dont tell me you havent done it before! Even all you "honest engine" racers who cut across that patch of grass accidentally the first time had that little racing angel on your shoulder dancing like its Hammer time at 90's Fest when you ended up on solid pavement. My advice...sacrifice your integrity only for the important races, but hey, its your fifty bucks!)
Turbo Kits:Really, the only thing I can say about turbo kits is that regardless of which stage you choose, its nothing without an intercooler! In any engine a good rule of thumb is: More air plus more gas equals more fire and more power! The turbo kit is meant to compress the air from the intake and basically force feed it to the engines carburetor. Science teaches us that in order to compress the air, it would first have to be cooled and in most cases the cooling unit in a stock turbo kit is insufficient, the intercooler allows the air to pass through a series of cooling vents before its compressed by the turbo itself allowing for a faster response and full use of the turbo kits' overall potential. Kinda cool I suppose?!? My opinion could be equivocated to the difference between a great big guy who works out frequently and could body slam your Corolla; and a powerlifter pumped full of steroids and looks like a vaccuum packed bag of assorted fruits chained up to a Peterbilt, pulling it down a drag strip.
Suspension: This, friends, is the meat and potatoes of this little "how to".
Provided you keep in mind, your suspension is directly related to the settings of both the weight ratio/ballast weight and breaking strength and bias; allowing the damper settings to dictate the flow of your cars' mass will greatly affect your ability to observe the "slow in, fast out" theory behind cornering. This, in my opinion is best illustrated by the stock setup of the 1970 Chevelle SS 454. You can visibly notice that when the brake is applied, the front end lowers considerably, transferring the weight to the front end and increasing the effectiveness of the steering and braking. - slow in. This is acheived by lowering the front ends' spring rate and damper bound. Note: Though the lowest possible ride height is beneficial, you will have to allow for varying distance between the tire and wheel well! Once you have negotiated the turn, and are ponted in the appropriate direction of travel; its time to floor it! To ensure that the weight is primarily focused on the wheels moving your car, adjust both the rear damper bound, spring rate and ballast weight and bias. For cars with rear wheel drive, these settings should be relatively low. When your tires grab the road and push you forward, the majority of the weight shifts to the rear which, in this case is the end we want the weight focused. For cars with front wheel drive, the object is to take as much of that weight from the rear and move it to the front where the tires can take hold and get you the hell outta there. Adjust the rear damper bound to a medium setting and the spring rate high so the rear compresses down considerably; then set the rebound low so that when your moving forward, the springs will try to lift the rear end shift as much weight as possible to the front. For cars with an MR drivetrain, the majority of the weight is always in the rear on account of the engines locale; with a 4WD vehicle, all 4 wheels are trying to move the car. For both types, focus on getting the weight up front for steering and breaking purposes. As for sway bars, with this type of suspension setting, its best to allow the front end to move quite freely given a low setting. The rear however should be adjusted only to accommodate the terrain. As mentioned earlier, adjusting the front camber plates can allow for much better traction when applied moderately. Ive found a setting of roughly 4.5-5 degrees is a good mix between good cornering speeds and straightaways. The rear plates often require little adjustment.
Spoilers/Fins: Another useful addition that could lend a hand in transferring the weight where it needs to go. A higher setting will push down harder. Doesn't get any simpler!
Observe the rules of cornering as prescribed in License Tests and the like. For the newcomers, I recommend "Skip Barber's Racing Strategy" found in GT3. Tune up something fast, let me know how it works out!
Comments, questions: ternyerhedncoph@msn.com
As many of you already know, theres a lot to be said for having experienced the majority of the tracks and circuits troughout the course of GT history. Seasoned vets could conceivably wrinkle the pavement at Laguna Seca after just having opened the game itself. For those of us interested in calculating your own unique and custom tuning setups (ie: if you do not want the actual settings, and are simply interested in the theory and logic behind custom tuning parts...) this mildly comprehensive guide will arm you with everything you will need should you find the joys in spending an hour or better devising a homemade tuning system.
The general overview is as follows:
The tuning alterations that affect your cars performance the most are Tire Grip, Weight Transfer, and (above all else) suspension.
Your cars power and torque are, for the most part, specific to the race and the course you're driving. Remember, when you enter a race, if your car has a stage 3 tubo or n/a tune setup for example...odds are likely your opponent will as well, so dont overdo it! If your racing a Clio, its not necessary to bring out the Zonda. In all actuality, your ability to handle turns and chicanes at a "competitive" speed is much more valuable than grinding walls and drifting dirt at excessive speeds.
Transmission and gear setup: Ok, theres a reason the "settings" option shows up at the beginning of each race. This is another case specific option! The series of bars on the tranny setup screen represent the amount of time your car spends in that particular gear. For closer courses with several tight turns, youll want you car to be able to jump right out of the box. On these courses youll likely spend most of your time at lower speeds and will want your tranny set close so your car will shift out of those lower gears as quickly as possible (the higher the gear your in, the faster you are moving). Beware however, regardless of the strength of your engine, you can only go as fast as your transmission will let you. So if your tranny is set real close to negotiate the tight turns of Chamonix, you might max out on the straighaways. The best setting for the course is usually met when your car is almost pegged at the end of the courses longest straightaway.
Drivetrain (the rest of it...) Triple plates will allow you to shift quicker, close gears will do you no good if your car is idling even 1 second between shifting and will increase the detrement if you are shifting often. Same with the flywheel and driveshaft although these are nothing more than lighter and stronger variations of the originals! LSD (Limited Slip Differential) believe it or not can be tossed to the wayside if your suspension and breaking are done right. If you must, however, understand that the logic behind limited slip is to prevent the cars wheels from spinning in excess. Not really a bad thing... if your tired of winning. When your LSD prevents the wheels from spinning, it also prevents the car from moving forward. You can make much better use of your horsepower if you alter your suspension, brakes and weight ratio in conjunction with "drifting" turns when applicable!
Exhaust: Theres no good reason why top-of-the-line should not be in your car! Same applies to the racing chip, port and polish, engine balancing and displacement (when applicable).
Tires: Many races limit you to "sports" tires, however, in the right setting...no other single alteration is as effective as the introduction of racing slicks (preferably Medium) to your ride. The theory?!? In conjunction with a little camber angle adjustment, we can trick your car into thinking the tires are about a foot-and-a- half to two feet wide. The result?!? Wider wheel base equals more stability around the turns. ( [_] = >1' tire width : /__/ = ~1 1/2'-2' tire width )
Weight Reduction: This one deserves a little attention too. Consider this...each stage removes or replaces different parts to the car. It may not always be necessary to remove or replace it all! - I cant stress that enough! Depending on the overall weight and power (and the drivetrain) you may want to take it one step at a time. A good thing to keep in mind is that the lighter your front end is the less effective your steering will be (and in a FF car, could result in a loss of traction and torque, same with a FR, if the rear is too light) For MR and 4WD cars you can feel safe taking it all out! However, for all cars, when you get the weight where you want it, adjust the ballast weight to increase the steering effectiveness when coming into turns and adjust the front/rear weight according to the drivetrain. Hint: For FR cars, its not a bad idea to set the weight to the rear giving more grip to the wheels in motion while setting the front damper bound "loose" to increase the weight of the front end when coming into a turn. See "Suspension".
Brakes: While racing brakes are a must, you're fighting a losing battle without the brake controller! (Note: If youve equipped an LSD, this info may be useless.) Ive found that regardless of the brake stength, if you set the rear differential roughly 2 units less than the front, you'll almost always get just the right amount of oversteer to prevent you from going into that patch of sand and keep you on the inside of most turns. For stronger cars, of course youll want stronger brakes. Keep in mind though, if you max out the brake strength all the way around, you may as well just power brake all the turns. The right brake strength can be dictated by your cars' overall power and torque.
Nitrous Oxide: OK, this ones up to you! If you've experimented with it already, its great on straightaways (when at max power setting) but it will totally alter the physics of your ride...so use at your own discretion! Again, a well taken turn at "competitive" speeds will outweigh barreling through dirt and shaving walls at 200mph any day of the week. (The only exeption being "turn 7" at Fuji, and dont tell me you havent done it before! Even all you "honest engine" racers who cut across that patch of grass accidentally the first time had that little racing angel on your shoulder dancing like its Hammer time at 90's Fest when you ended up on solid pavement. My advice...sacrifice your integrity only for the important races, but hey, its your fifty bucks!)
Turbo Kits:Really, the only thing I can say about turbo kits is that regardless of which stage you choose, its nothing without an intercooler! In any engine a good rule of thumb is: More air plus more gas equals more fire and more power! The turbo kit is meant to compress the air from the intake and basically force feed it to the engines carburetor. Science teaches us that in order to compress the air, it would first have to be cooled and in most cases the cooling unit in a stock turbo kit is insufficient, the intercooler allows the air to pass through a series of cooling vents before its compressed by the turbo itself allowing for a faster response and full use of the turbo kits' overall potential. Kinda cool I suppose?!? My opinion could be equivocated to the difference between a great big guy who works out frequently and could body slam your Corolla; and a powerlifter pumped full of steroids and looks like a vaccuum packed bag of assorted fruits chained up to a Peterbilt, pulling it down a drag strip.
Suspension: This, friends, is the meat and potatoes of this little "how to".
Provided you keep in mind, your suspension is directly related to the settings of both the weight ratio/ballast weight and breaking strength and bias; allowing the damper settings to dictate the flow of your cars' mass will greatly affect your ability to observe the "slow in, fast out" theory behind cornering. This, in my opinion is best illustrated by the stock setup of the 1970 Chevelle SS 454. You can visibly notice that when the brake is applied, the front end lowers considerably, transferring the weight to the front end and increasing the effectiveness of the steering and braking. - slow in. This is acheived by lowering the front ends' spring rate and damper bound. Note: Though the lowest possible ride height is beneficial, you will have to allow for varying distance between the tire and wheel well! Once you have negotiated the turn, and are ponted in the appropriate direction of travel; its time to floor it! To ensure that the weight is primarily focused on the wheels moving your car, adjust both the rear damper bound, spring rate and ballast weight and bias. For cars with rear wheel drive, these settings should be relatively low. When your tires grab the road and push you forward, the majority of the weight shifts to the rear which, in this case is the end we want the weight focused. For cars with front wheel drive, the object is to take as much of that weight from the rear and move it to the front where the tires can take hold and get you the hell outta there. Adjust the rear damper bound to a medium setting and the spring rate high so the rear compresses down considerably; then set the rebound low so that when your moving forward, the springs will try to lift the rear end shift as much weight as possible to the front. For cars with an MR drivetrain, the majority of the weight is always in the rear on account of the engines locale; with a 4WD vehicle, all 4 wheels are trying to move the car. For both types, focus on getting the weight up front for steering and breaking purposes. As for sway bars, with this type of suspension setting, its best to allow the front end to move quite freely given a low setting. The rear however should be adjusted only to accommodate the terrain. As mentioned earlier, adjusting the front camber plates can allow for much better traction when applied moderately. Ive found a setting of roughly 4.5-5 degrees is a good mix between good cornering speeds and straightaways. The rear plates often require little adjustment.
Spoilers/Fins: Another useful addition that could lend a hand in transferring the weight where it needs to go. A higher setting will push down harder. Doesn't get any simpler!
Observe the rules of cornering as prescribed in License Tests and the like. For the newcomers, I recommend "Skip Barber's Racing Strategy" found in GT3. Tune up something fast, let me know how it works out!
Comments, questions: ternyerhedncoph@msn.com
