Focus RS
2003 FordTires
The optimal pressure for tyres depends on the tyre compound you are using. The intention of tyre pressure tuning is to maximise the contact patch of the tyres without them overheating or becoming unresponsive. Lower pressure increases the contact patch, but too low reduces responsiveness and can cause the tyres to overheat. Higher pressures can increase responsiveness, but reduce tyre temperature and can lead to a sudden loss of grip.
The optimal pressure for tyres depends on the tyre compound you are using. The intention of tyre pressure tuning is to maximise the contact patch of the tyres without them overheating or becoming unresponsive. Lower pressure increases the contact patch, but too low reduces responsiveness and can cause the tyres to overheat. Higher pressures can increase responsiveness, but reduce tyre temperature and can lead to a sudden loss of grip.
Gearing
Adjusting the final drive ratio affects acceleration and top speed by scaling the ratios of all the gears in the gearbox. The higher your final drive, the shorter your gear ratios will be, which can lead to improved acceleration at the cost of reduced top speed or topping out in your final gear. Lowering your final drive can improve top speed but can reduce acceleration.
Adjusting individual gear ratios affects acceleration and top speed. A higher ratio makes for quicker acceleration. A lower ratio gives a higher top speed. Choosing the right ratios matches your engine's power and torque to the circuit on which you're racing.
Adjusting individual gear ratios affects acceleration and top speed. A higher ratio makes for quicker acceleration. A lower ratio gives a higher top speed. Choosing the right ratios matches your engine's power and torque to the circuit on which you're racing.
Adjusting individual gear ratios affects acceleration and top speed. A higher ratio makes for quicker acceleration. A lower ratio gives a higher top speed. Choosing the right ratios matches your engine's power and torque to the circuit on which you're racing.
Adjusting individual gear ratios affects acceleration and top speed. A higher ratio makes for quicker acceleration. A lower ratio gives a higher top speed. Choosing the right ratios matches your engine's power and torque to the circuit on which you're racing.
Adjusting individual gear ratios affects acceleration and top speed. A higher ratio makes for quicker acceleration. A lower ratio gives a higher top speed. Choosing the right ratios matches your engine's power and torque to the circuit on which you're racing.
Adjusting individual gear ratios affects acceleration and top speed. A higher ratio makes for quicker acceleration. A lower ratio gives a higher top speed. Choosing the right ratios matches your engine's power and torque to the circuit on which you're racing.
Alignment
Adjusting camber (the top-to-bottom angle of the tyres) affects your car's grip whether you are driving in a straight line or cornering. Negative camber results in the tops of the tyres leaning inward, maximising the contact patch during cornering. Too much negative camber can decrease straight line braking and acceleration efficiency, as negative camber reduces the contact patch when driving straight. Positive camber results in the tops of the tyres leaning outward which can make the car unstable, as it reduces the contact patch during cornering.
Adjusting camber (the top-to-bottom angle of the tyres) affects your car's grip whether you are driving in a straight line or cornering. Negative camber results in the tops of the tyres leaning inward, maximising the contact patch during cornering. Too much negative camber can decrease straight line braking and acceleration efficiency, as negative camber reduces the contact patch when driving straight. Positive camber results in the tops of the tyres leaning outward which can make the car unstable, as it reduces the contact patch during cornering.
Adjust toe (the inward or outward angle of the wheels) to sharpen turn-in response (the transition between driving straight ahead and turning). Toe-in brings the fronts of the tyres closer together than the backs. This can increase stability at the cost of turn-in response. Toe-out brings the backs of the tyres closer together than the fronts. This can increases turn-in response at the cost of stability.
Adjust toe (the inward or outward angle of the wheels) to sharpen turn-in response (the transition between driving straight ahead and turning). Toe-in brings the fronts of the tyres closer together than the backs. This can increase stability at the cost of turn-in response. Toe-out brings the backs of the tyres closer together than the fronts. This can increases turn-in response at the cost of stability.
Adjusting caster (the forward or rearward angle of the steering axis) enhances straight-line stability. With positive caster, the steering axis is inclined rearward. Because negative camber increases as the suspension compresses and/or the tyres move through steering lock, increasing positive caster lets you run less negative camber. This results in a straight-up tyre while driving straight ahead (good for acceleration and braking) but provides a desirable amount of negative camber while cornering.
Anti-roll bars
Anti-roll bars control unwanted body movement and balance understeer versus oversteer in steady-state cornering. The balance of front and rear antiroll stiffness affects the balance between understeer and oversteer. To reduce understeer, you can soften the front bar, stiffen the rear one, or a combination of both; to reduce oversteer, you can soften the rear bar, stiffen the front one or a combination of both.
Anti-roll bars control unwanted body movement and balance understeer versus oversteer in steady-state cornering. The balance of front and rear antiroll stiffness affects the balance between understeer and oversteer. To reduce understeer, you can soften the front bar, stiffen the rear one, or a combination of both; to reduce oversteer, you can soften the rear bar, stiffen the front one or a combination of both.
Springs
Spring stiffness controls how the car's weight is transferred under acceleration, braking, and cornering. Stiffer front springs transfer more weight, but too much can cause the tyres to lose traction under heavy load. Softening the front springs in relation to the rear increases front grip and reduces understeer, but too much can cause the car to bottom out under heavy braking. Increasing the front springs' stiffness in relation to the rear can reduce oversteer, but too much can cause the car to understeer.
Spring stiffness controls how the car's weight is transferred under acceleration, braking, and cornering. Stiffer front springs transfer more weight, but too much can cause the tyres to lose traction under heavy load. Softening the front springs in relation to the rear increases front grip and reduces understeer, but too much can cause the car to bottom out under heavy braking. Increasing the front springs' stiffness in relation to the rear can reduce oversteer, but too much can cause the car to understeer.
Ride height determines your car's ground clearance and centre of gravity. Lowering ride height lowers the centre of gravity, which improves cornering, but lowering it too far can cause bottoming out and sudden loss of control. Generally, you should lower your ride height as much as possible without bottoming out.
Ride height determines your car's ground clearance and centre of gravity. Lowering ride height lowers the centre of gravity, which improves cornering, but lowering it too far can cause bottoming out and sudden loss of control. Generally, you should lower your ride height as much as possible without bottoming out.
Damping
Tuning your car's damping improves handling by increasing grip. Bump damping controls the rate of compression as the suspension goes up into the wheel wells. Increasing front bump damping stiffness can increase transitional understeer, but excessive bump damping can make a car unstable over rough surfaces. Decreasing front bump damping stiffness can increase transitional oversteer.
Tuning your car's damping improves handling by increasing grip. Bump damping controls the rate of compression as the suspension goes up into the wheel wells. Increasing front bump damping stiffness can increase transitional understeer, but excessive bump damping can make a car unstable over rough surfaces. Decreasing front bump damping stiffness can increase transitional oversteer.
Tuning your car's damping improves handling by increasing grip. Bump damping controls the rate of compression as the suspension goes up into the wheel wells. Increasing front bump damping stiffness can increase transitional understeer, but excessive bump damping can make a car unstable over rough surfaces. Decreasing front bump damping stiffness can increase transitional oversteer.
Tuning your car's damping improves handling by increasing grip. Bump damping controls the rate of compression as the suspension goes up into the wheel wells. Increasing front bump damping stiffness can increase transitional understeer, but excessive bump damping can make a car unstable over rough surfaces. Decreasing front bump damping stiffness can increase transitional oversteer.
Aero
Increased downforce keeps your car in better contact with the road, heats up the tyres more quickly, and improves handling at speed. Efficiency refers to the amount of drag the car creates. The higher the value, the more efficient the car is, which means the less drag it creates. Increasing downforce will increase the amount of drag being produced. Balance refers to the aerodynamic balance of the car. The greater the difference between front and rear downforce, the greater the characteristics of the car changes. The lower your Balance value is, the more understeer the car will exhibit, and the greater the value, the more oversteer.
Increased downforce keeps your car in better contact with the road, heats up the tyres more quickly, and improves handling at speed. Efficiency refers to the amount of drag the car creates. The higher the value, the more efficient the car is, which means the less drag it creates. Increasing downforce will increase the amount of drag being produced. Balance refers to the aerodynamic balance of the car. The greater the difference between front and rear downforce, the greater the characteristics of the car changes. The lower your Balance value is, the more understeer the car will exhibit, and the greater the value, the more oversteer.
Braking
Brake balance affects the distribution of the braking force. This in turn affects braking distance and understeer/oversteer balance while braking. Adjusting brake balance rearward increases oversteer under braking, while adjusting brake balance forward increases understeer and improves stability, but it can also lead to excessive understeer when braking.
Brake pressure affects the amount of force generated, based on how much braking you apply. Reducing total brake pressure increases the amount of pedal travel to generate significant braking force. However, if you reduce it too much, the car will be unable to decelerate effectively. Increasing brake pressure reduces the amount of pedal travel required to generarate significant braking force, but increasing too much will lead to the brakes locking up immediately.
Differential
The Accel differential setting adjusts how much difference in wheel rotation is required to lock the differential under acceleration. Increasing the Accel setting makes the differential lock more quickly under acceleration. Reducing the Accel setting makes the differential lock more slowly. On front differentials, reducing the Accel setting can reduce understeer, but reducing it too much can make the car unresponsive.
The Decel differential setting adjusts how much difference in wheel rotation is required to lock the differential under deceleration. Increasing the Decel setting makes the differential lock more quickly under deceleration, but excessive differential locking can impair handling. Decreasing the front Decel setting can reduce lift off oversteer, but increase the likelihood of locking the front brakes (without ABS enabled).