Automobilista - How to Set Your Car Up!

Kevin Harris · Mar 17, 2017

Great job mate.....

Heitor Facuri Cicoti · Mar 17, 2017

Also, I believe Brake Map is referring to the engine braking power - negative torque if you wish - and has nothing to do with brake pads or discs. So it's not "when you press the brake", but actually "when you lift the throttle" the correct way. The consequences are written correctly, though.

But I have never used it, so I could be wrong.

Heitor Facuri Cicoti · Mar 17, 2017

Another thing I'm not 100% sure, but it makes sense to me: Steering Lock is actually the front wheels maximum turning angle. Nothing to do with tenths of something.

Personally I always make it as high as I can (without messing the ratio), because every little angle helps when trying to catch a big slide.

Heitor Facuri Cicoti · Mar 17, 2017

There are some other minor things, but I will leave it to tomorrow while I finish the text.

Do not take my comments as negative at all. You did an astonishing work here! I'm just trying to help a bit.

Matheus Machado · Mar 17, 2017

Heitor Facuri Cicoti said:
Also, I believe Brake Map is referring to the engine braking power - negative torque if you wish - and has nothing to do with brake pads or discs. So it's not "when you press the brake", but actually "when you lift the throttle" the correct way. The consequences are written correctly, though.

Yes indeed. Brake map is the amount of engine braking allowed by the fuel injection. Basically every engine has a particular resistance which slows it down, brake map applies idle throttle so it compensates for the natural engine slow down process. Sometimes it can even make the car gain speed when idle in 1st gear.

It affects only fuel usage and engine temperatures though. It has no effect at all on brake discs or pads.

On its effect on vehicle dynamics, it can help with lift-off oversteer as well as coasting oversteer. It is really useful to help the car keep the same speed throughout a corner. And it modulates engine braking as well.

Andrew W · Mar 17, 2017

Well done! However, you might want to revise the section on steering lock. Lock is only 1/2 of your total steering rotation when your ratio is 1:1. This a) is not realistic and b) would lead to a horrendous driving experience where you'd have no fine control over steering angle.

Typically, ratios are in the 14-17 range, with "fast racks" being lower, somewhere around 11-12. Of course, these vary wildly and are often variable the farther from center the wheel is turned. To my knowledge, no sim models variable ratios yet.

Taking a race rack at 12.1:1 for example, if you turn your steering wheel 12.1 degrees, the rack with rotate the outside tyre 1 degree. On a 900 degree wheel, you'd need a lock of 37 to achieve the 12.1 ratio. If the car setup screen (or sim in general) allows for a lock setting that high, you'll benefit from having a much wider range of steering per tyre turn degree, allowing for finesse and precision.

Steering lock doesn't seem to come up all that often in the various sim racing communities, and very few mod authors even offer the ratio they were attempting to model. Seeing as how all we really have to go on about how a car "feels" to drive in a sim is the wheel in front of us, the ratio is pretty important. It's likely the biggest impact to a cars driveability and should really be a priority.

Google the ratio of a Caterham 270, head over to http://steeringlockratiocalculator.com and calculate your lock for your desired wheel degrees, and try it out. The difference can be massive.

Yapci · Mar 17, 2017

This may be the best post I have seen in this forum. This kind of stuff is what the forum lacks off (obviously is the most difficult things to write and kinda hard to get the knowledge to do and explain to the rest) but I like that it's turning in a direction to help Rockies and ignorants like me to get more involved with (serious) simracing.

Thanks for the work Chris.

P.S: that MClaren front wing was ugly as hell.

InsaneOzzie · Mar 17, 2017

In a word......EPIC!
Awesome work Chris, thanks for the hours you put into this guide, which I'm sure many sim-racers will find helpful in shaving time from their PB's

whether it's in AMS or another of the sims available.

Cheers

Tony · Mar 17, 2017

Brilliant job Chris, Hope it doesn't make @Sun Levi any faster though

Sun Levi · Mar 17, 2017

Sniper said:
Brilliant job Chris, Hope it doesn't make @Sun Levi any faster though

To be honest I'm happy as long as I'm within a tenth in front or behind you.

Chris · Mar 17, 2017

Andrew W said:
Well done! However, you might want to revise the section on steering lock. Lock is only 1/2 of your total steering rotation when your ratio is 1:1. This a) is not realistic and b) would lead to a horrendous driving experience where you'd have no fine control over steering angle.

Typically, ratios are in the 14-17 range, with "fast racks" being lower, somewhere around 11-12. Of course, these vary wildly and are often variable the farther from center the wheel is turned. To my knowledge, no sim models variable ratios yet.

Taking a race rack at 12.1:1 for example, if you turn your steering wheel 12.1 degrees, the rack with rotate the outside tyre 1 degree. On a 900 degree wheel, you'd need a lock of 37 to achieve the 12.1 ratio. If the car setup screen (or sim in general) allows for a lock setting that high, you'll benefit from having a much wider range of steering per tyre turn degree, allowing for finesse and precision.

Steering lock doesn't seem to come up all that often in the various sim racing communities, and very few mod authors even offer the ratio they were attempting to model. Seeing as how all we really have to go on about how a car "feels" to drive in a sim is the wheel in front of us, the ratio is pretty important. It's likely the biggest impact to a cars driveability and should really be a priority.

Google the ratio of a Caterham 270, head over to http://steeringlockratiocalculator.com and calculate your lock for your desired wheel degrees, and try it out. The difference can be massive.

Thank you for the info! I'll update the entry later this evening. Steering lock and rotation is something that's not very well documented in Simracing, so hopefully with the help of people like yourself, we can shed a bit more light on it

Chris · Mar 17, 2017

Heitor Facuri Cicoti said:
Do not take my comments as negative at all. You did an astonishing work here! I'm just trying to help a bit.

Not at all! The more accurate info, the better it is for everyone

Rodent · Mar 17, 2017

Wonderful write up Chris, love reading through stuff like this. It always gives me ideas, most of which are promptly forgotten or dismissed when actually tested, but for every read through I do of stuff like this, I find a little more confidence to branch away from the tried and true, into what works for me.