Optimum Tuning

By Wendell Scott

Forza Motorsport™ is a huge game, with more than 200 cars to choose from and more than 400 tracks to test them. The sheer quantity of performance- and appearance-enhancing options is staggering.

But, you have to start somewhere, so here's the scoop on optimizing your vehicle's handling to fit your style like a manicured hand in an expensive driving glove.

Smart customizing=superior machinery.

There are 10 basic performance elements for you to customize inForza Motorsport:

• Tire Pressure
• Gearing
• Alignment
• Anti-Roll
• Springs
• Ride Height
• Damping, Aero
• Braking
• Differential

Let's first take a look at Tire Pressure and Gearing, since there's such a clear right way (and wrong way) get started with those.

Tire Pressure and Gearing
Tire Pressure should be set for maximum grip, and Gearing should be set to ensure you're getting the maximum output from your engine's torque and power. Begin your customization with this in mind, and then fine-tune these features to your own driving style.

Tweaking the tire pressure can impact the amount that you over- and under-steer. It can also sharpen or slow the car's transitional response. Readjusting the gear ratio can change your vehicle's top speed or acceleration. I recommend you keep them both in the same ballpark, unless you've got a track with a lot of straight-aways (in which case you should bump up your top speed) or a lot of turns (which calls for better acceleration).

Ride Height and Springs
Ride Height and Springs should both be based on the track in question and set before the race begins. You always want your Ride Height to be as low as possible, without scraping the ground … literally. The closer your car is to the ground, the lower its center of gravity, and the better it will handle. If you go too low, though, you run the risk of bottoming out, which causes you to instantly lose speed and control.

Try to raise your back end slightly higher than your front to create the "positive rake" effect that increases over-steering, but also allows for better weight transfer during acceleration.

As for Springs, keep them nice and tight (to maximize responsiveness), but leave yourself a little softness for any bumps. If you know the track has rough terrain, like cobblestones or bricks, you'll want softer front springs to absorb the impact and keep you in control.

Sharp curves demand high performance.

Alignment, Braking, and Damping
Now, we're moving on to some more complicated decisions. For instance, let's take a look at the three Alignment settings:

• Camber: This refers to the vertical tilt of the wheels. It affects over- and under-steering and determines whether your car grips better on straight-aways or curves. Increase negative camber to favor corners and decrease it for straights.
• Toe: This is the lateral tilt of the wheels, which impacts the car's stability and turn-in ability. Toe-in improves stability at the expense of turn-in, and toe-out does the opposite.
• Caster: This setting uses geometry to calculate the best wheel angle for the suspension). It determines how much impact the suspension's up-and-down movement has on the wheels. Properly setting your caster lets your tires run straighter while driving straight (no matter what you've set the Camber and Toe to) and also gives you help on the corners.

Once you're figured out your Alignment settings, it's on to Braking, an essential skill in Forza Motorsport. You can tweak three different aspects of your car's braking system:

• Balance (or Bias): This determines which tires lock up first under heavy braking, and it can matter a great deal, depending on the car you're driving. Beyond the fact that some vehicles are front- or rear-drive, you also want to factor in your own preferred degree of under- and over-steering. Balance toward the front, and you'll increase stability. Balance toward the back, and you'll get better rotation.
• Pressure: The Pressure setting determines how far the brake pedal (or in this case, the left trigger) has to travel before the brakes lock, so it's up to you if you want to be a light touch or a leadfoot.
• E-brake: This setting only applies to the rear wheels, but it allows you to exploit some serious over-steering, to keep your nose pointed in the right direction and your momentum high.
  

Finally, Damping is the suspension's resistance to movement, which can obviously affect under- and over-steering. Too much front damping stiffness can make your car harder to handle on bumpy roads. Too much in the rear can undo all your careful work with the springs.

On straight-aways it's all about acceleration.

Anti-Roll, Aero, and Differential
These settings all involve advanced, high-end decisions that can only be made after you've spent some time behind the wheel of as many different cars as possible. It's safe to use the default settings, until you have a feel for the vehicle you're driving, but once you do, spend some time experimenting with these three elements until you understand how each affects almost every other aspect of your car's handling.

Forza Motorsport is designed to be the ultimate experience in worldwide competition and custom-car racing. Once you've nailed the basics of performance upgrades, you'll be able to build your own perfect beast and take it out on the road for the whole world to see!

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