The Goal - Adjust and improve the car's handling to suit your driving preferences.

Each vehicle exhibits unique handling characteristics. Some lean towards understeer, while others exhibit oversteer. These tendencies are influenced by factors like engine placement, drivetrain configuration, and more.

Our primary objective is clear: to enhance your car's handling. However, this pursuit is intertwined with another crucial aspect: STABILITY.
These two elements are interconnected. By prioritizing handling, you might inadvertently sacrifice some stability. The car will become more responsive and agile, but the risk of sudden traction loss increases.

Balancing Act: Up to a certain point, improving handling and stability go hand-in-hand. Yet, there's a tipping point where further refinements in handling can compromise stability. For instance, increasing a car's agility can heighten the likelihood of "snap oversteer" a condition that can lead to loss of control during sharp turns.

The Sweet Spot: The ideal scenario is to find the equilibrium where the car handles optimally without veering towards instability.

The fundamental principle of tuning is that the first part of the car to lose grip is the one that is tuned stiffer. For example, take a car with a 50/50 weight distribution. If the front suspension is stiffer than the rear, the car will tend towards understeer. Conversely, a stiffer rear suspension can lead to oversteer.

Stiffness, Traction and Stability: Simply put - Softening the suspension increases traction but reduces agility. Conversely, stiffening the suspension decreases traction but improves agility. By strategically modifying the stiffness of the front or rear suspension, you can fine-tune the car's handling characteristics to address understeer or oversteer.

Complications: While the concept might seem straightforward, achieving the perfect balance requires careful consideration and experimentation

• If you increase the pressure, you will get sharper steering, but you will lose grip. The car will be more responsive, but lose traction more quickly.
  
  
• Lowering the pressure improves grip, but it can make the steering feel less responsive.

Ideal Tire Pressure

I think the sweet spot for tire pressure is between 1.8 and 2.2 bar (26-32 psi). Heavier cars usually need more air in their tires. Like, a lighter car (under 1000 kg) can go as low as 1.8 bar (26 psi), but a Heavier one (1300 kg or more) might need more like 2.0-2.2 bar (29-32 psi).

Adjusting Tire Pressure Based on Temperature

When setting tire pressure, it's important to consider that tire pressure increases with temperature. As the tires heat up during driving, the pressure can rise by about 0.2 to 0.5 bar (2 to 7 psi). To ensure the correct pressure, it's recommended to drive for 1-2 laps and then check the tire pressure using telemetry. If the pressure is higher than your target, slightly reduce it. If it's lower, increase the pressure accordingly.

Gear tuning in Motorsport 8 is more complex than in previous installments because the developers don't provide a power curve graph, which is crucial for optimal gear setup. Why is it so important? Because your gears should keep the engine operating within its optimal power band for maximum acceleration and speed.

We will be adjusting the gears based on the turns.

The final drive allows you to stretch or compress ALL gears at once. By adjusting the final drive, you tune acceleration and top speed. The rule for adjusting the final drive is simple: The higher the final drive value, the more acceleration. The lower the final drive value, the higher the top speed.

- It's only needed for the start. During the race, you never go below 2nd gear, and therefore, tuning the first gear is extremely simple - achieve the least amount of "bouncing off the rev limiter" at the start.
Stop, rev up the engine and release the brake.
Watch how hard the needle hits the rev limiter and if the bouncing is too strong - Decrease the value of the first gear. If the engine, on the other hand, is "suffocating", then increase its value. On powerful rear-wheel drive cars, you won't be able to completely eliminate the bouncing off the rev limiter, just tune the first gear so that this bouncing is minimal. An ideal example of a tuned first gear is when at the start you hit the rev limiter 3-4 times, and then the wheels catch traction and the revs calm down.

It's pretty simple: Each gear is for different corner speeds.

• Second gear is for the slowest corners (hairpins, 90-degree turns, etc.).
  
• Third gear is for faster corners.
  
• Fourth for even faster ones, and so on. I think you get the idea.

Third gear is for medium-speed corners. You should enter a medium-speed corner, shift to third gear, go through the corner, and have optimal acceleration out of the corner in third gear, and it shouldn't end right at the end of the corner. If third gear is almost over by the exit of the corner and you need to shift to fourth, that's bad.

• Decrease the gear ratio of third gear so that it ends 100-150 meters after passing the corner.

If, on the other hand, the gear is too long, you fall out of the optimal power band (engine RPMs are too low in that gear) and you have to downshift

• You should increase the gear ratio of third gear .

And the same goes for setting up 4, 5, and so on.

If third (fourth, fifth, etc.) gear is too short, you won't be able to accelerate effectively out of the corner. Either you'll have to shift to fourth, which will reduce acceleration out of the corner, or you'll have to fight for your life in third gear, which will lead to wheelspin.
Also, shifting gears during corner exit under acceleration will lead to a snap oversteer.


After configuring all the gear ratios, you might find that the gear are either too short or too long. In this case, the main gear ratio comes to the rescue.

If all the gear ratios are clustered on the left side of the graph, decrease the main gear ratio to stretch them out (increase the speed on the main gear ratio). Continue stretching the gears until the last gear either reaches the edge of the graph without going over, or until it touches the beginning of the last column. Similarly, if the gear ratios extend beyond the graph (they are on the right side of the graph), increase the main gear ratio (increase acceleration) following the same rules. Congratulations, the gear ratios are now configured.

• Front wheel camber - Increasing front wheel camber can improve cornering grip and handling, but it may also compromise braking performance and stability. In front-wheel-drive cars, acceleration can also be affected
  
  
• Rear wheel camber - Like the front wheels, increasing the camber on the rear wheels can improve grip during cornering. However, this comes at the expense of acceleration (on rear-wheel drive cars), braking, and stability under braking.

The chamber is adjusted using telemetry. In a corner, the inside of the tire should be a few degrees warmer than the outside. If the outside of the tire is hotter than the inside

• increase the chamber

If the inside is excessively hot (15+ degrees),

• decrease the chamber

.
Toe in or out is usually not worth doing. It can mess up the steering too much. But it is done this way.

Front
• Increasing toe-out will most significantly affect corner entry by accelerating the vehicle's responsiveness to initial steering input. However, this adjustment can compromise straight-line speed and stability.
  
  
• Increasing TOE-IN should increase stability in the braking zones and slow‐down the response to the initial turn of the wheel. The compromise is that TOE‐IN will produce an increase in scrub that will slow straightline speeds. more deviation to having the tires pointed straight, the more straight‐away speeds are negatively affected.

This is true for both front and rear wheels. Wait no, it's the other way around for the rear wheels.

Rear
• Increasing Toe in on rear wheels helps improve the car's handling. But it reduces stability.
  
  
• Increasing Toe out, on the other hand, Increases stability under acceleration ( car's rear end is less floppy), but decreases handling.

• Increasing the caster angle can enhance a car's stability at higher speeds, making it more resistant to veering. However, this can also lead to reduced steering responsiveness during turns. Additionally, bumps and curbs may cause the car to straighten out unexpectedly.
  
  
• Reducing caster angle, however, can increase steering responsiveness and turning speed. However, this can also make the car less stable at higher speeds and more susceptible to oversteering.

ARB is an extremely powerful tool for tuning understeer and oversteer. The tuning is done according to the basic law of tuning.
If the front ARB is stiffer than the rear, you get an understeer. If the rear ARB is stiffer than the front ARB, you get an oversteer.

• By increasing (+) the stiffness of the front ARB, you increase the understeer.
  
• By decreasing (-) the stiffness of the front ARB, you increase the oversteer.

• By increasing (+) the stiffness of the rear ARB, you increase oversteer.
  
• By decreasing (-) the stiffness of the rear ARB you increase the understeer.

But remember that ARB's only "work" when the car is turning, i.e. at the beginning and middle of a turn.

Before adjusting the spring stiffness, it's essential to set the ride height.


The ride height determines how close the car is to the ground.
While a lower ride height can enhance responsiveness and reduce body roll, it's important to consider the track conditions. Bumps and potholes can cause the suspension to bottom out, leading to loss of control. Additionally, driving on curbs requires a slightly higher ride height

• A lower ride height improves steering responsiveness and cornering agility. However, it also increases the likelihood of "bottoming out" the suspension, potentially leading to loss of control
  
• The higher the ride height, the more bumps the car can handle on the track without losing stability. In return, you give away the car's responsiveness.

The springs are adjusted according to the basic law of tuning and according to the weight distribution of the car. The law is clear, but what is the weight distribution?

It's straightforward: each car has a unique weight distribution, indicating how much of the car's weight rests on the front and rear wheels. For instance, a 1000 kg car with a 50/50 weight distribution carries 500 kg on the front wheels and 500 kg on the rear.

A 55/45 weight distribution translates to 550 kg on the front and 450 kg on the rear. The greater the weight on a specific car part, the stiffer the springs should be on that part.

Therefore, if the front is heavier, the front springs should be stiffer than the rear springs. Furthermore, a lower ride height necessitates stiffer springs to prevent "bottoming out." This seems I think that makes sense.
A stiffer spring setup results in sharper handling and faster cornering.

Front
• Stiffening (+) the front springs tends to increase understeer.
  
• Softening (-) the front springs tends to increase oversteer.

Rear
• Stiffening (+) the rear springs tends to increase oversteer.
  
• Softening (-) the rear springs tends to increase understeer.

Dampers do not directly limit the total amount of load transfer through the car. However, they significantly influence the rate at which loads transfer. This affects the car's behavior during transient events like initial braking, brake release, turn-in, and throttle application. Consequently, adjusting damper settings can alter the car's response to these dynamic situations

(bump)

Compression (Front)
• Stiffer Compression: Slows down the car’s frontward weight transfer upon initial brake application. The compromise is a slight loss of compliance.
  
  
• Softer Compression: Adds grip to the front tires through better compliance, but at the cost of stability of the vehicle.

Compression (Rear)
• Stiffer Compression: This change primarily reduces understeer at turn-in and mid-corner, and resists understeer on initial throttle. However, it may induce oversteer at turn-in and on throttle-on exit.
  
  
• Softer Compression: This change should improve rear grip through better compliance. The corner‐entry handling balance will move toward UNDERsteer along with improved power‐down. The compromise is increased UNDERsteer at turn‐in and under throttle‐on conditions, such as at the corner exit.

Rebound (Front)
• Stiffer Rebound: As the brakes are released at corner‐entry, the initial turn‐in should be more positive, with less UNDERsteer. Taken too far, this can produce turn‐entry OVERsteer.
  
  
• Softer Rebound: As the brakes are released at corner‐entry, the tires will have better compliance, while the handling balance will shift toward UNDERsteer. The compromise is the potential for increased UNDERsteer at corner exit.

Rebound (Rear)
• Stiffer Rebound: Will produce increased UNDERsteer at corner entry. The potential downside is less compliance when the throttle is opened.
  
  
• Softer Rebound: This change will be best felt at corner entry with less UNDERsteer and improved throttle‐open compliance. The potential downside is that the driver may have less control at corner entry.

This is a new setting for Forza Motorsport. While it may sound confusing, the underlying principle is actually quite simple.


Simply put, it's like active anti-roll bars on steroids in term of tuning. If to be more specific, this setting modifies the position of the imaginary point in the suspension around which the vehicle rolls. I mean it's literally called the "roll center height"

By changing a Roll Center, you can significantly affect its cornering performance.
Lowering the Roll Center increases grip, improving stability and handling. The vehicle becomes more "planted", with less body roll in corners.
Conversely, raising the Roll Center reduces grip, increasing body roll and the risk of losing traction with the outer wheels in corners.

• Increasing the rolling center leads to a decrease in grip.
  
• Reducing the rolling center results in increase in grip

It is not recommended to adjust the setting above a value of +5 or -5, as this may significantly affect the vehicle's handling


Anti-dive and anti-squat allow controlling the weight transfer of a vehicle during braking and acceleration. These systems are "activated" only during braking or acceleration. How do they work?


Anti-dive controls the amount of nosedive when braking.

• Increasing the anti-dive value, Increasing cars resists to nosedive, improved braking stability. increasing anti-dive can reduce front wheel traction under braking.
  (more understeer under braking)
  
• Decreasing the anti-dive value will lead to more pronounced nosedive during braking, which can increase front wheel traction but reduce overall braking stability.
  (more oversteer under braking)

Anti-squat controls how much the rear of a vehicle squats under acceleration.

• Increasing the anti-squat value reduces rear axle squat, improving vehicle stability under acceleration but potentially reducing rear wheel traction.
  (more oversteer under acceleration)
  
• Decreasing anti-squat increases rear axle squat, increasing rear grip under acceleration but compromising stability.
  (more understeer under acceleration)

• If the vehicle dives excessively under braking, unloading the rear axle and inducing oversteer, it is recommended to increase the Anti-dive
  
• Conversely, if the vehicle exhibits understeer when braking, the Anti-dive should be reduced.

• If the car squats excessively under acceleration and understeers on corner exit, the anti-squat should be increased.
  
• If the car loses rear-wheel traction when accelerating out of a corner, the anti-squat should be decreased.

As I mentioned earlier, these adjustments are made at the very end of the tuning process. Optimal values may vary, but personally, I don't go beyond the range of -15 to +30. If you need to go beyond these limits, it's likely that the spring stiffness needs to be adjusted: they may be too soft or too stiff.

To ensure that the settings are correct, it is necessary to analyze the telemetry. During hard braking, the front suspension should not compress more than 75%, and the rear should not compress more than 60-65% under hard acceleration. If these values are exceeded and the springs are correctly adjusted, you can proceed with further fine-tuning of Anti dive and Anti Squad

Aerodynamics should be simple to understand. If you increase downforce, you increase grip. In return, you give up acceleration and top speed. But remember, aerodynamics only works at speed. It's useless in slow corners.
Be careful, you can overdo the aerodynamics.

• Too much aero in the front, the car will oversteer.
  
• Too much aero on the rear, the car will have understeer.

Brakes? Who needs brakes? They only slow the car down.

As a car decelerates, load transfers to the front tires, which generally improves their grip, while decreasing the grip at the rear of the car. The goal is to adjust the proportion of the braking forces between front and rear (brake bias) in order to maximize overall braking efficiency. If the brakes are still applied as the car turns into the corner, the brake‐bias setting will also have an effect on the car’s turn‐in balance.

Brake bias
• Increasing Front bias: Shown as a larger number, increasing brake bias to the front will put more braking force into the front tires. This will stabilize the car in braking zones and increase understeer at corner entry. The compromise is that with too much front bias the rear tires are being under‐utilized and overall braking efficiency will suffer.
  
  
• Reducing Front bias: This puts more braking on the rear tires, which, within limits, improves braking efficiency. Too much rear brake bias, though, hurts performance in two ways. First, it reduces overall braking efficiency.

More seriously, too much rear brake bias, particularly if the driver is not braking in a straight line or has weak footwork on downshifts, can cause the rear tires to lock up, which puts the car in a dynamically unstable condition that can easily result in loss of vehicle control. Note that with a moderate amount of rear‐brake bias, the car will have a tendency to rotate (OVERsteer) at corner entry upon brake release.

Quite simply, the higher the number, the less pressure you need to apply to brake harder. And vice versa. This is useful if you are constantly under- or over-braking. Just increase or decrease the pressure values.
For example, I'm constantly under-braking, my finger muscle memory is pressing the brakes up to 50%. But ideally I need to apply the brakes up to 85% and I just increase the pressure until I reach that value without locking my wheels.

!WORK IN PROGRESS!
In a corner, the inside and outside wheel rotate at different speeds and the diff determines this difference. The acceleration setting works when you accelerate. The deceleration value works when you brake or coast.

The idea is that the diff setting works according to the following system.
Increasing the value speeds up the locking time and reduces the difference in wheel rotation.

Acceleration
• More % - Increases oversteer, Decreases understeer, especially out of tight corners.
  Decreases spin of the tyre without traction.
  
  
• Less % - Increases understeer, Decreases oversteer especially out of tight corners.
  Increases spin of the tyre without traction.

Deceleration (braking and coasting)
• More % - Increases braking stability, effective
  Decreases willingness to turn
  Increases understeer
  
  
• Less % - Decreases braking stability, effective
  Increases willingness to turn
  Decreases understeer

NOTTE: I'm working on a more detailed description for all drive types - RWD, FWD, AWD.

!WORK IN PROGRESS!

Tuning, it's not just tuning 1/40 ARB's on an AWD car. It's understanding what the car wants, and adapting your car to your driving style.
Please let me know in the comments if you find any mistakes in this guide. And if you have more information about tuning, feel free to share it in the comments.