Hi folks. I can't seem to get close to the guys at the top and I'm clutching at straws to find out why. I'm using a DFP with 450degrees lock. I've been given setups by the guys who are beating me regularly but I'm always just that wee bit behind. The setups clearly work but my application of them doesn't, if you follow me.

Most wheels only have 270degrees of lock so assuming the setup that I have was arrived at using a 270degree wheel, and I'm using 450degrees, shouldn't I have to adjust the max lock in-game? If so, do I turn it up or down? 450degrees is the lock of the car according to the guides I've read so I'll be keeping that.

I am also having problems braking. I can't seem to get rid of the front wheels locking up under heavy braking. LFS appears to have a control to adjust the sensitivity (?) of the accelerator/brake. I can't remember what it's called and I'm away from my gaming rig at the moment so I'm sorry for not being clearer.

I hope some of you guys can help and I look forward to hearing any advice you may have.

Of course, I also allow for the possibility that I'm just crap.

Quote from zorrofox :

Most wheels only have 270degrees of lock so assuming the setup that I have was arrived at using a 270degree wheel, and I'm using 450degrees, shouldn't I have to adjust the max lock in-game? If so, do I turn it up or down? 450degrees is the lock of the car according to the guides I've read so I'll be keeping that.

Yes, most setups have been made for a wheel that has less steering lock, so the max lock in the setup might be less than maximum. I'll just usually use the maximum in the setup, because faster steering = faster driving. Also the actual steering lock of your wheel might slow you down too. I have noticed I am little bit faster now when I am using 360degrees instead of the cars own degrees of lock. The speed gain is noticeable most in the road cars which have 720 lock. I find it hard to turn the wheel more than one rotation during a race, because the whell is smaller than real life wheels.

Thanks for the advice but I'm assuming the setup I'm using is a good one since the driver who sent it to me is consistently 1sec faster. This being the case then it can only be one or both of two things. I'm slow or our wheel settings are different. I'm trying to rule out the latter before I end it all.

EDIT : I posted the above in response to the first reply.

Your right! I've dropped the lock on my wheel with some improvements but I'm less stable also. I feel that adjusting the in-game lock to compensate for my wheels lock must be the answer but I can't figure out what the relationship is.

I realise it's not all that clear but these are the variables that occur when using a wheel with an adjustable lock. It's a minefield.

Man, I thought sure I'd get some help here. Nevermind.

Your no dought not alone in what you are thinking... but while wheel setup and car setup are important, it probably only accounts for a small part (say 20 -30% or less) of the speed the fast guys get compared to the average - the rest is driving skill, which can only come through alot of experience and maybe even some coaching from an experience driver it takes the average driver six or more months of regular driving to become "fast" which is what makes it so rewarding for most of us (some exceptional drivers develop quicker) and there's always room for improvement, which is why I still am here nearly 2 years later

I encourage you to keep at it, you will improve... all of us get to points of frustration where we feel like we can't get better, but with persistence you will find that you get through that dry spell and start to improve again from my experience improvements in ability seem to come in bursts rather than be gradual and continual...

I suggest you search the forums for the recomended settings for your wheel (many topics on this) and find a setup your comfortable with and then its down to practise and learning the art of racing (ie studying racing lines, learning trail braking, and other techniques)

[Edit] You actually need only a suprisingly small amount of lock to race with, as little as 9deg, so if your having dramas I serriously dought it's Lock related... the main keys to being fast is being smooth (ie not upsetting the balance of the car with quick steering movements or jabs at the throttle and brakes) to aid being smooth in LFS I recommend you go to your sound options and turn skid volume to max (3x) and then aim at all times to keep skidding to an absolute minimum, while driving near or at the limit ... If you watch replays of wr laps you will notice they have minimal wheel spin and skidding. I've read a quote recently about the secret of going fast something along the lines of "you should aim for the minimal input changes required to get arround the track, the less you have to do the less opportunity there is for error" and "a car will go the quickest when we move slowly" and he went on to say that when he is observing novice drivers he is always amused to see them "trying to go fast" with more aggressive behaviour behind the wheel, like braking abruptly and fighting with the wheel trying to force the car to go faster. Being fast requires an intuition about driving at the limits of the traction circle and that requires alot of training, experience and skill, there's no short cuts for that, but that is what makes it a great sim [/edit]