I'd feel kind of guilty and lazy downloading setups from the web, so what is the best way to go about making your own setup? Is there a website that will tell you how to make your own and what all the different settings mean? Any help would be appreciated.
Making your own setups
(22 posts, started )
Here's Bob Smith's Advanced Setup Guide. It explains everything you need to get started understanding all of the setup options. However, even with a good understanding of the setup options it could be very difficult to make a competitive set from scratch, without building on some base values from other sets or past experience.
Slightly off topic, but you now have 7 posts on the LFS forum. All of your posts have been new threads you've started to answer questions that could easily have been solved by searching the forum or applying some common sense. In the future, could you please try to search or think about what you're asking before you post.
Slightly off topic, but you now have 7 posts on the LFS forum. All of your posts have been new threads you've started to answer questions that could easily have been solved by searching the forum or applying some common sense. In the future, could you please try to search or think about what you're asking before you post.
Well, I am not in the "know how" to start with the default setup and make a fast set from scratch. I usually go online race around with others, and the fastest most constant racer I usually ask for a set. Then I take that set for a spin for the rest of the night, then I change what I want so it fits my preference more. Usually just small changes though, and I never miss with gear ratios big mistake most often 
Here's how my process usually goes (You'll have to know what effect each setting will have on your car to do it properly..):
- Do consistant, steady laps to figure out how 'even' your tires are running (use F9 to see tire temps/wear), then adjust camber/tire pressure as necessary.
- Once each tire has even temperature and wear, I'll start adjusting the spring rates/anti-roll bar settings to loosen or tighten the car as needed.
- Once it handles how I like, I'll start concentrating on adjusting gear ratios. You'll want to do plenty of laps before messing with these to get a good feel of whether you're actually using each (and every) gear efficiently.
- By then I'm usually running pretty quick and competitive, so I'll just begin tweaking other settings to see if I can find something I like.
- Do consistant, steady laps to figure out how 'even' your tires are running (use F9 to see tire temps/wear), then adjust camber/tire pressure as necessary.
- Once each tire has even temperature and wear, I'll start adjusting the spring rates/anti-roll bar settings to loosen or tighten the car as needed.
- Once it handles how I like, I'll start concentrating on adjusting gear ratios. You'll want to do plenty of laps before messing with these to get a good feel of whether you're actually using each (and every) gear efficiently.
- By then I'm usually running pretty quick and competitive, so I'll just begin tweaking other settings to see if I can find something I like.
Also doing many laps could help just tweaking your approach into turns on that course.
Yes, experience is absolutely the best way to lower your lap times in any situation.
I think setups are a part of all sims that the majority of the drivers seem to miss out on. Even if you dont know what does what, you can still make progress with adjustments!
I try and make all of my own setups. The most important thing is to remember to save your setup after each change! Copy the setup by creating a new setup and then make the change as well as giving that setup a different name. For instance, I'm working on a hotlap at Aston National with the FOX. I currently have setups just from the last 1/2 hour or so from AS2_1 to AS2_9c.
It is true, you will get faster quicker just by driving more. But its alot more interesting to drive when you are making adjustments to the car. I think it also makes you much more aware and actually a better/faster driver in the long run.
Don't believe what some people will try and tell you either, there is no one right way to make adjustments to the setup just like there is NOT only one fast way around a corner. Cars are funny things, you'll find very often that what a website or setup guide says, may be completely opposite as to what is happening. While guides like that are very helpful, don' take anything as if it was written in stone.
So, in conclusion
-SAVE ALL CHANGES
-DRIVE AFTER EACH CHANGE (at the very least for 3 laps)
-DON'T CHANGE SOMETHING JUST BECAUSE, CHANGE IT ONLY IF IT FEELS BETTER FOR YOU, ITS YOUR SETUP!
and have fun!
I try and make all of my own setups. The most important thing is to remember to save your setup after each change! Copy the setup by creating a new setup and then make the change as well as giving that setup a different name. For instance, I'm working on a hotlap at Aston National with the FOX. I currently have setups just from the last 1/2 hour or so from AS2_1 to AS2_9c.
It is true, you will get faster quicker just by driving more. But its alot more interesting to drive when you are making adjustments to the car. I think it also makes you much more aware and actually a better/faster driver in the long run.
Don't believe what some people will try and tell you either, there is no one right way to make adjustments to the setup just like there is NOT only one fast way around a corner. Cars are funny things, you'll find very often that what a website or setup guide says, may be completely opposite as to what is happening. While guides like that are very helpful, don' take anything as if it was written in stone.
So, in conclusion
-SAVE ALL CHANGES
-DRIVE AFTER EACH CHANGE (at the very least for 3 laps)
-DON'T CHANGE SOMETHING JUST BECAUSE, CHANGE IT ONLY IF IT FEELS BETTER FOR YOU, ITS YOUR SETUP!
and have fun!
Trial and error is a big part of it, but knowing what part of the setup does what is needed to, you can't really go in half-cocked and mess with things that you don't really understand.
Testing is also a huge part of it, you need to do at least 10-20 laps with each change to see how it affects the car.
I would set the spring rate to a known frequency and leave it, then play with dampers, camber, tyre pressures and ARB's just to get a feel of how they work.
Testing is also a huge part of it, you need to do at least 10-20 laps with each change to see how it affects the car.
I would set the spring rate to a known frequency and leave it, then play with dampers, camber, tyre pressures and ARB's just to get a feel of how they work.
My rule of a thumb: stick with the default (or an unchanged borrowed setup) until every lap time is within half a second or less.
As I am a mediocre driver (at best) I find that setups have a very little impact on my lap times, but experience does.
Two other important tipps:
1) Save your setups with the track name in front and how durable it is, like "BLGP_5laps" or "BLGP_20laps". With durable I mean: how long do the tires last.
2) Copy a setup before changing it!
As I am a mediocre driver (at best) I find that setups have a very little impact on my lap times, but experience does.
Two other important tipps:
1) Save your setups with the track name in front and how durable it is, like "BLGP_5laps" or "BLGP_20laps". With durable I mean: how long do the tires last.
2) Copy a setup before changing it!
A common misconception, "the other guys setups will make my laptimes faster", while this can SOMETIMES be true, more offen than not my setups are made for consistancy and tyre longevity.
Setups will not make you into a racing legend, what they will do is help you shave 0.1 secs of your laps time, make your laps more consistant and tune the car to your driving style.
Driving style 80% setup 20%. And the setup percentage is only that big because if the setup is completely wrong then you're stuffed hehe
Duplicate threads merged.
i don't agree...the setup percent should be higher, maybe up to 40%.
Why?
It depends on just how bad the first setup you used was in the first place.
IMO, the difference between a "default" RACE_S set, and a "tuned" set is not big at all.
It depends on your experience. A crappy setup stinks as a beginner because you don't know the track or the car and are trying to learn them with an ill handling car. First thing you need is not a good setup, but a stable setup. After learning the car and track and your driving style, then setups come into play. Finding a good setup for your particular driving style can be difficult. You have to be able to understand what your driving style is, which can be difficult to a new person. I have thousands of setups that came from inferno and other racers as I tried different sets trying to match what I wanted. It wasn't until around after a year that I started tweaking sets for myself. Before fine tuning a set can be beneficial, you have to be an experienced racer to gain the benefit. This could come quickly for some and take longer for others.
After 2 years now, I only download/recieve sets only to gain a base to start with if I don't have one for that car/track combo or to get over a hump that I'm stuck at with PB time. About the only thing I never mess with is gear ratios. Some ratios I am still using from way back in the beginning of S2 at some tracks. By the end of the night, a newly downloaded/recieved set is very different from it's original.
I'd say so long as you stick to reasonable setups, and you're a good (but not fantastic) racer, it's probably not even 20% IMO.
Only once you're alien fast, and you're able to drive great to perfect laptimes with any setups, do setups become really important for laptimes.
So basically, as mrodgers said, it varies.
If you're talking about stability and consistency though, a good set helps a lot (so long as you know how to drive and what throttle control is).
i normally try to build my own sets, usually using someone elses set as a base in the past, but more likely these days from a basic susp set ive got which i then modify for each track
if im going to try someone elses setup i think very hard about it first
and generally follow the following guidlines
watch the setup being used before i ask, it may be fast but if the regular user of it crashes every other lap then its not for me
if they look like they are driving without effort and turning fast times then its more interesting.
is their style similar to mine? i dont mind changing my style a bit but if its completly different to mine then the setup will probably be of no use to me
once i've got the setup i will drive it for a while, not pushing, just to get feel of it, if i decide to modify it i make a copy of it first
all common sense but easily overlooked
one thing i never understand is why people seem to regard setups as a collecting game and ask for a set every time a different driver wins or sets fastest lap, in the last month ive only asked for 2 setups and the 2nd was last night.
one hint i'd give if your creating / modifying a setup is that often the slightly slower more comfortable setup is the one you want for a race, leave the "knife edge" setup for qualifying or hotlapping. you wont win or get a podium if your in the gravel trap and if you can run comfortably you can suddenly find .5 sec just through consistency
finally if your competent then setups arent that important providing they are fairly close, i'm no great driver by any means (1.01.61 pb at ascot club in FOX) but i can usually get to within 2 secs of that time with any reasonable setup including the default, race, hi and low downforce sets and even once with both wings set to zero
if im going to try someone elses setup i think very hard about it first
and generally follow the following guidlines
watch the setup being used before i ask, it may be fast but if the regular user of it crashes every other lap then its not for me
if they look like they are driving without effort and turning fast times then its more interesting.
is their style similar to mine? i dont mind changing my style a bit but if its completly different to mine then the setup will probably be of no use to me
once i've got the setup i will drive it for a while, not pushing, just to get feel of it, if i decide to modify it i make a copy of it first
all common sense but easily overlooked
one thing i never understand is why people seem to regard setups as a collecting game and ask for a set every time a different driver wins or sets fastest lap, in the last month ive only asked for 2 setups and the 2nd was last night.
one hint i'd give if your creating / modifying a setup is that often the slightly slower more comfortable setup is the one you want for a race, leave the "knife edge" setup for qualifying or hotlapping. you wont win or get a podium if your in the gravel trap and if you can run comfortably you can suddenly find .5 sec just through consistency
finally if your competent then setups arent that important providing they are fairly close, i'm no great driver by any means (1.01.61 pb at ascot club in FOX) but i can usually get to within 2 secs of that time with any reasonable setup including the default, race, hi and low downforce sets and even once with both wings set to zero
My setup knowledge is poor so cannot make fast setups.i can genereally get about 2 secs close to the winner with the setups i make.But if i can get a fast setup i always fight for top three. That's why i think setup is more important than we think(well, least in some conditions you mentioned up in the posts).
It is possible that it is your driving style changing that is different that could cause this. You want to make a set and you make it suiting to your driving style. But when you recieve a "fast" set from someone else, you are changing your driving style sort of subconciously to suit the setup.
It happens to me. I don't like a loose setup (oversteer). But loose is very fast. It's just not my driving style. I'll get a setup from someone that is very loose. My driving adjusts to that looseness. I can put in a fast lap with it (fast for me) but I still don't like it. With loose sets, I spin very easily. I can work with that set though, tightening it up for my driving, but it takes a long time for me. Eventually, after lots and lots of tweaking one click at a time on stuff, the set is right for my driving. Then I start to improve on my laptimes (and not spinning that happened with the loose set, LOL).
I was at Westhill Reverse the other night a while back. I don't have many laps there. But normal Westhill is my favorite (in FZR). I drive Westhill with a slight 4 wheel drift style (proper racing 4 wheel drift, not showy drift). I brake/lift early, turn in early, throttle on early and get a nice 4 wheel drift out to the exit curb. So, I had a different set for reverse from a long time ago. I was using it, but thinking the whole time, I want it to respond like it does in normal direction. All night I was tweaking this and that trying to get the different corners to handle like I want. I was eventually getting it. Finally at the end of the night I smacked myself in the head and figured I'd just try the normal Westhill set. Guess what happened? It ran perfectly how I wanted it. And, you know what? The set I was tweaking ended up almost identical to the set I use normally, LOL. Another 2 or 3 tweaks and it probably would have matched exactly.
Another one.... Again, Westhill, but normal direction. I was running around with someone I hadn't seen in quite some time. Our PB's were only 0.01 seconds different. Something like 1:31.72 and 1:31.73 (FZR again). So, just out of curiousity, we swapped setups. Immediately on the first turn (first real turn) with his set, the car drove straight through the corner into the sand. It was so unbelievably tight (understeer). The exact opposite with him and my set. He couldn't keep the tail end from coming around. Two completely different driving styles, yet after 3 or 4 laps, both of us came within a half second of our pb times. I would have had difficult in a race with his set and him probably in mine, but we were both still able to pretty much match our pb's in complete opposite setups. That is why it is believed that setup only accounts for 20% of your laptime.
Yes, might be.. Maybe i don't have a good driving style. For example i like trailbraking as far i can manage it but i like tight setups as well which is not a good match. But i can easily adapt my driving to the setup i get from someone else.Maybe that blocks me to develop my own style.
Making your own setups
(22 posts, started )
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